Pray for me. How often we use
those words. How often I've asked you to pray
for me. You've asked someone to pray
for you. A sick friend, a heavy heart, troubled soul says pray
for me. What do we mean by that? I mean
really, what do we mean by that? Sadly, As a general rule, we
mean by that, pray that God will change things. Pray that God
will give me what I want. Sadly, that's commonly the case.
And I wouldn't suggest that we not carry our cares to our God,
certainly not. Or that we spread our petitions
before the Lord, certainly we ought to speak to God and order
our prayers before Him. But somehow, prayer has got to
be submission to God's will, seeking God's will, asking God
to perform His will for the glory of His Son. Our friend, Brother
Mark Daniel, was taken to the hospital Sunday night. You know,
he'd been sick off and on for a good while. He seemed to have
a stroke and they thought that was the case. Speech slurred,
memory very difficult, and he's been in the hospital ever since.
They finally ruled out the possibility of a stroke of any kind, a seizure
in a strict sense of the word, but they've said that he has,
the MRI showed an enhancement on his brain. I don't really
know what they mean by the word enhancement, but they're going
to do a probe of one of the lobes of his brain sometime in the
next day or two. And he either has a cyst or a
parasite or an infectious disease, and quite possibly it could be
something that he picked up when he was in Africa that has just
now begun to show itself. And they have some diseases,
some bacteria like that that just resides in your body. So
you pray for him. Pray for Donna. But what do we
mean when we say, pray for me? That's the title of my message
tonight. Pray for me. Ephesians chapter six, verse
18. This is Paul's final word to
the saints at Ephesus. His final word to you and me
in this epistle to the Ephesians. He talks to us about taking on
the whole armor of God. And this is the final word in
this preparation for conflict and trial and heartache and battle
in this world. Praying always with all prayer
and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all
perseverance and supplication, not just for yourselves, but
for all saints, for all who are made holy by God's grace, by
God's spirit, by God's work in Christ, and for me, 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, for which I am
an ambassador in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly as
I ought to speak. but that ye also may know my
affairs, and how I do. Tychius, 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. Hold your hands here in Ephesians
for a little bit and let's go back to Acts chapter 20. Acts
chapter 20. The apostle Paul was a devoted,
zealous, faithful preacher of the gospel. This man was determined
to seize every opportunity set before him to spread the gospel
through the world, using every means at his disposal to do so.
He traveled incessantly. He preached at every opportunity
and seemed to write feverishly. living every day as if he were
certain he wouldn't have another day in which to serve our Redeemer. He briefly visited Ephesus on
his first missionary journey. We read about it in Acts 18.
On his third missionary journey, he returned to Ephesus for three
years. And by the preaching of the gospel,
he was used of God the Holy Ghost to persuade many in that huge
pagan idolatrous city to turn from their idols to serve and
worship the living God, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. You
read about that in Acts chapter 19 and 20. God raised up a church
there. It was very dear to Paul, and
Paul was very dear to that congregation. He was the man by whom God brought
them the gospel. He was the man by whom God was
pleased to make Christ known to them. He was the man by whose
instrumentality they were converted and came to know the Lord Jesus
Christ and the free pardon of sin in him. Toward the end of
his third missionary journey, Paul stopped by a place called
Miletus, and there the elders of the Ephesian congregation
were called by Paul to come and visit him. And they came down
to visit their cherished friend. Just before parting, Paul gave
them a solemn, solemn charge. Let's begin reading it in Acts
chapter 20 and verse 17. Paul knew that this is his last
opportunity to see these brethren face to face, these elders of
the church at Ephesus. And he commends them and the
church of God that he loves so dearly to the God and to the
word of his grace. Look at verse 17. From Miletus
he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church. And
when they were come to him, he said unto them, You know from
the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I've been
with you at all seasons. You men know me, you know me
well. I've been with you serving the
Lord with all humility of mind and with many tears and temptations. Tears from the very work itself. Tears from the opposition and
the constant battle that we had to face in the gospel. And temptations,
trials, difficulties which came upon us. Which befell me by the
lying in wait of the Jews. Verse 20. and how I kept back
nothing that was profitable unto you. I preached to you everything
