Open your Bibles to the book
of Ephesians. And Paul left Corinth and went
down to Ephesus to preach. He didn't stay there very long.
This first time he preached a while and then he left. But he returned to Ephesus and
preached there Some think between two and three years. And the Lord called out a wonderful
church, the church at Ephesus. Paul had a special, loving relationship
with this church. In fact, when Paul knew that
his ministry was coming to a close, and that He said they would see
his face no more. He called the elders of Ephesus
to come down to Antioch. He wanted to preach to them one
more time. So they came down and he brought
that great message found in Acts chapter 20 to the elders at Ephesus. Then he left there and went to
Rome, where they put him in prison. And from the prison in Rome,
he wrote this letter to the church at Ephesus to encourage them
in the faith of Christ, to ground them in the doctrines of God's
grace, to warn them about false teachers and false preachers
and apostles that would try to take their hearts away from Christ.
and to encourage others to receive the Savior. On Friday night,
I preached from chapter 1 of this epistle down in Piedmont. On Saturday night, I preached
from chapter 2. And this morning, I started a
message in chapter 3. I didn't get very far. But I
want to preach tonight from chapter 3, the third chapter. As we read these verses, I have
found that usually, many times, most of the time, in every verse,
in each verse, there's a key word. There's a key word, a subject
word in that verse which helps understand the verse and gives
us the meaning. In verse 1 of chapter 3, Paul
said, For this cause I, Paul, the prisoner, there's the word
prisoner, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles. Now
Paul was an apostle of Christ, and Paul was an ambassador of
Christ, and Paul was a bondservant of Christ, but a prisoner of
Christ? Yes, sir. Paul didn't feel that
he was the prisoner of the Roman Empire at all. He didn't feel
that he was the prisoner of the Jews who hated him. He didn't
feel that he was the prisoner of Nero. He didn't feel like
that those people were the first cause of his being in prison.
He knew that he was a servant of Christ, and where he was,
he was there by the will of his Lord. He was there on purpose. If we're servants of Christ,
if we're children of God, if we're ambassadors of the Almighty
God, then we are therefore where God wants us. At any time, we're
where God has purposed us to be, and we're doing what he purposed
us to do. Our Lord stood before Pilate,
Pilate, powerful, powerful ruler of Jerusalem. And he asked the
Lord a question, and our Lord didn't answer him. And Pilate
got angry. And he said, Ancestor, I'm not
me. Don't you know who I am? Don't you know I have the power
to crucify you or set you free? What did our Lord say? You have
no power over me at all, except it be given you from above. And is this not true of all of
God's servants? If we could just learn that we're
where we are by the will of our God, serving His purpose and
His will for His glory, wouldn't we be more content to be where
we are? Paul said that. He said, I've
learned. He said, I know how to abound and I know how to be
a base, but I've learned this in whatsoever state I am. to
be content. John Bunyan spent 12 years in
prison. John Bunyan, truly a servant
of God, a man of God, preacher of the gospel. But he was put
in prison in Bedford, England for preaching the gospel. And
they told You're free to go anytime you'll agree not to preach this
message anymore. Don't preach this gospel of Jesus
Christ anymore. And you're free to go. And he
stayed in prison 12 years. But while he was there, he wrote
the book Pilgrim's Prophets. And a lot of those old time preachers said this, that in every home
there was a Bible and a copy of Pilgrim's Prophets. They didn't
have magazines and newspapers and a lot of other books, but
they had Pilgrim's Prophecy. And Bunyan wrote it from the
prison in Bedford. He was there by the will of God
for God's purpose. Let us learn that. We may not
write a Pilgrim's Prophecy. We may not do some momentous,
great, wonderful thing. But don't despise the day of
little things. little thing. I'm a prisoner
of Jesus Christ. And listen, for you Gentiles,
for you Gentiles, Almighty God has sent me to preach the gospel
to the Gentiles. And that's why I'm here, for
preaching that gospel to you. For you Gentiles. All right,
look at verse 2. If you have heard of the dispensation of
the grace of God which is given me, to you." Now the key word
there is dispensation. And it's a word that we don't
use very often, but I'll tell you what it means. Dispensation
