Welcome to Mill Creek Church in Belleville, Texas, where our worship service is in progress. Today, Pastor Monty Byrd continues with his sermon series on the Book of Ephesians. And now, Pastor Byrd. Let's go to the Lord together in prayer. Father, as we come again to worship you and study your word, I just thank you for your wonderful truth. I thank you, Lord, that through your son, that the veil has been lifted and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we can understand your word and we can apply it and live by it through your indwelling power. I just pray, Lord, as we continue to study Ephesians, that you would speak to us that you would shape us and that we'd use your word to not only live our life, but be a living testimony to others who do not know you. In Jesus name, amen. Well, turn with me to Ephesians chapter three, as we begin a new chapter of Paul's letter to the Ephesians. I will read verses one through seven, but as typical, we won't get very far, but I think that you need to have all seven verses to understand where we're going. It begins by saying, For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles, if indeed you've heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation he made known to me the mystery, as I have briefly written already, by which when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the spirit to his holy apostles and prophets, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body. and partakers of his promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I become a minister according to the gift of the grace of God, given to me by the effective working of his power." We're gonna look at verse one today, and I think it's so important to spend some time in verse one, because Paul says, for this reason. In other words, it's a transition Some people think that it's just referring back for this reason, just referring back to the last few verses of Ephesians 2. I don't think so. I think he's referring back to what he's already covered all the way to the beginning of his letter. And so I think it's important, and we won't spend a lot of time doing this, but I think it's important to have just a brief overview of what we've covered so far so you can understand what Paul is saying when he says, for this reason. And if you go back to chapter one, if you look at Ephesians chapter one, it deals with redemption, not only as individuals, but also collectively as Christ brings us together. If you look at verse three of chapter one, Paul said, blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace. by which he has made us accepted in the beloved. Christ chose us, he redeemed us. And he also mentioned this collectively in verse 10, when it says in chapter one, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in him. So there's a individual redemption, but Christ is also calling us into his body. And this just isn't to escape sin or the penalties of sin. He gives us a new life. And that's what Paul covered in chapter two. Again, individually, as you look at verses one and two, where he says, in you, he made alive. who were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked according to the course of this world. Collectively when you look at verse 4, but God who is rich in his mercy because of his great love in which he loved us even when we were dead in trespasses made us alive together in Christ by grace you've been saved. So we've been redeemed, we've been given a new life, and with a new life, you have new pursuits. As a new person, you have new pursuits. And if you look at verse 10 of chapter two, it says, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before him that we should walk in them. Redemption, a new life, but something's different. as we're in the New Testament and as we're reading Paul's letter to the Ephesians. It's not limited to the Hebrews. It's available to all mankind. And you see that in verse 11 in chapter 2. Therefore remember that you once Gentiles in the flesh who were called uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision made in the flesh by hands. He going on in verse 19, now, therefore, you are no longer strangers in foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the cornerstone. That gets us to our focal passage where he says, for this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles. We're eventually going to get to my favorite prayer in the New Testament in chapter three. But this is just a brief aside that Paul's writing about when he says, for this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles. In other words, chapters in one and two, he's telling them the gospel, chapter three, in this brief aside, he's making it personal. And just as I think a summary is important for you to understand going forward with chapter three, I also think it's important for you to have a timeline of where we are in this moment of history, as Paul says, for this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles. And if you're doing a timeline, It's estimated that Christ was crucified somewhere between 30 and 33 AD. Paul was converted somewhere between 32 and 35 AD. Paul preaches to the Ephesians in his third missionary journey, sometime between 55 and 56. And you can see Paul's outreach to Ephesus in Acts 18 and 19. We don't have time for that this morning, but Acts 18 to 19, if you want to make a note. And then Paul is imprisoned both in Caesarea and in Rome in 59 and 60. And he's writing, it's actually four years, the church at Ephesus at 60. Saved somewhere between 32 and 35. Writing the church at Ephesus at 60. And so let's just round the numbers We have someone here that's writing a letter that's spent 30 years of his life, not only as a Christian, but for most of those 30 years. You know, there's a time right after conversion where Paul was silent for a number of years, but for most of those years as a missionary. 