Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Ephesians chapter 3. Ephesians chapter
3. I was thinking about that song we just sang. How many millions for sure, billions of
people have gone through this world and that God Almighty would be
pleased to set his affection on who he did. And what can we say but that
God was pleased to do so and to not leave his people to themselves Let's thank the Lord. Our Father, as we call upon you this evening,
we do so only in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing
that there is no approaching you apart from him. This evening, we thank you for
this blessed time. that we have to meet and to hear
the gospel of God's free grace once again proclaimed. We ask
you to have mercy upon us. Help us to hear. Help us to worship. Lord, forgive us where we have
failed you. Thank you for the blood that
you ever view. And when you see the blood, you
pass over us. Thank you for that blood that's
ever fresh, ever alive, ever speaking. For Christ's sake. Amen. In the book of Ephesians chapter
3, I'd like to deal with verses 1 through 7. And the Spirit of God in this
blessed chapter reveals that which God Almighty has eternally
purposed to do, and that is to show mercy to the Gentiles. Now, you know, we thankfully
meet this evening and By and large, as far as I know, everybody
here is a Gentile. As far as I know in here, there's
no national Jews here. That God would show mercy to
the Gentiles was a miracle of God's grace because to a Jew,
a Gentile was a dog. Absolutely no hope of salvation. And Gentiles by and large, until
it was revealed, they knew it. They knew it. Almighty God has mercy and compassion
on whomsoever He will. How can it be that God would
show mercy to the likes of us? What was it in us that would
move God to call us out of darkness, give
us a new heart, make us heirs of God, join heirs with Christ? What was it in us? Nothing. Paul
begins in verse 1 of chapter 3, for this cause, Now here's
the cause. It was the last verse of chapter
2, verse 22. In whom ye also are builded together
for inhabitation of God through the Spirit. That's what Paul
has been dealing with. That God would show mercy to
Gentiles for this cause. Because God has been pleased
to show mercy upon Jew and Gentile building them together for habitation
of God through the Spirit. I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus
Christ for you Gentiles. Paul had preached the gospel
to the Gentiles, and the reason that Paul preached the gospel
to the Gentiles was because the Lord had called him to do that. That's what he told Ananias. Remember, Lord, we've heard of
him. We've heard of this Saul of Tarsus.
He's wreaked havoc. He's a chosen vessel unto me
to preach to the Gentiles what the Lord told him. But preaching
to the Gentiles, as far as the Jew was concerned, was forbidden. Therefore, Paul Because he preached
to the Gentiles who had been cast into prison, I want you
to hold your place right there in Ephesians. Turn over to Acts
chapter 21. Acts chapter 21. You know, it
just seems as though today, in this day and age, there's so
much disrespect that is shown before so open, so blatant in
your face, disrespect before God. You know what I'm saying. It's just so much disrespect. But I'm telling you, I want you
to just take note. Let's read about the days in
which the apostles and the prophets, what havoc the Lord allowed them
to go through. Look at Acts 21. Now Paul is
a Jew. Paul is a Jew. Raised a Jew. He was a Pharisee. Strictest
of the sect. And now here's Paul, called out
of spiritual darkness by God's grace and power. And God reveals
to this Jew, that he was going to go preach to the Gentiles.
You have to understand where Paul came from. This is grace,
this is mercy. A Jew that wouldn't have anything
to do with a Gentile. Just separate, don't touch me. Don't touch me. And now here's
a Jew converted, saved by the grace of God, preaching to these
Gentiles. at the expense of going to jail
for it. Where before, before he was called
out of darkness, it didn't have anything to do with him. You're not my kind. I don't like
you. I hang around with my kind. Acts chapter 21, verse 27, and
when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews, which were of
Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people
and laid hands on him, his own Paul, crying out, men of Israel,
help. This is the man that teaches
all men everywhere against the people and the law and this place. and further brought Greeks also
into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. For they had
seen before with him in the city of Trophimus an Ephesian, whom
they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple. And all the
city was moved and the people ran together. They took Paul
and drew him out of the temple and forthwith the doors were
shut. And as they went about to kill
him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band that all
Jerusalem was in an uproar, who immediately took soldiers and
centurions and ran down unto them. And when they saw the chief
captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. Then the
chief captain came near and took him and commanded him to be bound
with two chains and demanded who he was and what he had done.