means assignment. Paul said, this is what God has
assigned me to do. This is my stewardship. This
is my assignment. This is my work. Now he said,
listen, you have heard of the dispensation, the stewardship,
the assignment God gave me, his bondservant. What was this assignment? Well, turn to Acts chapter 9,
and we'll read about it. In Acts chapter 9, the Lord arrested
Paul on the road to Damascus, blinded him, brought him down
into the dust, humbled him, sent him down into Damascus blind,
And then the Lord appeared to a man called Ananias. Look at
verse 10, Acts 9. And there was a certain disciple
at Damascus named Ananias. And to him said the Lord in a
vision, Ananias, he said, behold, I'm here, Lord. The Lord said
to him, arise and go into the street, which is called Straight,
and inquire at the house of one Judas, for a man called Saul,
a Tarsus, for behold, he prayeth. He prayeth. and hath seen in
a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand
on him, that ye might receive his sight. And Ananias answered,
Lord, I have heard by many of this man how much evil he hath
done to thy saints at Jerusalem, and here in Damascus he has authority
from the chief priest to bind all that call on your name. But
the Lord said unto him, Go thy way, He is a chosen vessel under
me. This is his assignment, his stewardship,
his work, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the
children of Israel. I've called him, I've assigned
him, I've designated him, I've given him this ministry to take
my gospel to the Gentiles. And the Apostle Paul, when he
spoke to those elders at Ephesus, at Antioch, from Ephesus for
the last time in Acts 20. I want you to read what he says.
When he came to the end of this stewardship, the end of this
ministry, the end of this dispensation God had given him, he said in
Acts 20 verse 24, listen, verse 22, let's go back to 22. And
now, behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing
the things that shall befall me there. except that the Holy
Ghost witnesses in every city saying that bonds, chains, imprisonment,
afflictions abide or await me, but none of these things move
me. None of these things move me. I'm not afraid. I'm not going
to shy away from them. They don't bother me. Neither
can I my life dear unto myself so that I might finish my course. with joy and the ministry which
I've received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the
grace of God. Every servant of God called to
be a servant, called to be an ambassador, called to be a witness
has a ministry, has a place and he'll have persecution and he'll
have trouble He'll have difficulties. He'll have afflictions. He'll
have losses. He'll have sorrows. But he has
to stay in that place and minister the gospel. And that's what Paul
said, I've done. God gave me a ministry. And I
fulfilled it. I finished it. Over there in
2 Timothy, he said, the day of my departure is near. And I fought
a good fight and I kept the faith. And I finished my assignment. I finished my course. I finished
my stewardship. I'm coming to the end. Henceforth,
there's laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
the righteous judge, shall give me in that day. And not me only,
but all who love his appearing. And I believe God gave us a ministry
here, you and I, a long time ago. And I think we can say with
Paul, we've been faithful. We've kept the faith. We've preached
the gospel. We've stayed there. We're finishing
our course with joy, thankful for the dispensation of his grace. I wish I could pass that along
to every young minister. I really believe, I really believe
that When God calls a man somewhere, he's to go there and stay. He's
to stay. And I've looked over church history,
and I've looked at the ministry here in the Word of God, and
I do not find God's servants continually changing
their place of service. They go and stay there. Throughout
the history of churches, the great churches, And the churches
that God has used have had pastors a long time. Spurgeon's church
had three pastors in 150 years. Isn't that something? One stayed 61 years. I believe
that's right. 150 and Spurgeon 38. Three pastors. And God used those people. They
stayed and their pastors stayed. They stayed together. God assigned
them. That stewardship. And that responsibility. Look at Walter Gruber. 35 years in Mexico. They'll bury
him there. And God's blessed. Look at Bill
Clark. In Europe. Others. Look at Judson. Carey. Name them. Stay. Stay. And then look at verse
3. Now, there are two words in verse
3 that I want us to look at, two words. The first word, look,
"...how that by revelation he hath made known unto me the mystery."
