This week we are focusing on Ephesians 3:1-13, the text that Pastor Rob Rienow will teach from on Sunday, November 14.

¹For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-

 ²Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, ³that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. ⁴In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. ⁶This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

 ⁷I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. ⁸Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, ¹¹according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. ¹³I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

If Ephesians 1 and 2 can be characterized as Paul's concise theology of God's amazing grace, then the text we're focusing on this week could be said to cover that same theme, but from a more personal perspective.

Paul really had a handle on his own need for God's grace-based gift of salvation. For him, these truths were life-transforming: Jesus Christ literally changed everything for Paul, as Saul the persecuterof Christians became Paul the Jewish missionary to the Gentiles.

Of course, from the world's perspective, those changes would have appeared to be far from positive as the number one enforcer for the powerful religious leaders of his day quickly became public enemy number one. Why the switch? The very doctrines of Ephesians that we have been studying.

The religious authorities Paul once served vehemently rejected the truth that all human beings-definitely not themselves-were dead in sin and desperately in need of redemption in Christ. They were horrified by Paul's teachings that Jews and Gentiles could be made one in Christ, united in their equal standing before God-and that in Christ, Gentiles were now included as members of God's own household and heirs together in Christ (v. 6) to the promise-the eternal blessings promised to God's children.

For Paul, teaching these truths came with a significant cost, but to him, these were truths worth being imprisoned for and even worth dying for. So, though it meant the end of Paul's freedom and safety, here in chapter 3, he boldly proclaims the grace God extends to the Gentiles (v. 2), the joining of Jews and Gentiles as heirs together of the promise in Christ Jesus, and members of one body (v. 6), and his desire to make plain to all the mystery of God's plan to bring Jews and Gentiles to Himself in Christ.   

Father,

Through Your Spirit, open the eyes of my heart to the truth of these verses this week. Use the reality of Paul's life, his transformation, and his faith to recalibrate my goals, what matters to me, and how I spend my time, my talent, and my treasure.

Pastor Rob Rienow will teach from Ephesians 3:1-13 on Sunday, November 14.

¹For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-

 ²Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, ³that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. ⁴In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. ⁶This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

 ⁷I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. ⁸Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, ¹¹according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. ¹³I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

More than any other section of his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul injects his own story these verses.

He begins with a reminder that he is a prisoner, not of the Romans who kept him in chains or of the Jewish leaders whose offense at his teachings resulted in harassment and imprisonment, but he is, he writes, "a prisoner of Jesus Christ."

Paul lived a dual reality-under arrest as a prisoner of Rome, but more significantly, a prisoner of Jesus Christ. His perspective made all the difference. His confidence in the One he served transformed his miserable circumstance into a position of honor and purpose.

Many of us might remember that Pastor Rob described his first wife Carol's battle with cancer as their "assignment" from God. Paul saw his imprisonment as a assignment for Jesus.

Are there difficult circumstances in your life that might be an assignment from God? Circumstances that can either be seen as a burden or an opportunity? A personal struggle God could use as a point of connection with others who share that same difficulty? A situation you can't handle that, when seen with an eternal perspective, becomes a reality that drives you to place your total confidence in the loving and sovereign God?

Father,

What a difference it would make for me to see my life as You see it-in an eternal perspective, with eternal priorities, and eternal values. I can't do that on my own, or even fully comprehend what that would mean. So I ask You, through Your Spirit, to show me how You can use my relationships, my circumstances, and my life in Your eternal plan.

This is the text that Pastor Rob Rienow will teach from on Sunday, November 14.

¹For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-

 ²Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, ³that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. ⁴In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. ⁶This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

 ⁷I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. ⁸Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, ¹¹according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. ¹³I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

On first reading, it seem a little like Paul might be boasting a bit in verses 2-7, like maybe he's a little too convinced of his own importance. In reality, what we might read as boasting is actually a reflection of Paul's God-inspired confidence concerning his assigned role in communicating God's big plan for redeeming the world through Jesus Christ.

