The appointed reading this morning is Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesian Church, Chapter 1 v 3 to 14.

 In every bible study there are three stages; first you hear or read the passage; then find out what it means; then thirdly consider how relevant it is to us and the Church in the present day.

 You have heard the passage read, so let us try to see what Paul was meaning.

 He is in a Roman prison awaiting trial by the Emperor Nero, and is writing to the Ephesian Church describing himself as a servant of Christ, and sees himself as a prisoner for Christ. He is in prison because he preached to the Gentiles so upsetting the Jews, who had forced the Roman authorities to act against him.

 God had originally chosen the Jews to be the people to whom He sent Jesus to offer salvation, but when they rejected Jesus, God chose Paul to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.   The love, mercy and grace of God was now being extended to all mankind. The gospel is for all people, regardless of colour, race or gender.

 Paul was proud of the fact that when Christ called him on the Damascus Road he had the revelation that God was going to send him to the Gentiles, giving him the special task of taking the gospel to the non Jews, and it had been revealed to him by God, of the secret plan to reconcile the Jews and non Jews who had hatred between them. Now both would receive all the blessings meant for the Jews alone, and Paul saw himself, having been given the special privilege of discovering the secret of God’s grace.

 He points out that previously God never disclosed His intentions, but on this occasion God had told  him of the plan to bring the non Jews to share with the Jews all the rich blessings inherited by those who follow Jesus, and which would be given to all who accepted what Christ had done for them on the Cross.  In addition God had given to Paul the privilege of telling everyone, and endowed him with special ability to do so.

 He admits he had done nothing to deserve this and had been totally unworthy as he did not claim to be much of a Christian, knowing personally of the way he had persecuted non Jews previously before his Damascus Road conversion. He was now able to tell all people of the endless treasures they could have if they turned to see Jesus as their Saviour, which God had planned from the very beginning through Jesus Christ as Lord.  Now all the angels in heaven could rejoice that Jews and non Jews alike, could share the inheritance.

 We now have to consider how it relates to us and the Church in the present times.

 This passage ought to be a lesson to those Church leaders in the West who adopt anti-Israel views and express criticism unjustly in any situation, and have unwisely endorsed a boycott of Israel made goods, when in fact they provided employment for non Jewish citizens. The United States Churches have on the other hand have recognised we Christians and Jews worship the same God, and are part of an ancient Judea-Christian tradition.

 Paul was an example to all who are allowed to preach for Christ, he always remembered and acknowledged he had been favoured and never claimed credit or showed pride.  He never expected others to look at him or seek praise, and was someone quite a few people I have met could learn from.  He was never ashamed of the gospel, and suffered mightily for preaching it without spirit of timidity, and never ever failed to acknowledge the gospel’s authority as the Word of God, or support any behaviour or action contrary to God’s commands.

 Paul understood the grace of God meant it would enable us to face up to any situation in life. He constantly told that in Jesus we have free approach to God as a child to a father; we can turn to God as our heavenly Father, this only through Jesus Christ who had been deemed the only one to give us way to God.  He now had the authority to be known as an Apostle along with those previously chosen.

 The times of Paul were as decadent and immoral as those we now face, bible literacy at an all time low, whilst immorality has reached new heights; it may reasonably be said that one is consequent on the other.  Despite the evil they faced Paul and the Apostles were following the command of Jesus to make disciples and teach all that He had commanded, and they had much success.  

They taught that the Bible had the authority and completeness for all things in life; they told of the need for us to be in a proper relationship with God, which was only possible because of the death of Jesus on the Cross so that all who put their faith and trust in Jesus and accepted Him as Saviour, would be seen as righteous by God, and the gospel spread quickly without any of the wonderful technological aids we enjoy.  Over the years men added unnecessary and false doctrines which changed the message.

 There are various ways we come to know Jesus; through a friend telling us; through a poster carrying a message; but primarily through hearing a preacher. Paul was intent that people could only hear and believe if someone told them, and this was the appointed task and duty of the preacher.