God gave me. I poured it all out, but have
showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house. That is, I preached the same
thing in the pulpit as I talked to you individually. Testifying
both to the Jews and also to the Greeks. Repentance toward
God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. I preached the
gospel to you. I told you, you must turn to
God. You must turn to God. You must turn to God. This is
not just initially turning to God, but day after day. Bill, what you and Vicki are
going through right now. You turn to God, turn to God, turn
to God. Turn to God and faith toward
our Lord Jesus Christ. Look to Christ, look to Christ,
look to Christ. Read on, verse 22. And now behold,
I go bound in the Spirit, bound in my Spirit, bound by God the
Holy Spirit, bound in the Spirit of God unto Jerusalem. not knowing
the things that shall befall me there. Paul, what's gonna
happen to you when you get to Jerusalem? I don't know except
this, say that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city saying
that bonds and afflictions abide me. I'm going to Jerusalem, I
don't know what's gonna happen there except I know because God
has told me bonds and afflictions await me there. Read on, verse
24. but none of these things move
me. What a statement. The bonds, the afflictions, the
trials, the temptation, the heartache, the fears, things past, things
present, things to come, none of these things move me. Neither
can I my life dear unto myself so that I might finish my course
with joy and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus.
What is that? To testify of the gospel of the
grace of God. Paul says, brethren, nothing's
going to move me from this determined work. Nothing's going to alter
my course. Nothing, nothing. I give up everything
to this cause. Now verse 25, and now behold,
I know that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom
of God shall see my face no more. He said I know this is last time
we're gonna look at each other face to face. I'll never speak
to you again You'll never speak to me again. I'll never see you
again. You'll never see me again Wherefore
I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood
of all men For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel
of God. I preach to you Jesus Christ
crucified in all the scriptures. Take heed therefore unto yourselves
and to the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers to feed the church of God which he hath purchased
with his own blood. You preachers in this city of
Ephesus where God's called out his people Wherever you go, speaking
for God to his people, take heed to yourselves and to all the
flock of God over the which the Holy Ghost had made you overseers. God's servants are servants to
men, not the servants of men. God's servants serve your souls. They don't serve at your requirement. They serve you, serving God. They sent of God to watch over
your souls, to feed the church of God, which he purchased with
his own blood. Verse 29. For I know this, that
after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not
sparing the flock. Grievous wolves. That's not talking about politicians.
And that's not talking about folks in the educational schools
around you. That's not talking about folks
on the streets. That's not talking about folks who are members of
the Islamic terrorist. That's talking about folks in
the church, preachers, preachers. They'll enter in among you also
of your own sales, right? Out of the churches, right in
your midst shall men arise speaking perverse things. How come folks
do that? How come they do that? Well,
he's mistaken. He's been led astray. He's this. We make all kinds of excuses
for wolves. Here's their motive. Here's their
motive. Well, Brother Don, you shouldn't
say those things. I'll say exactly what Paul said. They speak perverse
things for one reason, only one reason, because they're proud,
arrogant men trying to make a name for themselves. to draw away
disciples after themselves. There's no other motive. Therefore
watch and remember that by the space of three years, I cease
not to warn every night and every day with tears. And now brethren,
I commend you to God and to the word of his grace. I commend
you to God, the God you believe, the God I preach to you, and
to this book, the word of his grace, which is able to build
you up and give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified,
verse 36. And when he had thus spoken,
he kneeled down and prayed with them all, and they all wept sore. and fell on Paul's neck and kissed
him. Can you imagine the scene? It's
just brokenhearted. They went sore, fell on his neck
and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he
spake that they should see his face no more. And they went with
him as far as they could. They accompanied him to the ship.
Then in chapter 21 of the book of Acts, After Paul left for
Jerusalem, he found believers in Syria, and tarried there for
seven days. And there, brethren being concerned
for Paul, begged him not to proceed. They said, Paul, don't go to
Jerusalem. You know what's awaiting you
there. Don't go to Jerusalem. You need to watch out for yourself.
