Well, may the Lord bless his
word. And now let us once again turn to the epistle of Paul to
the Ephesians. And this will be the last time
that we return to the Ephesians, because God willing, we'll conclude
our considerations. And it's chapter six. And it's
the last verses from verse 21 to verse 24. So the epistle of Paul to the
Ephesians, and chapter six from verse 21 to verse 24. But that ye also may know my
affairs and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful
minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things, whom
I have sent unto you for the same purpose that ye might know
our affairs and that he might comfort your hearts. Peace be
to the brethren and love with faith from God the Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that love
our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. So this is the conclusion of
Paul's letter to the Ephesians, and it was written by Tychicus. Obviously he was a scribe for
the Apostle Paul, and he was the one that the Apostle speaks
of here. Tychicus was one of the people
that Paul spoke about in Acts chapter 20 and verse 4, where
he speaks about those who accompanied him into Asia, and he just says,
and they're accompanying him into Asia, Sopata of Berea, and
of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus, Gaius of Derbe
and Timotheus, and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. So he was one
of those people that accompanied Paul when he came into this place
of Asia. And then also he's mentioned
in the epistle of Paul to the Colossians, chapter four and
verses seven to eight, where Paul refers to him in this way.
All my state shall I Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved
brother and a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord,
whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might
know your estate and comfort your hearts." So very clearly
the apostle Paul had a high and a good opinion of Tychicus. And as he confirms in his letter
to the Ephesians where he says, a beloved brother and faithful
minister in the Lord. Well, it's a good recommendation
that the apostle is able to give Tychicus, and it's a wonderful
blessing if such a recommendation can be given to us in our little
lives, in whatever sphere the Lord may see fit to place us. Because Tychicus was charged,
really, with letting the people know the affairs of Paul and
how I do. Well, we read a little in that
account that Paul wrote to the Corinthians, a list of some of
the difficult scenes that the apostle had passed through. But what we know is this, God
was with him. And what a blessing to know that. Indeed, the saints of God have
been blessed with this evidence in their lives, perhaps some
more, perhaps some less. But the truth is that God is
with his people. He does not leave them, notwithstanding
what condition they come into. We can look back in the history
of our nation to those times of the Reformation, when there
were many who were martyred, and they suffered greatly, especially
those who were burnt at the stake. But there was that testimony
on so many occasions that God was with them. God strengthened
them, God enabled them to stand. And so he did to the apostle
Paul. And so now he sends Tychicus
to speak of those things which the apostle has passed through
and how he does, how he's been strengthened, how he's been helped,
because of course, he was now in Rome. And we're thankful that
we have record like this and he goes on then to say, whom
I've sent unto you for the same purpose that ye might know our
affairs and that he might comfort your hearts. There was a commission
for him to go and declare what God had done for the apostle,
how he'd been with him, how he blessed him, how he strengthened
him and by so declaring such great truths It was a comfort
to those that he was to speak to, to comfort their hearts. What a mercy then today to realise
still we have a great God who still does great things and we
can believe will still do great things. What a support it is. And so the Apostle, he addresses
the people in this way that he was a beloved brother. That means he was A true believer. He was a spiritual brother. And it's good for us today, isn't
it, to be able to say of one another, we have spiritual brothers
and we can classify them as brethren. It applies, of course, to sisters
as well, spiritual sisters, part of the family of God. And not
only was he a brother in the Lord, but he was a faithful minister. The apostle Paul had been a faithful
minister. And how important it is that
all those who are sent to preach the gospel are indeed faithful
ministers. They do indeed preach the whole
counsel of God. They preach the words that God
gives them, not their own words, but the words which God graciously
grants to them. And so we see here the apostles
concern for the churches. What a blessing for us today. We're concerned about the churches,
the whole church of God and the individual churches. We pray
that the Lord would indeed arise because the days in which we
live are dark and getting rapidly darker. And the enemy of souls,
the devil, is at large. He's going about as a roaring
lion, seeking whom he may devour. And that's why, as we've meditated
recently, that we need the whole armor of God. And as God has
graciously provided it for us, may we indeed be given that grace
to put on the whole armor of God. You see the apostle desired,
that he might be blessed with utterance that may be given unto
him that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery
of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in bonds that therein
I may speak boldly as I ought to speak." Well, we know that
God gave him grace and God enabled him to speak boldly. And may
we know the wonderful blessing of that holy boldness in the
things of God. And so the apostle comes down
and then tells him those things which he is to declare, peace
be to the brethren. Peace, it's a lovely word, isn't
it? In the world really, there is
no true peace apart from that which is to be found in Christ. What a blessing it is then to
know that peace which resides in the Saviour, the Lord, Jesus
Christ and love with faith. The love of Christ is rich and
free. And what a blessed gospel it
is to be able to declare the love of Christ. So great to unworthy
sinners. So great if you and I have received
the touch of this wondrous love. It's a love which is not of the
world. It's a love which is of the spirit
of God. And it's a very blessed and significant
evidence that we are the children of God, because these things
emanate, as the apostle says, from God the Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ. And so he then comes and tells
us that lastly, these great words, when he says, grace be with all
them that love our Lord Jesus Christ, in sincerity. There are many today who pretend
they love the Lord Jesus Christ, who speak many words. But here
is a gracious statement here, that by the grace of God, we
should be concerned that our love to the Saviour, the Lord
Jesus Christ, is in sincerity, that it's not hypocritical, that
it's not pseudo, but it is real. And so here was this last charge
given to Tychicus as he was to leave Paul and go forth and to
speak to the people. Grace be with all them that love
our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. And then he concludes with the
word, Amen. So let it be, so be it. May these things be really true.
and really have an effect, an eternal effect, an eternal blessing
upon the church of God. Well, I hope it becomes the end
of this epistle. We've been thankful for the evidence
that the Lord has graciously left behind for us to study,
to understand, and to consider so that you and I, in our path
as we walk upon the earth, may be encouraged by the many words
that the apostle was enabled to testify and to declare to
the Ephesians.