 We yearly celebrate the Protestant Reformation, perhaps more in the United States than in this country, which motivated Luther to write his theses, one of which states ‘the true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God.’  This is the message the Church should now be preaching, but instead too many are more concerned with following an equality agenda which is obsessing the country. Luther’s stance was that any issue which tended to overshadow the gospel must be ignored and abandoned.  He recalled the Church to follow the gospel.

 Figures have just been released for Church attendance and are frightening; it looks as is the Church is falling apart.  We desperately need to recall the Church back to the gospel as we see it flagrantly abandoning the teaching our Lord gave.  Until we get back to the teaching of the Apostles there will be little improvement.

 We have just found the Methodist Church, that which was founded to take a more biblical message to the world which the established Church was failing to do; and despite being led by John and Charles Wesley, two of the great names of the Church in this country; has now abandoned their heritage, to adopt a doctrine   contrary to God’s Word and plan. 

 We have services of baptism in which we encourage people to make false promises; we tell that ways of living which are expressly deemed wrong in Scripture are perfectly acceptable; we hold funeral services which we infer heaven is open to all, irrespective of their lack of belief in Jesus as the only way to God.

We have largely replaced God’s law to placate and win favour from the State and its people.  Consequently fidelity to Scripture is avoided because preachers are ashamed to preach the Bible.   

 

We live in a very aggressive secular society, one in which there are numerous minority groups who expect and demand consideration above their proportion.  If we are to face the challenges of the day, we have to be people of the Bible, which is why sound doctrine has to be given. 

 The Bible should be the basis for ALL our preaching, it is the foundation of all truth.  We cannot just pick and choose which parts we want, and cast out those which are not popular with society. We should all be preaching on the same lines.  We have to also accept that the Church exists primarily for one purpose, to proclaim the Christian gospel.  All other activities are subsidiary.

 People have a right to expect a positive message when they attend Church, a biblical message.  This is why Billy Graham became the most successful preacher of all time. His preaching was uncompromisingly based on the Bible, and people flocked in their tens of thousands to hear him, and they respected him for his directness

 

It is good and helpful to have involvement in social activities, but the primary means of bringing people to Christ is through the preaching of the gospel. If we restrict that then we have no claim to be here; people can get social amenities from many sources, they can only get the gospel from the Church.

 

The Bible states the gospel is the power of God leading to salvation for all who believe.  This means more than just believing there is a God, the devil accepts that.  It is not enough to just hear and say you believe, it demands a response.  God wants all people to turn to Him.

Paul is telling of the new unity which Christ brings and he speaks of Jews and Gentiles being together.  The Jews had been given a plan by God, they were the first to believe in and to expect, the coming of Jesus.

 

All through their history the Jews hoped for, and dreamed of, the Messiah. They were to be the nation from who God’s chosen on should come from. .Each nation has its place in God’s scheme of things. The Jews taught religion and prepared to receive the Messiah.  But God had plans for other nations to receive the message when Jesus came into the world. The Jews had the privilege of being the first nation to await the coming of the Anointed One.

 

The Gentiles received the Word from Christian preachers. It was the word of truth about God and the world they lived in, and it was good news.  It was the message of the love and grace of God, and they were sealed by the Holy Spirit to indicate it was from God

 

Paul then tells the Holy Spirit is a foretaste in this world of what we may expect in the heavenly place. We are given the guarantee that one day we will enter into the full possession of the blessings of G.  Here is the great truth of Christian peace and joy of what we shall one day enter.  God will give us all.

 

In conclusion, never be ashamed of the gospel. When Paul wrote to Timothy he told him not to have a spirit of timidity, but be ready to preach the word that God saved us by His grace which He has given us through Christ Jesus.

 

Let us Christians be as proud of our faith as other faiths are of theirs, remembering there is salvation in no one else than Jesus, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we can be saved.