(uplifting theme music)
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>>Welcome to "Sabbath School,"
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brought to you by It Is Written.
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We're delighted that you
could be with us again today
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as we continue our study
through the book of Ephesians.
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It is an incredible book,
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and we are learning
some incredible things.
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This week is lesson number 6,
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and that is "The
Mystery of the Gospel."
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We're glad that you
could join us today.
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Let's begin with prayer.
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Father, we wanna thank
You for being with us today
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as we are looking at
the book of Ephesians
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and gaining a
deeper understanding
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of Your love for us and
Your plan for our lives.
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We ask now that You
will bless our time together
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and guide us through this study.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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>>Amen. >>Well, not only
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are we glad that you're here;
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we're also glad that
our special guest here
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is here as well,
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and that is the author of
the Sabbath school lesson,
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Dr. John McVay.
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He is the president of
Walla Walla University.
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John, welcome back once again.
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>>Eric, there's no
place I'd rather be
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than right here
studying Ephesians with you.
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>>This is an exciting book,
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and no doubt people
have read it before.
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They've gone through it,
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they've picked at it,
they've heard a few verses
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commonly quoted from it,
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but we're looking at
some grand themes here.
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>>We are, we
are. >>We are looking
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at some very deep things,
some very practical things.
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And today we're looking at
"The Mystery of the Gospel,"
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"The Mystery of the Gospel,"
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especially as we find
it in Ephesians, chapter 3.
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So give us a little overview
of Ephesians, chapter 3.
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There's 21
verses in this chapter.
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How is chapter 3 structured,
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and what can we
expect to get out of this?
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>>Well, if we go
back to our first lesson,
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you'll remember that Ephesians,
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like many Pauline
epistles, is divided in two,
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and so where it divides
is at the end of chapter 3.
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So, we're moving
toward that dividing point.
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Paul is still focusing on
the grand Christian story,
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salvation history,
how God has been active
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in salvation
history for believers.
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He's still on the doctrine side,
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teaching us
about Christian faith
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and God's action in
Christ to redeem humankind.
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At the end of
this, then, chapter 4,
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we're gonna turn
toward that instruction
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in the nitty-gritty of
Christian life and discipleship.
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But he's still
soaring here, Eric;
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he's still soaring.
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And one thing about Ephesians
we haven't really discussed
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is that the language
is--some people call it
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"flying high,"
"full-blown," "fulsome."
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It's rich language, but it
can have a certain impact on us.
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We can read a passage,
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we can know that
it's wonderful language,
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but we can struggle
a little bit to say,
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"Now, what did that really say?"
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So I think it is
valuable to slow down,
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listen to this rich language,
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and try to get a handle
on all these great things
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that God has
done for us in Christ.
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>>So we're doing
that here in chapter 3.
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Walk us through
chapter 3. >>Sure.
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>>What are the
different sections of chapter 3,
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and what is Paul hoping
that we're going to be able
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to understand as he writes this?
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>>The chapter itself,
like the letter as a whole,
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divides into two.
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So chapter 3, verses
1-13, is a biographical,
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autobiographical reflection.
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Paul, now, you'll
remember, is in prison,
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he's at an advanced
stage in his career,
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he senses that the end is near,
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and so he's ruminating;
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he's thinking
about the privileges
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that he's had to serve Christ.
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He's looking back and
thanking God for the ways
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that He has
blessed him in his ministry
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as an apostle to the Gentiles.
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So that's the first
half, if you will, verses 1-13.
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And then when we
get to the second half,
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we have the prayer
report, verses 14-19.
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He's discussing the
reasons for his prayers
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on behalf of the
believers in Ephesus
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and what he prays about,
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and then he concludes
with a brief doxology.
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So first half, second
half, second half, verses 14-21.
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But there's
something really interesting
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about the structure here, and
that's the fact that he begins
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to give his prayer report,
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and then he interrupts himself
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and moves into this
autobiographical reflection
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about his career as
apostle of the Gentiles.
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And then he moves
back to his prayer report.
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Now, how do we know
that? Well, look at verse 1.
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He starts in verse 1:
"For this reason I, Paul,
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a prisoner of Christ Jesus
on behalf of you Gentiles."
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And then he breaks off,
right? And moves into this,
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and then we know
that he picks it back up
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because in verse 14,
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he again uses the language
"for this reason," right?
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So he starts
giving his prayer report:
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here's why I pray about you;
here's how I pray about you,
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for you; here's the
things I pray about;
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here's my prayer list on
your behalf. He starts that,
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breaks off into this
autobiographical reflection
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about his life and ministry,
and then he picks back up
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with that prayer
report in verse 14.
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So, do you ever get interrupted
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and go off on little tangents
and return to the original
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line of thinking? >>Sure.