But he wouldn't be deterred. Then at Caesarea, a certain prophet
named Agabus came to Paul, and he came to Paul with a message
from God. This man came to Paul with a
message from God, not to dissuade him, but rather to publicly assert
that what Paul has said is what God taught him and what God said
to him. And read what it says, beginning
in verse 10, Acts 21. And as we tarried there many days, there
came down from Judea a certain prophet named Agabus. And when
he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle and bound his own
hands and feet and said, thus saith the Holy Ghost, so shall
the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle and
shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. And when we
heard these things, both we and they at that place, we begged
Paul, we besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul
answered, what mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? For
I am ready not only to be, not to be bound only, but also to
die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. and when he
would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord
be done." What a remarkable man. What a remarkable example of
a faithful preacher of the Gospel. Would to God he might make me
such a preacher, make me such a faithful servant of my Redeemer. When we get to our text in Ephesians
6, now turn there if you will, Ephesians chapter 6, all that had been prophesied
in Acts 20 and 21 concerning this man has come to pass. Now
as he comes to the end of his epistle to his dear friends at
Ephesus, Paul has one final word, one final request. He said, brethren,
before I finish this letter, I ask this of you, pray for us. He was now in prison at Rome.
He knew as he had told them that he would never see his beloved
friends at Ephesus again and they would never see him again
on this earth. The old soldier knew he was soon
going to be required to lay down his life for the gospel sake
and he was prepared to do so. There was nothing about this
that in any way surprised him and nothing about this that deterred
him. He wrote this epistle to the saints at Ephesus to strengthen
them in the knowledge of the Redeemer, to strengthen them
in the gospel of Christ, to establish them in the blessed truths of
the gospel, God's election, God's predestination, God's sovereignty,
Christ's redemption, God's salvation, God's grace. to unite their hearts
in the blessed fellowship of the gospel, to strengthen them
in the cause of Christ. But what he does for them, he
writes by inspiration of God to do for us. He exhorts them
and us to godliness and encourages us in our spiritual warfare.
And now he comes to the conclusion of his epistle. I can only imagine
the thoughts that must have gone through his mind. None of us
will ever be exactly in that shape just so that you know.
This is my last word to you. But Paul knew by inspiration
of God, being taught of God, this is the last thing he's going
to write to these Ephesian brethren who were so dear to him. And
what a word he gives as he wraps this up. You see, God's true
servants, faithful men, faithful men. Labor in the Word of God
and in the cause of God for the glory of Christ and for the souls
of men. Labor to build God's kingdom. Labor seeking the salvation of
God's sheep. And as they do they know full
well something of their own weakness and utter inability to do the
work they're determined to do and called to do. Paul said,
who is sufficient for these things? Who's sufficient for these things?
Knowing their sinfulness, their corruption, their inability,
knowing the necessity of God working by them. The Apostle
Paul here speaks to the saints of God and he says, brethren,
pray for us. And so God's servants ask you
to pray for them. I ask you to pray for me. I'm
going to make this as personal as I can. to you and me while
staying true to the text itself. And let me look at these last
verses of Ephesians 6 in three ways. First, regarding the present. I ask you to pray for me, verses
19 and 20, that I may make known the mystery of the gospel while
I walk on this earth. I appreciate more than words
can express your concerns for my health and my physical well-being. I appreciate your concern for
your pastor when reproach is cast upon him by those who oppose
him. But those things are really insignificant. I really don't pay very much
attention to either. But I am concerned about this. I want to be found faithful unto
death, preaching the gospel of Christ. I want, by the grace
of God, with my last breath, to faithfully proclaim Jesus
Christ and Him crucified, making known the mystery of the gospel. As Paul requested an interest
in the prayers of these saints, to that end I ask you to pray
for me. Verse 19. 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, for which I'm an ambassador in
bonds, that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak."