As I wrote a four and a few words, the word there, mystery, mystery. The Bible uses the word mystery
often in reference to the personal work of our Lord. I don't mean
once in a while, I mean often. Mystery, mystery. Let me show
you a picture. Turn to Ephesians 5. This passage of scripture about
marriage talks about, in verse 22, wives, submit yourselves
to your husband. In verse 25, husbands, love your
wives. Christ loved the church. Then
down here in verse 28, it says, so men ought to love their wives
as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth
himself. No man ever yet hated his own
flesh, but nourisheth it, cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church. But we're members of His body.
We are members of His body, of His flesh, of His bones. And for this cause shall a man
leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife,
and the two shall be one flesh." Joined together. Husband and
wife. Joined together as one. This
is a great mystery. But Paul says, I'm not speaking
about husband and wife only. This great mystery I speak about
is concerning Christ and the Church. As the husband loves
the wife and has taken her to be his wife and given her his
name and she loves and in submission to him they become one flesh.
That's Christ in the church. He loves us. He chose us. He made us his bride, his wife,
gave us his name and we're one with Christ. That's right. That's
a mystery. We were dead in trespasses and
sin. We were children of wrath, even
as others. We were following the world and
Satan in our flesh. But God, who is rich in mercy
for his great love wherewith he loved us, quickened us with
Christ and made us one. And Christ said, Father, that
they may be one as we are one. Christ and the church, one. As the head and the bodies are
one. As the vine and the branches are one. Christ and the church
are one. And Father, you love them just
like you love me. How does a father love his son? Infinitely. Unchangeably. Eternally. He loves his son. And we want... That's a mystery. Look at chapter 6, verse 19. The world doesn't know what you're
talking about when you talk about a union with Christ that way.
Salvation is not just making a decision and deciding you'll
do what's right and deciding you'll let God save you and you're
deciding you're going to heaven. Salvation is God choosing a bride
and marrying her and giving her His name and making her one with
Him and what's His is mine. That's right. And that's a decision God made.
That's right. I agreed with it, but he made
it. He made it. Look at Ephesians 6, verse 19. And for me, pray for me, Paul
says, pray for me, that utterance may be given to me. Pray for
me that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth
boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. How can God be
just and justify folks like us? How can He be clean this morn
of a woman? How can God be a holy God and
yet forgive us our sins and embrace us and take us into His presence?
That's a mystery. It's answered only in Christ.
It's a mystery of the gospel. It's the simplicity of Christ
if you have eyes to see. It's the simplicity of Christ
if you have ears to hear. Turn to 1 Timothy chapter 3. Here the word is used again,
1 Timothy chapter 3, verse 16. And without controversy, great
is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh.
How can that be? God in human flesh? That's what
Brother Jim read about a while ago. The Word was made flesh
and dwelt among us. We beheld His glory as the only
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. God with
us. God in human flesh. Call His
name Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. Call His name Wonderful,
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. What a mystery. Manifested in
the flesh, justified, vindicated in the Spirit. Seen of angels,
ministered to by the angels. Preached to pagans like you and
me. Back here, when our Lord Jesus
Christ became a man, walked this earth, our ancestors were eating
each other. Gentiles, pagans, worshiping
idols. Isn't that right? Out in the
jungle, worshiping idols. And yet he's preached to us.
And believed on in the world. Received up in the glory at the
right hand of God. What a mystery. Turn to Colossians
chapter 1. Listen to this. Oh, the mystery
of the gospel. The mystery of the gospel. Colossians
1, 25. Listen. Well, I made a minister. I made a minister, Colossians
1.25, according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me
for you, to fully preach the Word of God, even the mystery,
which has been hid from ages and generations. Hid in the types,
hid in the promises, hid in the chapels, hid in the tabernacle,
hid in the holy of holies, hidden in the priesthood. from generations,
but now manifest to the saints, to whom God would make known
what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles,
which is Christ in you. That's the mystery. The union
of Christ with his people. That's our hope of glory. But
now let's go back to the text. A mystery, yes. But you know,
it's a mystery, there's a second word here, revelation. How that by revelation He made
known unto me this mystery. And that's how God makes known
this mystery to all to whom He makes it known, by revelation. No man has seen the Father at
any time save the Son, and He to whom the Son will reveal Him. He opens our ears to hear the
gospel. He opens our eyes to see eyes
of faith, to see the glory of God in the face of Christ. He
opens our hearts and gives us understanding. God does it by
revelation. Peter, whom do men say that I the Son
of Man am? Here our Lord was walking the
earth, born of Mary, worked in the carpenter's shop, Thirty
years of age, went out to minister, to preach, healed the sick, made
the lame to walk, the blind to see, preached the gospel of the
Kingdom of God. Whom do people say that I am?