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That's very, very common.
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And if you're
writing and that happens,
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you might just hit
delete, delete, delete--
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>>Yeah. >>...and
you get rid of that
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verse 1, as it
were, and pick it up.
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But he doesn't. It's left there
for us to kind of marvel at.
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>>Sure. The chapter really
hangs together beautifully.
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And I'm inclined to think
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he almost did this
intentionally, but nonetheless,
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he does break off and
come back to this prayer report
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in the last half of the chapter.
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>>A beautiful insight
into Paul and his character.
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I love that.
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So what is the--we're looking
at the book of Ephesians.
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What is the
purpose of Ephesians?
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Why is it here? Why
does it mean so much?
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What was Paul pouring
into it that we can take out?
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>>Well, back in lesson 1,
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we did look at
chapter 3, verse 13
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as a clue to the
purpose of Ephesians.
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So, Paul is giving
this reflection on his life
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as an apostle to the Gentiles.
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And he comes to the
end of that, and he says--
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he's basically
saying about his life--
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this is the basic
gist of the first half:
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"There's some stuff in my
life that looks pretty awful.
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There are things that have
happened to me that are bad,"
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afflictions and
challenges and this and that,
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but he's saying to them, "All
of that is part of God's plan.
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"All of that mean-spirited
stuff that I've experienced
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"is part of
God's work in my life.
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"And as I look back on it now
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"at this advanced
stage in my career,
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God's had a
hand in all of this."
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And so, verse 13, "You
shouldn't despair about me."
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And apparently that's
exactly what they're doing.
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They're in some despair
that their great champion,
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their leader, their
pastor is in prison.
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And if he's in prison,
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that means that
Christianity's shot. It's over,
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it's finished, it's done.
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In verse 13, he
says, "So I ask you"--
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he specifically and forthrightly
asks something of them--
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"So I ask you not to lose heart
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"over what I am
suffering for you,
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[because it's
actually for] your glory."
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It's in God's
plan, part of God's plan.
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So, the easiest way to describe
the purpose of Ephesians
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is to move to that verse
and say that Paul is concerned
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that Ephesians, that
believers in Ephesians
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in the house
churches that have grown up
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in the last six or seven years,
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that a lot of people
he doesn't know here,
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he's concerned
that, with him in prison,
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with things taking a downturn
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in the greater
metro-Ephesus area,
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Christianity not being
as popular as it once was,
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that they're gonna lose heart,
and they're gonna lose faith,
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and they're gonna move
back into their pagan ways
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of worshiping many gods.
He's concerned about that.
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And so he's talking about
what God has done in Christ
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in establishing the
church, this great enterprise,
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and he's trying to help
them see the grand significance
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of being part of
that great enterprise.
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>>So we find that
the purpose of Ephesians,
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here in this
interruption, as it were,
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and we also find this
very interesting phrase
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in verse number 4.
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It says, "By
which, when you read,
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...may understand my knowledge
in the mystery of Christ."
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>>Yes. >>So this
interruption here
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has some meat in
it. What is this--
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we see the purpose here-- >>Yes.
00:09:07.14\00:09:08.98
>>...what is this
mystery of Christ that
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Paul is talking about, that
he doesn't just address here,
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but he talks about it and wants
us to understand something--
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what is that?
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>>Well, it's a term that he
uses a few times in Ephesians.
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He uses it here in
verses 3, verses 4,
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and verse 9, verses 3, 4, and 9.
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And he uses it
elsewhere, a string of places,
00:09:30.33\00:09:32.93
in Ephesians as well.
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So it's an important
term for us to understand,
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part of the fabric of
the epistle to the Ephesians.
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Fortunately,
chapter 3, verse 6, gives us
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probably the clearest
sense of what he means by it.
00:09:43.24\00:09:48.12
A synonym would simply
be "the gospel," right?
00:09:48.12\00:09:51.42
The mystery is the gospel.
00:09:51.42\00:09:53.92
And he says here,
"This mystery is"--
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and so here comes
the definition, right?--
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"that the
Gentiles are fellow heirs,
00:10:00.60\00:10:05.50
"members of the same body,
and partakers of the promise
00:10:05.50\00:10:09.80
in Christ Jesus
through the gospel."
00:10:09.80\00:10:12.61
So a way to
summarize that would be
00:10:12.61\00:10:14.71
the full
inclusion of the Gentiles
00:10:14.71\00:10:18.61
within the church
and within God's plans
00:10:18.61\00:10:21.72
for the future
of humankind, right?
00:10:21.72\00:10:23.65
Full inclusion of the Gentiles.
00:10:23.65\00:10:25.19
Now, of course, it's
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:10:25.19\00:10:27.36
It's God's actions in
Christ to bring that about.
