Please have a seat and we'll go to the book of Ephesians. The book of Ephesians chapter 6. Today we'll look at verses 19 through 22 and look at the intercession for the minister of the gospel. I will read verses 19 through 22 in Ephesians chapter six. Right. Paul is writing, pray, 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. And 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. Amen. So we're still in this passage where Paul is talking about the armor of God, the warfare we're in. Actually, he has been talking about be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might, beginning in verse 10. exhorted them to put on the whole armor of God that they may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. And we have gone through this many times, how the devil works. You're all tired of hearing about the devil. I'm not gonna say too much about this now. We'll just note that Paul is exhorting them to put on the armor of God and of these pieces of armor he's mentioning. These spiritual truths that are like armor in the battle against the spirits. The final and, I may say, greatest or most important or the most explicit one is prayer. This is the one he explains most of all. He doesn't go much into explaining how is righteousness a breastplate to us. He doesn't explain about how is salvation a helmet to us. But when he goes then to prayer, he explains a lot. And in the previous sermon, we looked at how he told the Ephesians, Christians, to pray for the saints. 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. So, in order to receive this spiritual armor of God, to be strengthened in His might, you do this, praying at all times with the Spirit. This is how you receive from God all good things. Receive the strength, receive the might. And he goes on, as you pray, as you intercede, he's really using the words intercession, that is praying for others, not just for yourselves, and petition. Desiring things for others, asking things for others, praying for others, interceding. As you do this, interceding for all the saints, pray also for me. Intercede also for me. And this request, this prayer request, he is bringing up concerns. ministry of the word, his gospel ministry, his preaching. He says, in opening my mouth to proclaim the mystery, or literally to proclaim the secrets of the gospel, We see this also in chapter 3, verse 6. He talks about the mystery, the secret that had been hidden through the ages, but now have been revealed that the Gentiles are also included in the people of God. The mystery of the gospel, the secrets. He's saying this ironically or sarcastically. because it's not to be kept a secret, it is to be revealed, to be proclaimed openly. He says in 1 Timothy 3.16 about the mystery of godliness. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery, the secret of godliness. He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, taken up in glory. The secret is Christ himself. This is what the gospel is about ultimately. The gospel of Jesus Christ. The secret that is not to be kept secret. He prays, ask them for prayer that words may be given as I ought to speak. He asks for boldness, that I ought to speak with boldness, that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak. Declare and proclaim freely. This Greek word, paresia, means the ability to speak freely, To speak openly, to be candid, to be very clear, to be outspoken, not ashamed, not afraid, but bold and outspoken and candid. To speak, to preach, to give the whole counsel of God as He ought to speak. He also informs them about his situation. He calls himself an ambassador. And this again, he's going back to this war language, the spiritual war that we're in. And here, in this war, Paul is an ambassador. An ambassador is, or back then, at that time, they have different words for it, of course, but an ambassador was not someone who was just, as they do today, sitting in a building doing some bureaucratic things inside a building, whatever they're doing. Who knows? But an ambassador is someone that you send out to an enemy in war to negotiate peace, to negotiate reconciliation. So in this spiritual war, spiritual battle, God has sent out ambassadors, apostles, emissaries, envoys, to proclaim reconciliation. He says this as well in 2 Corinthians 5.20. He says, therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, making appeal through us. And we implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. So his position in this battle is high-ranking position of an ambassador, someone who is sent out to preach reconciliation, to preach the gospel of peace, as he says previously with the shoes on his feet. But then he says he's an ambassador in chains. Now we have to understand the irony of this, the disrespect That he is an ambassador in chains. He has been put in prison. We know that normally an ambassador has diplomatic immunity. That is, that ambassadors cannot be prosecuted. They can't be put in jail. Even if they commit real crimes, as they have done today in our age, they can't be put in prison. They are immune to the laws of the lands they are sent to. Because they are important people and you can't put diplomats, you can't put ambassadors in prison because that would be an act of war. That would be a hostile act to put these emissaries, these envoys who are to proclaim peace, who are to negotiate peace with you. You don't put these people in prison. That is an act of war. But still, Paul is an ambassador in chains. Everywhere he goes, it seems he's put in prison, he's persecuted, prosecuted, put in jail, prison, beaten, both by Jews and Greeks. He's an ambassador in chains. He's this high ranking official in the kingdom of God, but the world does not recognize it. Just as they didn't recognize the Lord of glory himself. So they will not respect or recognize the ambassadors of Christ. So he explains his situation, he is in chains. He has this really important office, mission, to preach the gospel, and he is now in prison. So he asks for prayer in his situation as the ambassador in chains. And then he ends and says that Tychicus will give you more information as he gets it, and as he gets it to you, so that you may know how I am and what I am doing. He informs them. He guarantees them that they will know more further on. They will get to know whether their prayers have been answered, have been effective. He will send them an