Obviously that soldier figured if these Jews are beating this
guy, he must have done something bad. So you chain him up, let's
find out what's going on. But though many saw Paul, As
being back in Ephesians, he says, for this cause I, Paul, the prisoner
of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles. Oh, many of them actually saw
him. He was in jail. Threw him in jail. He was a prisoner
of Rome. That was Roman soldiers. They
came and got him, bound him, put him in prison. And though
people looked at him and saw him, that man's incarcerated
by the Roman government. Paul says, no. For this cause,
for preaching to the Gentiles, I, Paul, a prisoner of Jesus
Christ for you Gentiles. The apostle knew that the Lord
rules, reigns, heaven and earth, He knew that Almighty God had
everlastingly loved him, redeemed him by the blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ, apprehended him powerfully on the road to Damascus. And here, he's in a Roman jail
by the Lord God and for the reason and for the purpose of preaching
the gospel to Gentiles. He's in jail because he stirred
up the Jews and said, you polluted our temple. by bringing these
dogs in here. You profaned our temple by bringing
these Ephesians in here. Romans 11, 33. Oh, the depth
of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable
are His judgments and His ways past finding out. If we were
thrown in jail, I'm telling you it would take God's grace to
have to admit I'm in here for the sake of Christ. I'm in here
for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and for the good of God's
people. I mean the first thing we would naturally think is there's
been a bad mistake here. You people don't realize what
you're doing here, not Paul. I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus
Christ. You know, isn't that a settling
thought? A man, a woman can settle down and say this, I'm the Lord's
servant, the Lord's prisoner. Verse 2, If ye have heard of
the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you. Now, the way that that verse
is written, the actual literal of it, it kind of doesn't come
across the way it was. It wasn't a verse that implied
a question or a doubt, but it's a statement of confirmation. And this is what it says, seeing
you have heard, is what he was actually... I'll bear that out
in the next verse or two. Paul is stating that they knew
that the Lord had appointed him to this stewardship. When it
says the dispensation of the grace of God, it's talking about
a stewardship that the Lord had given Paul. This was a calling. I want you to keep your place
and turn back to Acts 13. Acts 13, verse 44 to 49. Paul is saying, he said, seeing
that you have heard, you know, that God called me to preach
to the Gentiles. Acts chapter 13, verse 44. The next Sabbath day came almost
the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the
Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy and spake
against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting
and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed
bold and said it was necessary that the word of God should first
have been spoken to you. But seeing ye put it from you
and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn
to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded
us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that
thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And
when the Gentiles heard this, They were glad and glorified
the Word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life
believed. And the Word of the Lord was
published throughout all the region. Paul back in Ephesians
3.2 says, You've heard, you've heard, seeing that you've heard
of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you. That's what he said, verse 3
and 4, how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery
as I wrote afore in few words, whereby when you read, or when
you read, actually, because you'll understand why I say it. When
you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of
Christ. He had written them before and
he said, now when you read that, that I wrote you before, we'll
read that in just a second. He said, you'll understand that
God has given me this stewardship, this dispensation. The Holy Spirit
teaches through revelation. He taught the Apostle Paul that
the gospel is taught by revelation, but also that Paul was taught
by revelation that he was going to preach to the Gentiles specifically,
not just the teaching of the gospel, which is, but that is
a revelation that you, Paul, a Jew, a Pharisee, a Pharisee,
former Pharisee, that you were going to go and preach to the
very people that you hated. This is a mystery that is revealed. Look at Matthew 11. Matthew 11,
this is a, this glorious gospel, you know as we hear the gospel
being preached, you hear it, you that know him, you understand
it, you love it. Not only do you understand it,
many understand it right here. They understand five points of
Calvinism, they understand particular redemption, but to have a heart
for it, have a love for it, have a commitment to it, committed
to it, committed to it, committed to it, committed to it, that
takes a new heart. That takes a revelation from
God. And you that believe, you know
it and you love it. But just think as we read this
scripture, Matthew 11, the miracle of God's grace that you know
it. Matthew 11, verse 25, At that
time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord
of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from
the wise and prudent, from those that think themselves to be so,
and has revealed them unto babes, even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight. It's a mystery. The gospel is
a mystery. It is a mystery that must be
revealed. and it is revealed to whomsoever
God's pleased to reveal it. Those left to themselves are
left to themselves because they will not hear. Here's the way
it is. If God Almighty left us to ourselves
we would be doing exactly what we want to do. I want to be ignorant. I want that. That's what I want. I want that. And but for the
grace of God, you'll have that. But for Almighty God to override
my will, my old, wretched, God-hating, rebellious self,
to not leave me to myself and give me a new heart that I didn't
ask for. gave me a new heart that I was
not seeking Him for. As I said before, when Paul was
stopped on the road to Damascus, was Paul seeking God? No. What was he doing? He was going
after those who were of the way. And God Almighty was pleased
to stop him and reveal something to him that Paul wasn't looking
for. The mystery. Who are you, Lord?