00:10:27.36\00:10:31.36
Why the term "mystery,"
then? Because this is something
00:10:31.36\00:10:34.63
he's wanting to
shout from the mountaintop.
00:10:34.63\00:10:36.43
So what's the bit about mystery?
00:10:36.43\00:10:39.00
Well, part of it is historical.
00:10:39.00\00:10:40.84
Paul sees this mystery as
being unfolded in his ministry
00:10:42.27\00:10:46.51
and in the ministry
of others in this era.
00:10:46.51\00:10:49.51
So it has been a mystery,
but now through their preaching,
00:10:49.51\00:10:53.25
it has become an
open secret, right?
00:10:53.25\00:10:56.12
The mystery has
become an open secret.
00:10:56.12\00:10:58.75
There may be another reason
that he uses the term here,
00:10:58.75\00:11:01.69
and this is much less certain,
00:11:01.69\00:11:03.86
but there were something
called "mystery religions"
00:11:03.86\00:11:07.30
in the first century. So what
would a mystery religion be?
00:11:07.30\00:11:12.37
Would be a religion
focused on a mystery, right?
00:11:13.64\00:11:15.34
So you could go through
all these strange rituals
00:11:15.34\00:11:17.37
as an initiate into
these mystery religions,
00:11:17.37\00:11:20.98
and you would be
told these secrets
00:11:20.98\00:11:22.74
that you promised never to tell.
00:11:22.74\00:11:25.01
And so there were
these mystery cults,
00:11:25.01\00:11:27.25
and they were very
popular and very common
00:11:27.25\00:11:30.85
at the time of Paul
in the first century.
00:11:30.85\00:11:33.09
And so it's possible
that he's implying here, Eric,
00:11:33.09\00:11:36.52
that if you wanna
know a real mystery,
00:11:36.52\00:11:39.19
if you really wanna be inducted
into something that matters,
00:11:39.19\00:11:42.16
you wanna become an initiate
00:11:42.16\00:11:43.60
in the greatest of
all mystery religions,
00:11:43.60\00:11:46.67
the only one that's true,
00:11:46.67\00:11:48.40
you need to know the
mystery of the gospel.
00:11:48.40\00:11:50.07
You need to know
what God is doing,
00:11:50.07\00:11:52.37
in Christ, to create the church.
00:11:52.37\00:11:54.64
>>And so he's giving us,
00:11:54.64\00:11:56.48
now opening up
what this mystery is,
00:11:56.48\00:11:58.71
at least as much as
we can grasp it today,
00:11:58.71\00:12:01.28
seeing the
fullness of the gospel
00:12:01.28\00:12:04.42
as he's laying it out for us
00:12:04.42\00:12:07.36
and giving us
insights into God's desire
00:12:07.36\00:12:10.86
for everyone
here on Planet Earth,
00:12:10.86\00:12:13.86
the Jews and the
Gentiles together,
00:12:13.86\00:12:15.40
bringing it all together, a
beautiful, beautiful picture.
00:12:15.40\00:12:18.83
John, before we go to break,
00:12:18.83\00:12:20.30
I wanna give you another
opportunity to share with us
00:12:20.30\00:12:22.60
a little bit more
about what's going on
00:12:22.60\00:12:24.24
in the companion book.
00:12:24.24\00:12:26.01
We've been reading
through the study guide
00:12:26.01\00:12:28.11
day by day. >>Sure.
00:12:28.11\00:12:29.81
>>But we've also got
this companion book that is
00:12:29.81\00:12:32.41
available. Tell us a little
bit more about what's in here.
00:12:32.41\00:12:34.55
>>Well, the companion
book gives me an opportunity
00:12:34.55\00:12:38.02
to unpack some of
the wonders of Ephesians.
00:12:38.02\00:12:40.86
Now, we're working on
this in half-hour segments,
00:12:40.86\00:12:44.36
week by week moving through,
00:12:44.36\00:12:46.09
and it seems like a
lot of time together,
00:12:46.09\00:12:49.50
but in some respects, we
are just scratching the surface.
00:12:49.50\00:12:52.03
And if you'd like
to go a little deeper,
00:12:52.03\00:12:54.04
see some of the concepts
00:12:54.04\00:12:55.50
that we've been
talking about unpacked,
00:12:55.50\00:12:57.77
applied to our lives,
00:12:57.77\00:12:59.87
the companion book is a
good place to find that.
00:12:59.87\00:13:02.14
>>Fantastic. So if you'd like
to pick up the companion book,
00:13:02.14\00:13:05.38
it is very easy to do.
00:13:05.38\00:13:07.18
Just go to itiswritten.shop,
00:13:07.18\00:13:09.95
again, itiswritten.shop.