What do they say? Well, some say you're John the
Baptist, risen from the dead. Some say you're Elijah, who was
to come. Some say you're Jeremiah, so
one of the prophets. Whom do you say that I am? Who
am I, Peter? Lord, thou art the Christ, the
Son of the living God. Blessed are you. Flesh and blood
didn't what? Reveal that to you. But my Father,
which is in heaven, revealed. How did, by revelation. They
didn't know who he was. If they'd known who He was, they'd
have never crucified Him. But eye hath not seen, ear hath
not heard, neither hath it entered the heart of man the things God's
prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed Him unto
us by His Spirit." Aren't you thankful that He didn't leave
us in darkness, but revealed Christ to us, taught of God,
taught of God? Our Lord preached to that bunch
of religious folks in John chapter 6. And they said, is not this
Jesus, the son of Joseph and Mary, whose mother we know, whose
brothers and sisters we know? He said, murmur not among yourselves.
Don't murmur. No man, no man can come to me. except my Father which sent me."
Drawing. And I'll raise him up at the
last day. And they shall all be taught of God. He that is
taught of God, learned of the Father, you come to me. It's
a revelation. And watch verse 4. The mystery
that's revealed, whereby when you read, you may understand. Oh, when you read, You may understand
my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. You too may understand
the mystery. There was a man in Ethiopia,
a wealthy man, a powerful man, an unusual man. He was a treasurer
of the queen of Ethiopia, a rich country. He found in his heart
an interest in knowing God. the one God, the true God, the
living God, and he had heard that in Jerusalem the Jews worshipped
the one true God. Pagans had many gods, but he
wanted to know the one true God, the God of heaven and earth.
So he made a journey in a chariot with his entourage to Jerusalem
for the feast days. And he stayed there for two or
three days listening to the and the scribes and the Pharisees
and the Sanhedrin and all these folks that were religious had
something to say, he learned nothing. But somehow he secured
a copy of the writings of Isaiah, Isaiah the prophet. And he left
Jerusalem still not knowing that God, still not having any light,
still not having any understanding, but reading Isaiah. Who hath believed our report?
To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? He shall grow up before
him as a tender plant, as a root out of a dry ground. Yet he hath
no form, no comeliness. There's no beauty about him that
we should desire him. He's despised and rejected of
men. A man of sorrows, acquainted
with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from him. He's
despised and rejected. We esteemed him not, but he was
wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His stripes
we are healed. And he was reading that aloud.
And God sent a preacher. God sent Philip. And Philip was
walking along that chariot. God took him right there to the
spot. Walking along, listening to that
man read the scriptures. Listening. And in a moment he
said, Do you understand what you're
reading? Do you understand? How long did you read the Bible
without understanding? I'm ashamed to tell you how long
I read it without understanding. Without understanding who God
is, who Christ is, who I am, what I am, what salvation is,
how God saves sinners, how God can be just and justify. Do you
understand what you're reading? He said, how can I? How can I? Except some man show me. What's show me? Reveal. Isn't
that what show me means? Show me is reveal. Except some
man show me. Reveal it to me. Philip said,
I'll help you. He said, come on up. He sat down
and he began right there. Preach to him the Lord Jesus
Christ. And that man's heart was open,
eyes were open, as Philip preached Christ. And he received understanding. Turn with me to 1 John 5. Listen
to this with that word, understanding. 1 John 5, verse 20. Listen. 1 John 5, verse 20. And we know that the Son of God
is come, and has given us an understanding that we may know
Him that is true and we're in Him that is true, in Him by union,
in Him that is true, even in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is
the true God. This is eternal life. God called
Saul of Tarsus out of religion, revealed Christ to him. God called
that Ethiopian eunuch, out of a pagan country, revealed Christ
to him. God called Lydia, Cornelius,
you and me. God called us and revealed Christ. And look at verse 5. What's the
key word here? Read it. Which in other ages,
this mystery, this union with Christ, this church, this head
and body, this redeemer of people, this elect nation, Which in other
ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now
revealed." Now revealed. There is the word now. Unto his
holy prophets, apostles and prophets by the Holy Spirit. Which in
other ages. Abraham knew Christ. He knew Christ. Abraham saw my
day, but not like you know. Abraham had a revelation of the
Messiah, but not like the one God's given to us, the apostles
and us. Christ hadn't come when Abraham
looked for his coming. He hadn't died, he hadn't been
buried, he hadn't risen again. The scriptures weren't complete.