Who are you? This was a man that claimed to
know God. He claimed to be blameless before
the law. Pharisee of Pharisees. I was
born the right day, circumcised the right day, right family,
right tribe. Who are you? Mystery. It's a mystery. that Paul prayed
to be able to preach. Look at Ephesians 6. Ephesians
6, verse 18-19. Ephesians 6, 18-19, praying always. with all prayer and supplication
in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication
for the saints. And for me, that utterance may
be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make
known the mystery of the gospel." Paul said, this is a mystery
that must be revealed. And it's a mystery that I pray
that God Almighty would give me utterance to preach. I stand
before you this evening and as I'm trying to preach, if you
only knew how every word that I come out with, I weigh it. I weigh it. There's times if
I say something, it just didn't sound exactly right to me. It
didn't come out the way I wanted it. I want to correct it. You
know, Neil, right now, Carl, you guys preached it. You want to correct it. I pray that God give me grace
that the very utterance, the preaching of it, might be blessed
of the Lord. The mystery of the Trinity. The mystery of the incarnation
of Christ, God come in the flesh, God's sovereignty in creation,
in providence, in salvation, adopted into the family of God. Not in a pretend way, but truly
adopted. Sons of God. Sons of God. Sons, that Almighty God has given
a new nature. And that new nature, that life
that's in them, is the life of Christ Himself. Christ in you. The hope of glory. A mystery. And it's the Lord's sovereign
pleasure to give understanding of this mystery to His people. John 15, 15. Henceforth, I call
you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth,
but I've called you friends. Friends. For all things that
I've heard of my Father, I have made known Unto you. This is a revelation. Turn back
to Acts 9 again. I know I'm all over the place,
that's okay. That's alright. Acts 9, we need to look at it.
A revelation. We don't assume that we know
anything. May God be praised for the glorious
mercy that He's shown us in revealing the gospel to us. Acts 9, 15-16. The Lord said unto him, that
is to Ananias I was talking about a while ago, go thy way for he's
a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and
kings and children of Israel for I will show him how great
things he must suffer for my name's sake. I'm going to reveal
that to him. I'm going to teach Paul. Turn to Galatians chapter
1. I'm going to teach Paul what
he's going to have to suffer for my name's sake, called him
by grace and power. Galatians chapter 1, verse 11
and 12. But I certify you, brethren,
that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man, for I
neither received it of man, neither was I taught it. but by the revelation
of Jesus Christ. This was Paul's credentials right
here to be an apostle. The Lord Jesus Christ had personally
called him and personally taught him. I was taught the gospel
by the revelation of Jesus Christ. The way that the Lord is pleased
to call his people now and teach them the gospel is through the
ministry of preaching. preachers. It is the voice of
the Lord, the Spirit of God that teaches them, but all of the
Lord's apostles were taught the gospel personally by the Lord
Jesus Christ. The gospel must be revealed.