00:13:09.95\00:13:11.69
Look for the book
"Ephesians" by Dr. John McVay.
00:13:11.69\00:13:15.39
You will find it there.
00:13:15.39\00:13:16.46
You can pick it up,
00:13:16.46\00:13:17.63
and it will be an
immense blessing to you
00:13:17.63\00:13:19.23
as you continue to delve into
00:13:19.23\00:13:21.50
this incredible
book of the Bible.
00:13:21.50\00:13:24.03
We look forward to seeing
you back in just a moment.
00:13:24.03\00:13:26.17
We're going to continue
our study of lesson number 6,
00:13:26.17\00:13:29.44
"The Mystery of the Gospel."
00:13:29.44\00:13:31.07
We'll see you
back in just a moment.
00:13:31.07\00:13:32.64
(uplifting theme
music swells and ends)
00:13:32.64\00:13:35.54
>>Racism is a serious issue
00:13:37.05\00:13:39.38
that challenges
societies around the world.
00:13:39.38\00:13:43.02
In the United States, racism
has again come to the fore.
00:13:43.02\00:13:47.56
Tensions have escalated.
00:13:47.56\00:13:50.16
The Bible speaks directly
to the question of racism.
00:13:50.16\00:13:54.30
An unlikely New Testament
story shows how God feels
00:13:54.30\00:13:58.83
about racism and demonstrates
00:13:58.83\00:14:01.60
that love and
unity can be accomplished
00:14:01.60\00:14:05.14
when the Holy Spirit is
allowed to change hearts.
00:14:05.14\00:14:09.18
Don't miss "Jesus and Racism"
00:14:09.18\00:14:12.58
and see that
division is not inevitable
00:14:12.58\00:14:15.82
and that unity is achievable
00:14:15.82\00:14:18.25
through the power of the gospel.
00:14:18.25\00:14:20.89
"Jesus and Racism,"
00:14:20.89\00:14:23.06
addressing an important
subject affecting today's world
00:14:23.06\00:14:26.90
and offering hope
through the Word of God.
00:14:26.90\00:14:29.66
Don't miss "Jesus and Racism,"
00:14:29.66\00:14:32.27
brought to you
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00:14:32.27\00:14:35.60
You know that at It Is Written,
00:14:37.41\00:14:38.84
we are serious about
studying the Word of God,
00:14:38.84\00:14:41.24
and we encourage you
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00:14:41.24\00:14:44.01
Well, here's what you do
00:14:44.01\00:14:45.15
if you wanna dig
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00:14:45.15\00:14:47.12
Go to itiswritten.study
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for the It Is Written
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00:14:49.35\00:14:52.32
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00:14:52.32\00:14:54.99
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00:14:54.99\00:14:57.23
You'll be
blessed, and it's something
00:14:57.23\00:14:58.93
you'll want to tell
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00:14:58.93\00:15:00.73
itiswritten.study.
00:15:00.73\00:15:02.53
Go further: itiswritten.study.
00:15:02.53\00:15:05.07
(uplifting theme music)
00:15:07.00\00:15:09.67
>>Welcome back
to "Sabbath School,"
00:15:11.61\00:15:13.01
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:15:13.01\00:15:15.04
We are looking at
Ephesians, chapter 3 today
00:15:15.04\00:15:18.15
and "The Mystery of the Gospel."
00:15:18.15\00:15:21.02
John, when we take
a look at verses 14-19
00:15:21.02\00:15:24.72
here in chapter 3,
00:15:24.72\00:15:26.89
we see some prayer
requests that Paul makes
00:15:26.89\00:15:29.42
on behalf of believers.
00:15:29.42\00:15:30.93
What's the significance
of these prayer requests,
00:15:30.93\00:15:33.43
and why are they
important for us to see?
00:15:33.43\00:15:36.50
Why were they important
for Paul to put in the letter
00:15:36.50\00:15:38.50
and for us to see today?
00:15:38.50\00:15:40.20
>>Isn't this an incredible thing
00:15:40.20\00:15:41.60
to have Paul's
prayer list for believers,
00:15:41.60\00:15:44.17
to actually be able
to read his prayer list?
00:15:44.17\00:15:47.91
This is wonderful, and
it should teach us something
00:15:47.91\00:15:51.65
about how to pray
00:15:51.65\00:15:53.25
and what we have
a right to ask for
00:15:53.25\00:15:57.52
before the throne of God.
00:15:57.52\00:15:59.32
It's very touching.
00:15:59.32\00:16:00.86
So you could break this
down, I think, nicely, Eric,
00:16:00.86\00:16:04.99
into three prayer requests.