All other matters were secondary to Paul. While he writes in his epistles
about his imprisonment, just identifies himself as being a
prisoner at Rome, did you ever stop to consider how little he
said about it? How very little he said about
it. It seemed to be really unimportant to him. Just unimportant to him. He's concerned not with his condition
or his circumstances, but with his goal, his ambition, and his
work. He didn't ask that he might be
freed from his bonds. He was willing to endure anything
so that he might preach the gospel wherever God sent him. Paul desired
that prayer might be made for him to preach the gospel with
boldness. Even in prison, he considered
himself the ambassador of God. He was sent of God with a message
to declare, doesn't matter where God sends me. He sent me as his
ambassador to declare his message. And he wanted God to open a door
of utterance that he might have opportunity to preach. And it's
remarkable how God gave him favor with his guards, gave him favor
with his fellow that, so that while he's in prison, he's in
prison for preaching the gospel, God opened doors for him to preach
the gospel. You see, our God sits on his throne. And our God
opens doors of utterance as he will. His servants are found
faithful where they are. This man wanted boldness. The
word here, I looked at it again today, is not just a matter of
freedom. What Paul says is, I ask you
to pray for me that I may have the courage, the confidence to
speak the Word of God, the Gospel of God's grace with blunt assertiveness. with blunt assertiveness, so
that whether I'm talking to you sitting on the front porch of
your house, or whether I'm talking to you in a congregation of folks
who all rejoice in the gospel, or in a congregation of folks
where they all despise the gospel, that I may with blunt assertiveness
declare the gospel of God. He wanted to preach the gospel
plainly and clearly that men everywhere might understand the
gospel of God's grace in his day as he preached to them. This
is what I desire of you. Pray that I may preach the gospel,
that I may make known the mystery of the gospel with blunt assertiveness. I want to know the gospel, don't
you? that which Paul calls the gospel
of God. Now, the gospel is how that Christ
died for our sins according to the scriptures. The gospel concerns
Jesus Christ, God's Son, the Son of David, Christ who is God
in the flesh, declared to be the Son of God by the resurrection
from the dead. It declares Him who accomplished
redemption for His people, Him who brought in everlasting righteousness
by His obedience, and it's altogether His work. The gospel is that
which is the mystery of redemption by a substitute. Paul said, I
want to declare the gospel. I want to know this gospel. I
want to be saved by it. And I want to preach it. I want
to preach it. Oh, God, give me grace that I
may be found faithful preaching the gospel wherever, whenever
I speak for God. We must not be bound. kept from
preaching the word by personal ambition. We must not be bound
by human pride. We must not be bound by the faces
of men, neither fearing their frowns or seeking their favor. We must not be bound. We must
not be bound by the customs and traditions of society. We must
not be bound by the accepted traditions of religion. Bound. How can a man be bound who preaches? Most are. Most are. I preach
to preachers every now and then. Many of them bound from preaching
the gospel. Bound because they're fearful
of losing their jobs. Bound because they're fearful
of not making a name for themselves. Bound because they're fearful
that somehow or another they might not climb the ecclesiastical
ladder. hedge things and they cover things
up and they speak with ambiguity so that you can just use code
words and you can understand what they say. But if you don't
understand the code words, you wouldn't understand anything
at all about it. Someone may say, well, why are these things
so important, Brother Don? It's important for just this
reason. Most people today have never
heard the gospel. Most people have never, I can't
tell you the number of places I've been and the man whose responsibility
it is to stand where I stand and preach the gospel says he
believes the gospel. But he preaches, you preach to
the congregation and you look out there and you realize that
nobody out there believes what this fellow says he believes.
Nobody there has a clue what's going on. They don't have a clue
concerning those. How come? Because he deliberately
didn't tell them. There's no other reason. There's
no other reason. You who have hung around here,
listen to me preach. You have heard exactly what I
believe. Like it or not, you've heard
exactly what I believe. That's the responsibility of
a faithful man, to declare with blunt assertiveness the gospel,
the mystery of Jesus Christ crucified. Today's gospel emphasizes what
men do for God, rather than what God does for sinners. You see,
salvation is not, it doesn't even have anything to do with
what you do for God. It has nothing to do with what you do for God.