30 years. And as he's making this personal in the beginning of chapter three, he says, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles. Now, if you look at Ephesians and you look at what Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus, he doesn't believe in happenstance. In fact, if you look at Ephesians 1.11, he says that we're predestined according to a purpose. In Ephesians 2.10, he says that we are his workmanship. In Ephesians 2.21, he says God is fitting us together. In other words, Paul believes in an active God that's involved in each one of our lives. So you've got the summary of what Paul's written. You've got the timeline, about a 30-year span, of living his life for Christ. And so now that you kind of have those things working in the background, let's first look at Paul's conversion in Acts chapter 9. Acts chapter 9, and I want to draw your attention to what the Lord told Ananias. And if you remember, Ananias did not want to go see Paul because of his reputation as the persecutor of the church. And the Lord had told him, go and meet Saul. And then in verse 13, Ananias said, Lord, I've heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priest to bind all who call on your name. But the Lord said to him, go, for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my namesake. Ananias went his way and entered the house and laying his hands on him, he said, brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road as you came has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales and he received his sight at once and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened, and Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Immediately he preached to Christ in the synagogues that he is the Son of God. And when you look at that, when you look at that conversion experience of Paul, And you look at the fact that God said, I'm saving him for a purpose. I'm saving him for a purpose. And you see 30 years of walking with the Lord, you soon come to realize that everything that Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, he has experienced personally. He's experienced it personally. This isn't theory. This isn't doctrine without experience. This is someone who has been called by the Lord Jesus Christ, who was called for a purpose And he's not saying that he is special. He's showing this to the church at Ephesus because this is how all Christians are called. All Christians are called for a purpose. Just as he outlined in chapters one and two. God told Ananias, that he was a chosen vessel to minister to the Gentiles. And in fact, this would become his identity. This would become Paul's identity as a person. And you see this in the writings of Paul. If you look at Galatians 1 verse 15, it says, but when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through his grace to reveal his son in me that I might preach among the Gentiles. If you look at Romans 1 verse 13, he wrote to the church at Rome and he said, now, I do not want you to be unaware brethren, that I often plan to come to you, but was hindered until now, that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. I am a debtor. both to Greeks and the barbarians, both to wise and the unwise. So as much as in me, I'm ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome." Later on in chapter 11 of the book of Romans in verse 13, he says, for I speak to you as Gentiles in as much as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry. And at the close of his ministry in 1 Timothy 2.7, And starting in verse five, he wrote, for there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle. I'm speaking the truth in Christ and not lying, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. This is who he is. His identity is with Christ. And you are listening to the words of a man who has spent 30 years of his life doing those things in which God has called him to do. The Lord told Ananias that he would bear his name before the Gentiles. He also says that I will show him how many things he must suffer for my namesake. And this is really remarkable when you look at the life of Paul and how so easily he takes his calling with suffering and is okay with it. If you did a timeline on when these letters were written, and I want to incorporate some of the statements that Paul made so that you'll understand. In 2 Corinthians, he has that great verse where he talks about the perils, that he's been through all of these perils. In Romans 8, which is the next letter, he said, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Later on in 28, we get that very familiar verse when he says, and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. Then here with the Ephesians, he says, I am a prisoner of Christ. You notice he didn't say that he was a prisoner of the Romans. The reason why he said that he was a prisoner of Christ is because he understood what his calling was. He said, I'm a prisoner of Jesus Christ. In other words, that I am living my ministry in which God has called me to. Then you get to Philippians chapter one, verse 19. It says, for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness as always. So now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. That was right after he wrote to the Ephesians. And then if you fast forward all the way to 2 Timothy 4, in verse 6, he says, For I am ready to be poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me. on that day and not to me only, but to also to all who have loved his appearing." What's the point of all of this? The point is, is as you look at chapter 3 and he says, for this reason, he's outlined salvation and the new life that we have in Christ in 1 and 2, and he's writing the church at Ephesus, and he's lived it. He's lived it. Isn't that important? It's so very important as we look at Paul who identified himself in his ministry as his purpose, that you and I, as we live our life, we identify as being a Christian. Now, unfortunately, in today's world, there's a lot of people that just think that that's just an easy label that we can wear. I am a Christian. But it's more difficult than that, isn't it? If you are really living your life for Christ, if you're living your life for Christ, you will suffer persecution. There is no doubt about it. you will suffer persecution as you stand for the Lord Jesus Christ. And I remember when I was a kid and preachers would say that, and I'd think, yeah, yeah, yeah. Does anybody disagree with that statement in our society? That if you live your life for Christ, you will suffer persecution? Paul saw that. And he recognized that that was part of his ministry, that that is what he was called to do, that yes, he would serve Christ and he would suffer persecution, but yet he still had joy. That's not limited to Paul. You may say, well, that doesn't matter for me because I'm not a preacher, I'm not a missionary, I'm not a teacher, that's not relevant to me. It is relevant to all of us because after all, if you think about the fact that we've all been given the great commission, haven't we? We've all been given this commission where we go out and we tell other people about Jesus Christ. And sometimes that's going to work out really well and you're going to receive the joy of being used as an instrument, as a witness. More often than not, you are going to suffer the persecution of