Paul now has been taught and he's relating to these Ephesians,
these Gentiles. that the Lord had called him
out of darkness, revealed the gospel to him, then revealed
to him that he was going to go and preach to the Gentiles. And
that's, he said, these things I had written to you before times,
that's what I meant a while ago. Look at Ephesians chapter 1,
when I was talking a while ago and he said, whereby in verse
4 of chapter 3, when you read you may understand my knowledge
in the mystery of Christ. Look at Ephesians 1, 9 and 10. This is the letter, it's part
of this letter that he had written to him. He said, having made
known unto us the mystery of his will, according to His good
pleasure, which He has purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation
or in the stewardship of the fullness of times, He might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven,
which are on earth, even in Him." Paul says, the Lord has called
me, given me a stewardship, a ministry, and it's to preach to you. Now,
Ephesians chapter 3, In verse 6, that the Gentiles should be
fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of his promise
in Christ by the gospel. Now that was a great mystery
revealed, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs. It is going
to take a miracle of God's grace to reveal that to Paul. It is
going to take a miracle of God's grace for God to call a Jew out
of darkness and to bow to that, Mitch. That a Gentile, a Gentile
would be a fellow heir with the Jews who thought that they were
the only ones that God would ever call out of darkness. That was a mystery made known. Look in verse 5, 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. In time past, Paul is saying
there were some that Almighty God taught that truth. There were some Gentiles saved
by grace. Rahab was one of them. A Gentile
harlot who was in the lineage of the
line of Christ through whom, humanly speaking, through whom
the Lord came. Ruth was one of them. There were some Gentiles, and
God had spoken through the prophets that God was going to show mercy. In Isaiah 11.10, in that day
there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign
of the people. To it shall the Gentiles seek,
and His rest shall be glorious. Isaiah chapter 42 verse 6, I
the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold
thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant
of the people, for a light to the Gentiles, to open the blind
eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that
sit in darkness out of the prison house, that there were in ages
past, that's what he said, which in ages past was not made known
unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles
and prophets by the Spirit. There were glimmers of God calling
out Gentiles in the past, but it was not revealed in time past
as it is now. Not made known as it is now. Look at Acts chapter 10, verse
44. Acts 10, 44 and 45. We're going to read this verse,
then I'm going to go back and tell you what happened before this
verse. While Peter yet spake these words, he was in the company
of Cornelius, a company of people, Gentiles. While Peter yet spake
these words, the Holy Ghost fell on them which heard the word,
and they of the circumcision which believed, those believing
Jews, were astonished as many as came with Peter because that
on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. The apostles themselves had failed
to realize that God Almighty was going to save the Gentiles. Look at Acts 10. I should have
told you to stay there. Acts 10. being spoken to, Acts 10, verse
9 to 15, on the morrow, Acts 10, 9 to 15. As they went on
their journey and drew nigh into the city, Peter went up upon
the housetop to pray about the sixth hour, about noon. He became
very hungry and would have eaten, but while they made ready, he
fell into a trance and saw heaven open. and a certain vessel descending
upon him or unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the
four corners and let down to the earth, wherein were all manner
of four-footed beasts of the earth, wild beasts, creeping
things, fowls of the air. There came a voice to him, Rise,
Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord,
for I have never eaten anything that's common or unclean. And
the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath
cleansed, that call not thou common. Don't call that defiled.
Don't call that polluted. Peter had been called to go to
Cornelius. And he went, Acts 11.15, according
to the word of the Lord. Acts 11.15 to 18, As I began
to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning.
Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John
indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the
Holy Ghost. For as much then as God gave
them the like gift as he did unto us who believed on the Lord
Jesus Christ, what was I that I could withstand God When they
heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God,
saying, then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance
unto life." Truly, it is a miracle of God's grace that God Almighty
shows mercy to whomsoever He will. Back in closing in Ephesians
chapter 3, I'd like to just Look at these last verse here in chapter
7. Whereof, I was made a minister,
Ephesians 3, 7, according to the gift of the grace of God
given unto me by the effectual working of His power. Paul said the mystery that God
was going to call the Gentiles out of darkness and call me to
preach to him, was a great mystery revealed. But he said, when he
called me, he called me affectionately, working according to his power
to be a preacher to those that God had everlastingly loved.
God calls preachers. He called me, that's what Paul
said. He called me, I'll give you pastors after mine heart. and they'll teach you, feed you
with understanding. When God calls them effectually,
Psalm 110.3 says that thy people shall be willing in the day of
thy power. And this power was evidenced
in the fact that when the Lord called Paul to the ministry,
these were Paul's words on the road to Damascus. Lord, what
would you have me to do? That's a heart of a believer. Lord, what would you have me
to do? Where would you have me to go?
Lord, you turn me and I'm going to be turned. Lord, bless these
words to our heart for Christ's sake.