We get a good idea of the source of Paul's confidence in Acts 9 where we read the story of his encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, and a visit that followed shortly after from a Christ-follower-albeit a somewhat timid one-named Ananias. In a vision, God told Ananias where Saul/Paul was staying, and instructed him to place his hands on Paul, then named Saul, and restore his sight.

Ananias knew well who this man was, and was more than a little reluctant to get involved until God gave Ananias a sense of the importance of this encounter, "Go!," the Lord told him. "This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel."

It's likely that Ananias passed that message on to Paul, and certainly God spoke to Paul directly. However he heard it, Paul clearly heard and accepted God's assignment as his marching orders for the rest of his life.

So was Paul boastful? No. He was confident of his assignment, purposeful in his daily walk, and obedient to his Master.

Father,

You were so real to Paul. He knew what You called him to do and he did it. Use the truth of Your Word and the urgings of Your Spirit to show me the work You have for me to do and how I can serve You today. Give me ears to hear and a heart that is willing to obey.

This is the text that Pastor Rob Rienow will teach from on Sunday, November 14.

¹For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-

 ²Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, ³that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. ⁴In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. ⁶This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

 ⁷I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. ⁸Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, ¹¹according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. ¹³I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

As we discussed yesterday, a casual reading of the first half of this week's text could give the mistaken impression (see Wednesday's devotional) that Paul was somewhat boastful-portraying himself as someone special-the recipient of direct revelation from God and "insight into the mystery of Christ."

That same casual reader might wonder about what Paul writes in verses 8, where he humbly identifies himself as "less than the least of all God's people."  Did Paul have a confused view of himself? No.

The truth is that Paul was both confident of his God-assigned role in taking the Good News about Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, but at the same time he was very aware of his own need for God's grace-that it was only because of God's gift of grace and "through the working of his power" (v. 7) that Paul-who identified himself as "the worst of sinners" (I Tim. 1:15)-was made alive in Christ.

The same grace that saved Paul also gave him the privilege and the ability to preach(v. 8) and to make plain to everyone (v. 9) the truth that was formerly hidden of the spiritual blessings that can be found only in relationship with Jesus Christ.

It wasn't a lack of confidence Paul expresses in verses 7 and 8, but a total confidence in the Source of his power to tell of the unspeakable riches that can be found in Christ alone.

Father,

Let me speak and reach out to others in Your Name and in Your power. Let me know the confidence that Paul experienced as he fulfilled his mission. Help me to experience what it means to do Your work in Your power as I move through this day and the days ahead.

Amen 

This is the text that Pastor Rob Rienow will teach from on Sunday, November 14. Today we'll look at these verses in the New Living Translation.

 ¹When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . . . ²assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. ³As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. ⁴As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. ⁵God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.

 ⁶And this is God's plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God's children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. ⁷By God's grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.

 ⁸Though I am the least deserving of all God's people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. ⁹I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

 ¹⁰God's purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

 ¹²Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence. ¹³So please don't lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored.

"God's purpose in all this was to use the church," Paul writes in verse 10. It couldn't be any clearer that God has big plans for the Church-plans conceived in eternity past that will continue to play out in eternity future!

The church, the body of Christ is central! With all its failures and shortcomings, the church is to carry the message of redemption to a lost and dying world. These transformed people-the Church-serve as the flesh and blood example of the goodness of God. Ephesians 2:7 tells us that we, the church/the temple/the family of God have been raised up ^"in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus."

That reality is underscored in Revelation 2 and 3, where warnings to seven distinct churches, including the church at Ephesus, issue a call to obedience and faithfulness. Why does it matter that these churches have fallen down on the job? Because now and for eternity, the Church is God's kingdom on display, and where all in Heaven and on earth can witness His mercy, His grace, and His kindness embodied in the lives of His beloved children.

Father,

I can hardly comprehend the reality that You have given me a role in You eternal plan! Forgive me for settling for less than all You have for me to be and to do. Grow my understanding of what it means to be a flesh and blood display of Your wisdom and your grace. Grow my love for Your people, and give me opportunity to put that love into action.