00:16:04.99\00:16:07.13
So, they're all
kind of complicated
00:16:07.13\00:16:09.23
because they're part of
this rich language of Ephesians
00:16:09.23\00:16:11.70
where he tends to
add prepositional phrase
00:16:11.70\00:16:13.94
to prepositional
phrase to, you know,
00:16:13.94\00:16:16.20
lengthy
description of something.
00:16:16.20\00:16:18.51
So it's a little
hard to divide it,
00:16:18.51\00:16:20.18
but let's call verses 16 and 17
00:16:20.18\00:16:22.91
his first prayer request.
And in that prayer request,
00:16:22.91\00:16:27.85
he asks God to
grant believers in Ephesus
00:16:27.85\00:16:32.79
an abundant spiritual
experience. And as you would
00:16:32.79\00:16:36.12
expect, it's rooted in the
presence of the Holy Spirit
00:16:36.12\00:16:38.29
in their lives, right?
00:16:38.29\00:16:39.79
So he wants inner strength
through the Spirit's presence,
00:16:39.79\00:16:44.03
"strengthened...in
the inner man,"
00:16:44.03\00:16:47.54
strengthened with the
power through His Spirit
00:16:47.54\00:16:49.70
in your inner being.
00:16:49.70\00:16:51.01
So he wants
something deep in our hearts
00:16:51.01\00:16:54.14
and minds to happen. He
wants the Spirit to dwell there,
00:16:54.14\00:16:58.51
to make His
presence felt in our lives,
00:16:58.51\00:17:01.75
down deep in our hearts, right?
00:17:01.75\00:17:04.32
Down deep in the
very, very inside,
00:17:04.32\00:17:07.12
central part of our being,
00:17:07.12\00:17:09.22
that we would find God
present through His Spirit.
00:17:09.22\00:17:12.23
That's a grand request.
00:17:12.23\00:17:14.30
And he's joining with
that in his first request,
00:17:14.30\00:17:17.03
that he wants us to
have what I would call
00:17:17.03\00:17:20.07
"intimacy with Christ."
00:17:20.07\00:17:22.14
And this part of his prayer
has become very special to me
00:17:22.14\00:17:25.97
as I've just meditated
on it and thought about it:
00:17:25.97\00:17:28.71
"That Christ may
dwell in your hearts
00:17:28.71\00:17:33.15
through faith."
00:17:33.15\00:17:35.12
What a privilege as Christians!
00:17:35.12\00:17:37.89
And Paul is praying
that that will happen.
00:17:37.89\00:17:39.72
Not a little
visit now and again,
00:17:39.72\00:17:42.49
not just a high spiritual
moment once every six months
00:17:42.49\00:17:45.99
where you sense
Christ within you,
00:17:45.99\00:17:49.33
but that Christ would dwell,
00:17:49.33\00:17:51.90
stay, remain,
inhabit, camp, (chuckles)
00:17:51.90\00:17:56.47
set up His dwelling place
in your heart, in your mind.
00:17:56.47\00:18:01.38
This is, these are
not trivial blessings
00:18:01.38\00:18:04.58
(chuckling) that
he's praying for.
00:18:04.58\00:18:07.18
And then he wants them to have--
00:18:07.18\00:18:08.98
still on the
first prayer request,
00:18:08.98\00:18:11.15
compound prayer
request, we could call it--
00:18:11.15\00:18:13.42
a settled, secure,
spiritual identity,
00:18:13.42\00:18:17.09
that they might be
rooted and grounded in love.
00:18:17.09\00:18:21.50
Whose love do you
suppose he has in mind?
00:18:21.50\00:18:23.67
>>God's love. >>God's love.
00:18:23.67\00:18:25.40
So at the very
heart of our being
00:18:25.40\00:18:28.67
and our identity as
Christian disciples,
00:18:28.67\00:18:31.27
Paul wants to plant the
Spirit, the presence of Jesus,
00:18:31.27\00:18:36.34
and a settled sense
00:18:37.01\00:18:38.95
that I am valued by God.
00:18:38.95\00:18:43.22
Those who
sit--those three Beings
00:18:43.22\00:18:47.12
that sit on the
throne of the cosmos,
00:18:47.12\00:18:49.19
the Godhead, treasure
me, know me individually,
00:18:49.19\00:18:54.13
and They love me.
00:18:54.13\00:18:55.73
Wow! What a prayer request.
00:18:56.53\00:18:58.23
>>And that's only the first
00:18:58.23\00:18:59.63
of these three.
>>That's the first one.
00:18:59.63\00:19:01.07
>>He's got two others here.
00:19:01.07\00:19:02.30
So as if that
weren't enough-- >>Yes.
00:19:02.30\00:19:04.81
>>...he says more.
00:19:04.81\00:19:06.07
>>Each of these
can give us just plenty
00:19:06.07\00:19:08.01
to think about,
meditate on, pray over.