So he didn't know as we know now. Moses knew Christ, he wrote
of Christ. These Pharisees, they said, we
have Moses. He said, if you'd believe Moses, you'd believe
me. Moses wrote of me, but not like Paul wrote of him. I read Moses, but I got to have
Paul to help me understand Moses. Isn't that right, Cecil? Moses
wrote of Christ, but in types and pictures and ways that you've
got to have the New Testament to read Moses and to understand
what he's saying. It was revealed, but not like
it is now. David knew Christ. The Lord said
to my Lord, sit thou on my right hand. But not like we know Him. Not like He's now known by us. God, who at sundry times spake
to our fathers, but the prophets hath in these last days actually
spoken to us by His Son. And I'm telling you this, we've got a greater responsibility. Our Lord who spoke to Capernaum
and Bethsaida said, woe unto you, if the mighty works had been
done in Sodom, which are done in you, it still be standing. So it'll be easier for Sodom
in the judgment than for you. And you and I need to, and you,
every one of us, need to remember this now. To whom much is given,
much is required. That's a powerful verse. This
gospel, this mystery, this redeeming grace was known, but not like
it's now revealed. Christ has spoken to us. And if Christ had spoken to Sodom
and Gomorrah, He said it would have stood to this day. You remember
that the Lord told Abraham, you find ten righteous men down there
and I'll save it? I believe if our Lord preached
down there, you could find ten righteous men, ten believers.
Maybe you would, and they'd still be standing. So we need to remember
that. We have more understanding, more
revelation, more knowledge, more gospel than any people who've
ever lived. And Ashland, Kentucky has had
an abundant supply. Look at verse 6. There's a word
here that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body
and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel. His promise. Titus chapter 1,
let's turn over there. His promise. His promise. Whose promise? Listen, it will
identify that here. His promise. Paul, a servant of God. Titus
1, 1. An apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God's
elect. Acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness in hope
of eternal life which God who cannot lie, promised before the
world began. God who cannot lie has promised
eternal life. Where is this promise of eternal
life? Turn to 2 Corinthians 1. You
need to look at this. 2 Corinthians 1 verse 20. Now our promises aren't always kept,
but His are. He cannot lie. And 2 Corinthians
1.20 says all the promises of God, all the promises of God
are yea and in Him, Amen, unto the glory of God. Where are they?
In Christ. All the promises of God are yes
and in Christ, Amen, unto the glory of God. Now he which establishes
us with you is in Christ hath anointed us is God who also hath
also sealed us and given the earnest of his spirit in our
hearts his promise Abraham in Acts in Romans chapter 4 Abraham
listen to a summary of Abraham's faith let me give you this in
Romans chapter 4 Back here in verse 17, the promise of eternal life is
in Christ, the promise of God. In verse 17, Romans 4, As it
is written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before
him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and
calls those things which be not as though they were. God calls
those things which be not as though they were. Already. Now
read verse 20. And he staggered not at the promise
of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory
to God, and being fully persuaded that what God had promised, he
was able to perform. He promised it in Christ. Now
one other word. Verse 7. I need to deal with
this just a moment. Whereof I am made a minister. Paul said, I am made a minister. I feel like I have at least some, a ministry, a
ministry to ministers. I feel like when we've been in
the ministry a long time and God has given us some evidence
of His blessings, that we need to pass along to younger preachers
what God has taught us. And I believe at this stage in
life, I have something to say to young ministers. And this
is the first thing I'd say, that a man doesn't volunteer for the
ministry, nor does he put himself in the ministry, nor does he
choose the ministry's vocation. God puts men in the ministry. I was made, Paul said, I was
made a minister. I was made a minister not by
seminary or college or church. I was made a minister by God.