What are you going to do for God? What am I going to do for
God? Salvation is altogether what
God has done, is doing, and shall do for us through his son, Christ
Jesus. God's purpose, God's redemption,
God's gift of grace, God's gift of faith, all in Christ Jesus
the Lord. Today's gospel emphasizes heaven
and hell. rather than the real issues of
Christ in sin. They emphasize, do you want to
go to heaven or do you want to go to hell when you die? What
fool wants to go to hell? The gospel of God's grace talks
about Christ the king and you the sinner in rebellion to the
king. The gospel of God's grace talks about righteousness, justice,
and truth. The gospel of God's grace demands
surrender to Jesus Christ the Lord. Today's gospel is a message
to man's emotion and man's feelings and man's intellect. The gospel
of God is a message to your heart and to your soul. It demands
the worship of God from within. Today's gospel calls for men
to stand up and be counted. The gospel of God calls for you
to bow down and worship. I want to make men know everywhere
the mystery of the gospel. Oh, the wonder. I hope you never
get over, I hope I never get over the wonder of this mystery. God Almighty to save my soul,
became all that I am, assumed all responsibility for me himself. The God-man, my mediator, took
my sin and made it his own. And he who is God in the flesh,
bear all the wrath of God in my room instead for me. that I might be forgiven of all
sin and made the righteousness of God in him. Oh, what a wondrous
mystery. What a mystery, what a wonder. Only this should consume our
minds and our thinking. Pray for me. God has sent me
into this world with a message. I'm God's ambassador. I know
what my responsibility is. Pray that God will give doors
of utterance. I can't tell you how I rejoice
every time a new avenue of ministry is opened before me as your pastor
before this congregation. Pray that as the door is opened,
God will make me bold. Bold. Blunt. Assertive. Dogmatic. Decisive in preaching. And pray
that I may preach every time I preach to you or anyone else
the gospel of God's free grace. Not just talk about it, preach
it. And that every time I come to speak, will you pray to this
end? God give our pastor a message
from heaven for me. A message from heaven for you.
It's my privilege and my Responsibility to come to you, each of you,
all your different backgrounds, with a message from God for your
heart this hour. That's impossible, Jimmy, for
me, except God speak by me. You see, preaching requires labor
and work. prayer and diligence but all
the labor and work and study and prayer and diligence a man
can muster and Give himself to doesn't accomplish anything unless
God speaks through this earthen vessel words of life to your
soul second It's a matter of constantly increasing
concern to me, and it should be to you. When I'm gone, when
my work is done, it's my earnest prayer for you that God will
graciously send you a faithful pastor, another pastor, another
preacher, one who will be faithful to the gospel for the comfort
of your hearts. Verse 21. but that ye also may
know my affairs and how I do tiquious. A beloved brother and
faithful minister of the Lord shall make known to you all things
whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye may
know our affairs and that he may comfort your hearts. Paul's self-denial was remarkable. He had great personal needs.
He was in prison. He was about to be executed.
His concern, however, was not for his welfare, but for the
church he was leaving behind. And therefore he sent Tychius
to minister to his beloved brethren. He sent this letter in the hands
of this other preacher. And he said, Tichius, you go
tell them everything's all right. You go tell them about my affairs.
You tell them how God's opened doors of utterance for the gospel.