00:19:08.01\00:19:12.28
Let's access Paul's prayer list.
00:19:13.28\00:19:16.79
Let's make it our own.
Let's hear him praying for us.
00:19:16.79\00:19:20.89
Let's lay claim
to these blessings
00:19:20.89\00:19:22.99
that are so crucial
to the Christian life.
00:19:22.99\00:19:25.76
So his second
prayer request, verses 18,
00:19:25.76\00:19:29.30
the first half of verse 19,
00:19:29.30\00:19:31.70
invites fresh
understanding for his audience
00:19:31.70\00:19:35.24
in this language:
"Strength to comprehend
00:19:36.27\00:19:38.81
"with all the
saints what is the breadth
00:19:38.81\00:19:41.38
"and length and
height and depth,
00:19:41.38\00:19:43.18
and to know the love of Christ
that surpasses knowledge."
00:19:43.18\00:19:46.98
So again, he's interested
in planting God's love
00:19:46.98\00:19:51.92
and Christ's love, the
sense that Christ loves us
00:19:51.92\00:19:56.76
at the very inner
part of our being.
00:19:56.76\00:19:59.33
And notice how many
dimensions he uses here.
00:19:59.33\00:20:02.90
We're used to
three dimensions, right?
00:20:02.90\00:20:04.67
But in his effort to
express the wonder of all this,
00:20:04.67\00:20:07.90
he adds another dimension.
So there are four dimensions
00:20:07.90\00:20:12.31
that he mentions
here of Christ's love.
00:20:12.31\00:20:15.44
So we take away from
this, from all of this,
00:20:15.44\00:20:20.05
just a wonderful
sense of God's love for us,
00:20:20.05\00:20:24.85
His care for us.
00:20:24.85\00:20:26.76
It's hard to really tune in
to this language in one sense
00:20:26.76\00:20:30.23
because it's just
so grand and glorious.
00:20:30.23\00:20:32.13
>>It almost sounds, at
the end of verse number 18,
00:20:32.13\00:20:34.93
like Paul trails
off in wonderment.
00:20:34.93\00:20:37.77
>>Yes, there's a sense of that.
00:20:37.77\00:20:38.90
>>"The width and the length
00:20:38.90\00:20:40.60
and the depth and the height"--
00:20:40.60\00:20:42.14
and his mind just goes--
00:20:42.14\00:20:44.41
>>But he has one
more prayer request
00:20:44.41\00:20:45.91
that kind of puts it all
in a little more crisp way,
00:20:45.91\00:20:50.01
includes everything--the
grab-bag prayer request,
00:20:50.01\00:20:53.45
we could call it.
Prayer request number three,
00:20:53.45\00:20:55.52
summing up the
intent of his prayers:
00:20:55.52\00:20:57.55
"That you"-- (chuckles) Eric--
00:20:57.55\00:21:00.56
"That you"--human
being that you are--
00:21:00.56\00:21:03.66
"[might] be filled with
all the fullness of God,"
00:21:03.66\00:21:07.86
filled to the brim
00:21:07.86\00:21:09.90
with God's grand
blessings of grace,
00:21:09.90\00:21:13.27
knowledge of God's love,
00:21:13.27\00:21:15.20
a settled sense of who you
are in the presence of God.
00:21:15.20\00:21:18.47
>>Can't imagine not
wanting to experience that,
00:21:18.47\00:21:22.58
I mean, every Christian believer
desires to experience that,
00:21:22.58\00:21:25.81
and that's Paul's prayer,
that we would experience that.
00:21:25.81\00:21:29.75
>>What a prayer,
what a grand prayer.
00:21:29.75\00:21:31.75
>>An incredible prayer.
00:21:31.75\00:21:33.09
There's something else here
that we see in this chapter,
00:21:34.49\00:21:37.69
and we get this
picture of Paul as a mentor.
00:21:37.69\00:21:41.80
Help us to see
what's going on here.
00:21:42.90\00:21:45.70
>>Well, for me, focusing
much of our attention here
00:21:45.70\00:21:50.31
on verses 1-19,
00:21:50.31\00:21:53.54
particularly 1-13, but
also including his prayer,
00:21:55.84\00:22:00.05
it's interesting to
think of Paul as a mentor.
00:22:01.52\00:22:03.85
Could you think
of a better mentor?
00:22:03.85\00:22:05.25
Greatest, arguably the
greatest Christian missionary
00:22:05.25\00:22:08.16
and apostle of all time,
00:22:08.16\00:22:10.13
what if he tapped you on
the shoulder, Eric, and said,
00:22:10.13\00:22:12.79
"Eric, thank you
for all the efforts
00:22:12.79\00:22:14.56
you're taking to spread the
gospel. Could I be your mentor?"