That's right. Made a minister. Paul said in
1 Timothy 1.12, listen to this. 1 Timothy 1.12, I thank Christ
Jesus our Lord. who hath enabled me, for that
he counted me faithful, he put me in the ministry. He put me. He put me in the ministry. I
didn't pursue this thing. He put me in the ministry. Miraculously
put me in the ministry. Put me in the place. Supernaturally. Providentially, things came together
and put me there in this ministry. And then in Acts 13, turn over
here and listen to the commandment that he gave the church at Antioch. Church at Antioch. In verse 2 of Acts 13. Acts 13 verse 2, And as they
ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate
me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called
them. The ministry is a calling. God
calls His preachers. I have called them. I have separated
them. I have chosen them for this task,
the ministry. And one more over in Ephesians. Ephesians, we're looking at chapter
3, let's look across the page at chapter 4. Chapter 4. Now it says here in chapter 4,
verse 8. Wherefore, when he ascended up
on high, this is Christ, when he ascended back to the Father,
he led captivity captive. He led captivity captive. That
is, Satan, death, sin, everything
that held us in captivity, everything that held us in bondage, he made
it and destroyed it and let it captive. And then it also might
mean this, that we who were in captivity, he let us captive
to him, captives of his love, captives of his grace, bond servants
of the Savior. He led captivity captive, but
here's what I'm showing you. He gave gifts to men. He gave
gifts to men. Now that He ascended, what is
it? But He also descended first into
the lower parts of the earth, into His mother's womb, into
the grave, the lowest parts of the earth. In other words, the
one who ascended is the one who descended. No man hath ascended
up to God, but he that descended from God. And he's what we're
talking about. See, that verse is in parenthesis. Verse 10, he that descended is
the same also that ascendeth up far above all heavens, that
he might fulfill all things. That's who we're talking about.
That's in parenthesis. Identifying the one who led captivity
captive and gave gifts to men. Now watch it. And he gave some
apostles. He called apostles. Gave them
gifts. He gave some prophets. Old Testament
prophets. He gave some evangelists, missionaries. Sent them to foreign countries.
Sent them out traveling evangelists. Apostle Paul was one of those.
Barnabas, Silas, traveled about Timothy. gave some pastors and
teachers. He did that. He gave it severally
to men as he will, as he would. Why? Verse 12, for the perfecting
of the saints, for the maturity of the saints, for the work of
the ministry, for the overseership of the church, for the edifying
of the body of Christ. You see, Every true minister
has natural gifts. He has an intellect, he has to
have some brains, he knows how to read and write, he has ability,
he has a work ethic, he has a self-discipline, he has a voice, he has lungs
that give him strength to speak, energy, those are natural things. But these gifts, he's talking
about here, these gifts, It's a gift to interpret scripture. It's a gift to lead God's church
wisely, with oversight thereof. It's a gift to discern the will
of God and the way of God. Let me show you something over
here in Psalm 103. And this is the reason that God
has to call me in and God has to send them is He has to He
has to give them the gifts, he has to give them, he has to train
them, teach them, send them out just like he did his apostles.
Psalm 103 verse 7, listen to this. God made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the children of Israel. The Lord took Moses into his
confidence, he was the leader, he was the spokesman. He took
him into his confidence and showed him his ways, his will. The children
of Israel saw his acts, his judgment. And this gift is to speak for
God as though God himself, Paul said that we're ambassadors for
Christ as though God himself did beseech him. So that's what
Paul is saying here in verse 7, I was made a minister. Go
back to Ephesians 3 verse 7, I'm going to let you go. I was
made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God
given to me by the effectual working of His power.