You tell them how that Christ is faithful, faithful to his
servants to the very end. And so Paul sent Tichius with
the highest possible commendation. He was a beloved brother. He
was a faithful minister. Oh. What a high commendation,
a beloved brother, a faithful minister. He doesn't say a word
about his education. He may have been highly educated
and may have been as illiterate as a fellow who'd never been
to school. I don't know. Paul says nothing
about it, nothing at all. He just says he's a beloved brother,
a beloved brother and a faithful servant, a faithful servant of
God. I have known a good many preachers. I've been preaching the gospel
now for 50 years. And I've known a good many who were very intelligent,
highly educated men. I commend education. I want to
get as much learning as I possibly can. But I've known others who
had tough time constructing a simple English sentence in a grammatically
correct way, who were faithful, faithful men. Beloved brethren,
uniquely gifted to preach the gospel masterfully as few learned
men ever could. John Bunyan was no dummy, but
he wasn't trained as a preacher or trained as a theologian. John
Owen was, who lived contemporary with him. John Owen is considered
to this day probably the greatest theologian that ever spoke the
English language. Let me tell you what John Owen
said concerning John Bunyan, the tinker, the Baptist preacher
who made his living mending pots and pans. That's what the word
tinker refers to. He said, I will give all my learning. Could I have the taker's ability
to preach? He's a faithful brother, a faithful
servant, a beloved brother of Jesus Christ. He will come to
comfort you, to comfort you. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people. That's God's word to his servants. Comfort them with the message
of redemption accomplished. Salvation-free God on His throne. Comfort them with the message
of mercy, grace, and love in Christ Jesus the Lord. Comfort
them with the knowledge of God's righteousness, justice, and truth.
Comfort them with the knowledge of God's very character and God
giving Himself to them. Comfort my people. Comfort them.
Yes, the preacher must reprove sin and unbelief, expose it,
deal with it, but his business is to comfort God's people. Give
them a reason to walk away rejoicing. Give them a reason to walk into
the midst of the sea, confident of God's goodness. Give them
a reason to go into the fiery furnace, confident of God's goodness. Give them a reason to walk with
God in joy. You'll notice that there was
not a hint of jealousy between Paul the Apostle and Ticius,
the beloved brother. Not a hint. He is a brother of tender, loving hearts, one who'll
care for you. He's a brother faithful in the
cause of Christ. Oh, may God be pleased to give
you, when I'm gone, Beloved brother, faithful to God, faithful to
you, faithful to the gospel. You see, those who are called
of God to this holy and blessed work have noble desires by which
they're motivated. They seek the glory of God. They seek the souls of men, not
the gold of men. They seek the welfare of men,
not the favor of men. They seek to make known the mystery
of the gospel, and they seek to comfort God's saints. I have
one other desire that's expressed in our text. Verse 23, I want
you to know and enjoy all the blessings of God in Christ. I pray that God, our God, the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of all grace,
may continually heap upon you all the blessings of his goodness
and his grace in Christ. Verse 23, peace be to the brethren. Peace. Oh God, keep you in peace. God surround you with peace.
God hold you in peace and love. Love with faith. From God the
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This faith is the gift of God's
grace. And it is this faith that God
gives that causes people to love God and love one another. Now,
as God multiplies his mercy to you, grace be with all them that
love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. grace be with you,
and peace, who love God our Savior in sincerity. And I'm going to
tell you more than that. This benediction is not just
a wish. If it were just coming from my
lips, This would be my wish for Claus and Ruth Peterson. You're
on your way out of here. At best, you're on your way out
of here. It won't be long, you're gonna be leaving this world.
If I were to say to you, I want you to have the peace of God,
this mercy and grace and love, I want that to be yours. At best,
it would be a good desire. But this man wrote by divine
inspiration. And Paul's benediction is this,
as surely as you love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, grace
and faith and love and peace is yours. These things are yours. They're yours. Surely goodness
and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And when
I'm done, They will have chased me into the house of the Lord,
where I'll dwell forever and ever in the presence of God,
my Savior. Our God, our God, oh, how blessed
we are to call you our God. Will you possess our souls? with
the knowledge of Christ, of your grace, your mercy, your peace,
your love for our souls in Christ the Lord, and give comfort to
our friends, so many of whom endure trying times, carry heavy
hearts, have heavy burdens, many we know nothing at all about,
others we're somewhat aware of. But their trials, their heartaches,
their heaviness, comes by your hand, our Father's hand, for
their good and ours, for the glory of your Son. Give them
and us grace to walk with you in peace. Amen.