update. on his mission. But we learn from this text that it is the duty of Christians to intercede for the ministers of the gospel. It is the duty of Christians to intercede for the ministers of the gospel, not only for all the saints in general, but also for the ministers of the gospel, those who are preaching the gospel, the Word of God. Paul says the same thing in 2 Corinthians 1, 11. He uses the word must. You also must help us by prayer. so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. We must help the ministers of the gospel by prayer. Paul the apostle himself asks for intercession. He's not a super Christian who doesn't need your prayers. He shows his humility here. He shows that even though he is a very important apostle, emissary, ambassador, it doesn't mean that he in himself is something great. What he has been given, he has been given by grace from God and he is still continuously in need of grace from God and so are all ministers, preachers, missionaries, pastors, Apostles, they are not, we are not super Christians who don't need other Christians to pray for us, to pray for them. They're in need of prayer and specifically, specifically for their work of preaching, of spreading the gospel, preaching the word, using the right words. Paul asks for the right words, that words may be given me. This is how we understand how we should pray, what the duty of Christians to intercede for the gospel ministers is, that they will have the right words, that the gospel is a specific clear message, not just something in general, not just something that you can add or take away from as you wish. It is a specific message given by God in the Bible and we have to use the right words. We have to divide it rightly. We need your prayers to do this. to give the right words that will reach into the hearts of men, reach the lost, the right word that will provide a word of correction, a word of rebuke, a word that is necessary into certain situations, a word of encouragement, a word of edification, the right words that are needed The wisdom to understand what does God's Word have to say about this person or situation? How does this apply here? And not only to be able to state the right words, but to actually do it with boldness. We know that missionaries like Paul And missionaries today out in the mission field, they are risking their lives against all odds for the gospel. They are emissaries. They are ambassadors and many of them are in chains. Many of them go to another country, a foreign country, a hostile country and never come back. They're either killed, imprisoned. They need our prayer continuously. Missionaries need our prayer because they're risking their lives and they need boldness to preach as they ought. Same thing in local church ministry. In the local church, boldness is needed. Boldness against the fear of man, because we don't see ourselves becoming very popular. We're not very popular. People don't like us, or maybe they don't even know about us. We're trying our best. But we need boldness. We may think that we'll have to change the message, not be as outspoken as we ought, not be as candid as we ought. Both missions, missionaries out in the world and also local ministers need boldness. boldness and outspokenness, the ability to be candid against the fear of man, against the devil, Again, to be candid, because they are in a vulnerable and exposed position. This is the reason these prayers are very needed for the ministers of the gospel. They are first and foremost, or high ranking on Satan's hit list. Because of the devil, And because of men, the fear of man, because of the own flesh, they might be vulnerable to certain things, not just physical attacks, but spiritual attacks. The attack or the allure of changing the message to appease, appeal to men, The devil may whisper in your ear as you're going to preach or share the gospel somewhere. You know, you shouldn't be so, so candid. Shouldn't be so clear. Come on, Paul. You're standing before Greeks here, wise people. They need to hear words of wisdom so that they will be more prone to receive the gospel that you're preaching. This word of the cross is a foolishness. It's not something that you're going to listen to. Say something wise instead. say something that will appeal to their intellect. And then later on, maybe you can start slowly introducing the cross in some way. Just as the devil himself, he doesn't go out clearly and say, hey, I'm the devil, and now follow me to hell, my friends. He doesn't do that. He's attracting them with treats with pleasure, with nice things and luring them and the same things we may be tempted more or less to start trying to lure people in with treats or with fun, enjoyments, come to our funny church. We have smoke screens and disco balls and cool music and activities and fun. Come and have some fun. And maybe we'll say something about Jesus slowly and slowly introduce them. This is the temptation. That we have to battle against not only physical persecution, but these notions, these things. We need boldness to openly proclaim, candidly proclaim, outspokenly proclaim the gospel of Christ, the cross, which is a foolishness. to those who are being lost by the God's power unto salvation, to the elect, those who are being saved. And, of course, also the physical persecution Paul mentions many times that they should pray for him. Likewise, in Colossians 4 and 3 through 4, at the same time, pray also for us that God may open to us a door for the world to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison, that I may make it clear which is how I ought to speak, clarity, in persecution. Finally, brothers, 2 Thessalonians 3, 1 and 2. Finally, brothers, pray for us that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not all have faith. Praise for deliverance. He's not asking to be persecuted even more. He wants deliverance so that he can freely speak and preach in the open. Romans 15 30 to 31, I appeal to you brothers by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints. These who preach the gospel are in a vulnerable, exposed position. They're on Satan's hit list. They're persecuted by men. They're disrespected by men. Either ambassadors in chains, or ambassadors in exile, or disrespected, disregarded, not listened to, slandered, spoken badly of. They're in a vulnerable, exposed position. And Christians also need to hear updates