00:22:14.56\00:22:18.43
>>I think I'd
probably take him up on.
00:22:18.43\00:22:20.44
>>I think we would.
00:22:20.44\00:22:21.64
And in a sense, we
have that privilege here.
00:22:21.64\00:22:24.87
So I've tried to
read this passage--
00:22:24.87\00:22:27.24
I work with college
students all the time,
00:22:27.24\00:22:29.61
so I'm trying to think of Paul
00:22:29.61\00:22:31.41
as mentor of
college students here,
00:22:31.41\00:22:32.98
tapping them on the shoulder,
saying, "Let me tell ya,
00:22:32.98\00:22:35.75
"if you want to
live a successful life,
00:22:35.75\00:22:37.99
a life of true significance,
here's how to go about it."
00:22:37.99\00:22:42.76
And I think there are
some real principles here
00:22:42.76\00:22:44.93
as we move through the passage.
00:22:44.93\00:22:46.83
Now, I unpack these in some
detail in the companion book,
00:22:46.83\00:22:51.17
and I'm just gonna mention
them in very brief scope here.
00:22:51.17\00:22:54.64
But, for example,
first bullet, first point:
00:22:54.64\00:22:58.21
"True success is all
about getting caught up
00:22:58.21\00:23:01.34
"in the grand plan of God.
00:23:01.34\00:23:03.88
"God is calling you
into His great project
00:23:03.88\00:23:06.88
to unify all things in Christ."
00:23:06.88\00:23:09.45
So, don't just look for
some job that may pay well
00:23:09.45\00:23:13.82
but has no real significance
attached, says Paul.
00:23:13.82\00:23:16.99
You want to, in some
way, you want to be involved
00:23:16.99\00:23:20.16
in the grandest plan of all,
00:23:20.16\00:23:23.53
and that is God's great plan
to unify everything in Christ.
00:23:23.53\00:23:28.00
If your work and your
life isn't about that,
00:23:28.00\00:23:30.51
you're missing out;
00:23:30.51\00:23:31.91
you're missing an opportunity
for deep significance.
00:23:31.91\00:23:34.01
Second, don't just
tune in to your passion.
00:23:34.01\00:23:36.98
Now, you know, commencement
speakers for high school
00:23:36.98\00:23:40.95
and college everywhere
say, "Tune in to your passion."
00:23:40.95\00:23:44.92
But it is as though
Paul is saying here,
00:23:44.92\00:23:47.29
"That didn't work out for
me. I tuned in to my passion.
00:23:47.29\00:23:49.86
"I ended up on the Damascus Road
00:23:49.86\00:23:51.69
"knowing that my life
needed utter transformation.
00:23:51.69\00:23:54.86
"And then I lost everything.
And when I lost everything
00:23:54.86\00:23:58.10
"because of my
commitment to Jesus,
00:23:58.10\00:24:00.14
that's when true
significance began."
00:24:00.14\00:24:02.54
Don't just tune in to your
passion; listen for God's call,
00:24:02.54\00:24:07.04
again,
summarizing verses 1-6 there
00:24:07.04\00:24:09.48
in that sense he gives us.
00:24:09.48\00:24:11.75
Another one--again, verses 1-6--
00:24:11.75\00:24:14.92
"True success is all
about getting caught up
00:24:14.92\00:24:18.12
in that grand plan of
Paul," as we talked about.
00:24:18.12\00:24:23.02
"The best
opportunities are not earned
00:24:23.02\00:24:26.13
based on your own merit."
00:24:26.13\00:24:28.50
We think in the
world of résumés and jobs
00:24:28.50\00:24:30.50
that it's all about, you know,
getting my résumé just right
00:24:30.50\00:24:33.37
to highlight all
the accomplishments
00:24:33.37\00:24:35.30
that I've made and
everything that I've done
00:24:35.30\00:24:37.57
and present myself as
a person of great wisdom
00:24:37.57\00:24:41.94
and great skill and wonderful
education and experience.
00:24:41.94\00:24:46.31
But Paul gives some
sort of counter-cultural
00:24:46.31\00:24:49.82
advice here, doesn't he?
00:24:49.82\00:24:51.52
"The best opportunities are
not earned on your own merit;
00:24:51.52\00:24:55.36
they are gifts of
God's grace," verses 7-8.
00:24:55.36\00:25:00.10
"Again, the scope of God's
plan for you is vast," verse 10.
00:25:00.10\00:25:04.87
"He imagines you
engaged in cosmic leadership."
00:25:04.87\00:25:09.50
And you get that.
Again, he wants these believers
00:25:09.50\00:25:12.97
to live lives of significance.
00:25:12.97\00:25:15.14
I like this next-to-the-last
point: "Don't work for a boss.