sharing your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I remember years and years ago, we had a youth minister. He came into town and he was young and he was all excited. And he went out and he was talking to a business person in town and the business person mentioned the trials that he was facing. And the youth minister looked at him and said, well, let me pray for you. And the guy shot back really quickly and he said, I don't want you praying for me. And he came back to the office and he was just shocked. He was shocked that somebody would not even want you to utter a prayer for them. Why should we be shocked by that? Christ told us that we'd suffer persecution. And I could preach this sermon where We could all get excited and we could all go out and we could think that all good things were going to happen when you witness and you become an evangelist, if you will, to people that you know. And then unfortunately you will experience a rejection. I shared this with the Wednesday night group and I'll share this story again. When I was in junior high, we went to Brownsville to conduct vacation Bible school. I went one year. My eighth grade year, we went again and people in the church decided that us older kids should be taught how to evangelize. And so I took it seriously. I studied everything. I got down to Brownsville. We were having vacation Bible school during the morning hours. And as teachers would teach, I would grab a kid and drag him over to the curb and I would share the gospel to them. And to my shock and amazement, I had some people that accepted the Lord Jesus Christ. And I was just thrilled by that. And there was this girl that accepted Christ and we became pen pals for a number of years afterwards. And that was just a wonderful experience. I was going into my ninth grade year. So I was just on a mountaintop experience on that. My ninth grade year, I went into the field house. I was getting prepared for football that season. And there was a senior there. And I'd had such a great experience down in Brownsville. I thought, well, I'm going to do that again. And so I started sharing my faith. And let's just say the response wasn't the same. I wasn't prepared for that. But we should be prepared for that. I had another similar experience later on in my high school years. Went to church camp, got all excited, going to share my faith. And I was working at the grocery store, sacking groceries, and a really good friend of mine, I was talking to him about Jesus Christ. And he looked at me and he said, Monty, we're all sick about you talking about Jesus. We just wish you'd just shut up. That comes with the territory. That comes with the territory. It doesn't mean that we stop. And here you have Paul as a prisoner in Rome saying, I'm a prisoner of Jesus Christ. In other words, he's right where he should be. In the chapters one and two are relevant for you and me because he has lived it. He lived it for 30 years. He lived it all the way to the end. He finished well. See, our identity needs to be with Jesus Christ. All of the other things that we get caught up in, they're really meaningless, aren't they? People say, well, if I could just get this amount of money, well, then I'd be happy. And then they find that that's not enough. People say, if I could just get this kind of job, then I would be happy. and then they're not satisfied. If I could just get this or that, if I could buy this particular item, then I'm gonna be satisfied in life. And all that leads to is dissatisfaction. Don't believe me? Read Ecclesiastes. He had it all. And he said it wasn't enough. It left him empty. It's only in Christ. And we could look at Ephesians one and we could say, well, I'm redeemed, I'm saved. And we could leave off chapter two, that new life part. And unfortunately, there's lots of people that leave that off. I've got my ticket, but they don't realize that the joy in Christ is the living now, is living for Christ now. is committing your life to Christ daily now. And when you do that, then you can echo those words of Paul, where he said that you can have a peace that surpasses all understanding. Paul has consistently shown us in his letters that he was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. He's shown us how to do that. And you and I need to do that. And the church needs to be a congregation of people that do that. And we need to recognize that everything else is inconsequential. And unfortunately, people will go, well, I just don't have time. I don't have time. It's not convenient. Did Christ tell us that we were gonna have time? Christ told us that we need to pick up our cross daily. In other words, there's a sacrifice, isn't there? There's a sacrifice when you come here on Sunday morning and you worship. There's a sacrifice when you come Wednesday and you learn more about the Bible. There's a sacrifice when you decide to share your faith and you prepare to share your faith with a neighbor or a friend or a family member. Christianity involves a sacrifice. These television preachers that get on and promise the best parking space and your life will be rosy and your bank account will be full. I just wonder, did they rip the letters of Paul out of their Bible? Because they're not reading the same Bible that I'm reading. But I know that you and I will agree after you commit your life to Christ and you serve Him faithfully and you sacrifice your life for Christ, that at the end we'll all agree that it was absolutely worth it. Join me in prayer, please. Father, we just thank you for this morning and we thank you for giving us the example of Paul. That he was called by you when he wasn't looking for you. That he was transformed in spite of his past. And he was sold out for your gospel. And I just pray, Lord, that we would all do that. That we would commit our lives to be known as Christians, not just in word, but also in deed. I pray, Lord, that your spirit would move among us and that we would see your hand at work. I pray, Lord, that we would pray with expectation And I pray that we would witness with boldness. In Jesus name. Amen. Thank you for joining us as Pastor Bird continues this sermon series. If you wish to hear more, you may find him at millcreekchurch.org or go to sermonaudio.com slash millcreekchurch. Prayer requests may also be left at millcreekchurch.org. Our church services are as follows. Sunday morning Bible study is at 9 a.m., followed by our worship service at 10 a.m. We have Wednesday night prayer meeting and Bible study, and they are at 6.30 p.m. For more information and our mission statement, please visit our website millcreekchurch.org.