on the prayers. That's why he says this about Tychicus at the end. In this spiritual battle, in these prayers, in this serious situation, there is the joy of hearing prayer updates, hearing about how our prayers have fared well, how they have gone. He says there at the end, that you may know how we are, verse 22, and that he may encourage your hearts. Praying for God's gospel ministers and hearing about their well-being, hearing about how it goes, encourages our hearts. Even if there is persecution, imprisonments, bad things, we see the gospel is advanced. Paul says the gospel is not bound in chains itself. And we're encouraged to read the updates or hear about how it goes out in the mission fields. So, brothers and sisters, intercede for us. Intercede for us who are preaching, proclaiming the gospel. Pray for your pastors. Your pastors need prayer, that they may speak boldly as they ought. Pray for your teachers, those who teach the Word, but are maybe not pastors or preachers, that they may openly and boldly proclaim what God's Word says. And especially pray for missionaries. Pray for those out in the mission fields. As Paul was a missionary, a very special missionary, an apostle with a big A, a big A apostle, but there are small A apostles. It simply means someone who is sent out. A missionary. someone who is sent out to proclaim the gospel. They are ambassadors of Christ in our own time. And they need our intercession in their vulnerable positions, both pastors, preachers, teachers, and especially missionaries in foreign countries, in hostile countries. They are in need of our prayers. They're in need for us to pray for them, that they will proclaim God's word rightly, that they will have the right words. I hear, I've seen from my background in another denomination, how missionaries often fall back into just becoming welfare workers, help workers. doing foreign aid, giving food, digging ditches, digging wells. They have fallen from their work, their special work of proclaiming God's word with right words, preaching the gospel. And many of these updates you hear are not about We have preached the gospel, we went into a village and opened the Bible and preached the gospel and people were converted or hostile. Instead it's, yeah, we went to this village and we digged a well for them and gave them food, opened up a elementary school and thinks nothing about the gospel. So we see how easy missionaries can fall into in their loving Christian hearts, see the people in need and start just doing help work, feeding the poor and things. It's easy for them to fall, but they ought to speak and preach and they need boldness. They need to be outspoken and candid about the gospel. We're not just here to help your bodies, but to help your souls. Not just to save your bodies from starvation. That is good. We do that also. They do that also. But to save your body and soul from the fires of hell, that you may come to Christ and believe in him and be saved and submit to him and repent. After that follows all good things in our society. That's the primary thing. And as you pray for the preachers and for the missionaries, read mission updates. You know about the webpage, heartcrymissionary.com, where you can read about missionaries across the world, read updates, read prayer updates, read their updates and be informed how you can pray for them and rejoice when you see how well it's going for them. And also, as I mentioned in the last sermon, praying in the Spirit, using the Spirit-inspired One of the means to pray in the Spirit is to pray the Spirit-inspired prayers that we find in the Bible. The Book of Psalms is full of prayers. We read one today about help in persecution. We have many more. We have Jesus, Matthew 9, 37-38, where he says, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Colossians 4, 3-4, Paul says this prayer, that they should pray this. that God may open a door for the Word to declare the mystery of Christ, that they may make it clear, and this is why they are here, and this is how they ought to speak. In 2 Thessalonians 3, 1 to 2 again, finally, brothers, pray for us that the Word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored. Not a slow process necessarily. We think about a slow and gradual process, how the word is being spread. Here he says, for by all means pray that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored. be spread out quickly and also honored by people repenting, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. And also the confidence here in our biblical prayers and in God's promise. Paul says in Philippians 1, 19 through 21, we find prayers everywhere in Paul's letters and there are many like them. And Paul gives this assurance, this promise that we can take to God. I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed. We can pray with eager expectation and hope. that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage, now as always, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. Even if Paul or the missionaries or pastors or preacher live or die, Christ will be honored. Christ will be glorified. His kingdom will advance. And we're just a small part of it. And then Paul ends. I will end in that favorite Bible verse. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. What matter is that Christ is glorified. That is the word that shall be preached. Let's pray together. Our God and Lord, we thank you for your word. the exhortations, the information we get, that we have the duty to pray for the ministers that you have sent out, your men that you have sent into the world, those to proclaim the gospel as ambassadors. And Lord, we pray now, that you will give us a spirit of prayer so that we will always pray at all times in the spirits with all prayer and supplication and petition and intercession, that you will keep us alert with all perseverance so that we may supplicate for all the saints. And especially we pray for your ambassadors, your missionaries, your emissaries, your pastors, that words may be given them as they open up their mouths, that they will boldly proclaim and reveal the mystery, the secret of the gospel. We pray for those who are in chains, in prison, persecution, beaten, that you will set them free so that they can keep on preaching boldly, declare it boldly, as they ought to speak openly and freely. We pray these things in your Son, Jesus Christ's name. Amen.