00:25:15.14\00:25:20.22
Join the family
business. Work for your Father."
00:25:21.55\00:25:24.45
Verse 14 talks
about God as Father.
00:25:24.45\00:25:27.82
And then finally, "Be sure
to choose a powerful Mentor"--
00:25:27.82\00:25:31.53
capital "M"--
00:25:31.53\00:25:33.26
"who will provide you
with everything you need."
00:25:33.26\00:25:36.26
And there's where we
come to that prayer request
00:25:36.26\00:25:38.60
where he prays that all
of these grand blessings
00:25:38.60\00:25:40.70
will be provided by
God to these disciples.
00:25:40.70\00:25:44.01
Choose a Mentor, capital "M,"
00:25:44.01\00:25:46.31
"who [can] provide you
with everything you need."
00:25:46.31\00:25:48.08
>>So this is great
advice from a mentor,
00:25:48.08\00:25:51.75
lowercase "M"-- >>Yes.
00:25:51.75\00:25:53.45
>>...about taking up a
better Mentor, capital "M."
00:25:53.45\00:25:57.52
>>He wants to pass us
off to the real Mentor.
00:25:57.52\00:25:59.79
>>He really does. And
that's kind of interesting
00:25:59.79\00:26:02.16
because when you look at
verse number 8 in this chapter,
00:26:02.16\00:26:05.99
Paul says, "To me,
who am less than the least
00:26:05.99\00:26:09.63
of all the saints."
00:26:09.63\00:26:11.87
So here he is, we think of
him as this great Christian,
00:26:11.87\00:26:15.84
and he calls himself
"less than the least."
00:26:15.84\00:26:19.31
It seems a little...odd.
00:26:19.31\00:26:22.11
>>It is a little odd.
But as you look at this,
00:26:22.11\00:26:25.48
throughout
Paul's correspondence,
00:26:26.58\00:26:28.12
there's a fascinating
progression that goes on here--
00:26:28.12\00:26:30.55
or maybe a
regression from one standpoint.
00:26:30.55\00:26:34.16
Galatians is one of
his earliest letters,
00:26:34.16\00:26:36.49
some think
probably the earliest.
00:26:36.49\00:26:39.13
He starts out
there, "Paul, an apostle,
00:26:39.13\00:26:41.33
appointed by God
through Jesus Christ."
00:26:41.33\00:26:44.27
"I'm an apostle," you know,
00:26:44.27\00:26:46.10
and he certainly was
and certainly has a right
00:26:46.10\00:26:48.54
to lay claim to
that, now, doesn't he?
00:26:48.54\00:26:50.97
But then, later he
introduces himself,
00:26:50.97\00:26:54.28
1 Corinthians 15, verse 9,
as "the least of the apostles"
00:26:54.28\00:26:58.15
and "[not even worthy]
to be called an apostle."
00:26:58.15\00:27:01.15
What's happening to him, Eric?
00:27:01.15\00:27:02.72
What's happening to
him as we move along?
00:27:02.72\00:27:05.62
Here in Ephesians, we
see that he describes himself
00:27:05.62\00:27:08.26
as the very "least
of all the saints,"
00:27:08.26\00:27:10.96
not the officials of the
church, but least of the saints.
00:27:10.96\00:27:15.00
And finally, in 1
Timothy 1, verse 15,
00:27:15.00\00:27:17.73
he describes himself as the
"chief"--or worst--"of sinners."
00:27:17.73\00:27:22.37
And it seems to be
that the closer and closer
00:27:23.47\00:27:26.11
we get to Jesus, the less
we will think of ourselves
00:27:26.11\00:27:30.65
and the more we
will value His grace,
00:27:30.65\00:27:34.02
His acceptance of
us, His love for us,
00:27:34.02\00:27:36.55
just as we are, warts and all.
00:27:36.55\00:27:38.99
>>I think that's encouraging,
00:27:38.99\00:27:40.39
and hopefully that's
encouraging to you as well.
00:27:40.39\00:27:43.16
If you've ever felt like
you fall short just a little bit
00:27:43.16\00:27:46.96
or like you fall short a
whole lot, there's hope for you.
00:27:46.96\00:27:51.47
Paul recognized that
Jesus was his hope as well.
00:27:51.47\00:27:56.54
We're looking forward to
seeing you again next week
00:27:57.91\00:27:59.34
as we continue our study
through the book of Ephesians.
00:27:59.34\00:28:03.38
We're learning some
beautiful insights into Paul
00:28:03.38\00:28:06.21
and more, especially,
into the character of Christ.
00:28:06.21\00:28:09.52
We look forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:28:09.52\00:28:11.92
God bless you.
00:28:11.92\00:28:13.39
(uplifting theme music swells)
00:28:13.39\00:28:15.76
(music ends)
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