welcome to another of our Sabbath School
series on the book of Ephesians lesson
number six The Mystery of the Gospel the
memory text this week in Ephesians
chapter 3 is I think one of the most
powerful texts in the New Testament
let's look at it Ephesians 3 and I'd
like to start there with verse 14. and
we'll read verse 14 to 21. for this
reason I I bow my knees to the father of
our Lord Jesus Christ from whom the
whole family in Heaven and Earth is
named
you remember we have been studying about
the fact that through Jesus Christ the
wall between the Jew and Gentile is
broken down
the wall between all of us is broken
down the wall between ethnic groups and
various cultures is demolished in Christ
that's why Paul can write that in Christ
We Are One family the whole family in
Heaven and Earth is number 16 that he
would Grant you according to the riches
of his glory to be strengthened with
might through his spirit
and the inner man this is part of the
mystery of the Gospel isn't it that we
can be strengthened through the might of
Jesus Christ that there's something
stronger than our propensities toward
evil there's something stronger than our
passions than our inclinations than our
Temptations and that is the power of the
living Christ that he may dwell in your
hearts through faith that you being
rooted and grounded in love may be able
to comprehend with all the saints what
is the width the length and the depth
and the height
we're going to be studying about that in
the lesson this week lesson six to know
what's the love of of Christ which
passes knowledge that you may be filled
with all the fullness of God it seems
almost incomprehensible
that God would take a fallen human being
whose nature is contrary to God who's
lived a life of rebellion and fill us
with all the fullness of God then verse
20 and 21 now to him
to who to him to Christ who is able what
is he able to do he is able you know
that song He's Able He's Able he's able
to do exceedingly abundantly above all
we ask or think according to the power
that works in us he's not only able to
do what we ask or think he's able to do
above all we ask or think he's not only
able to do above all we ask or think but
he's he's able to do abundantly above
all we ask or think he's not only able
to do abundantly above all we ask or
think but he's able to do exceedingly
abundantly above all we ask or think
how how can he do this through the power
that works in us to him be glory in the
church by Jesus Christ throughout all
ages World Without End Amen this is an
incredibly
inspiring lesson
that reveals that God through Christ is
able to do exceedingly abundantly above
all we ask or think
now in Sunday's lesson we talk about
Paul the imprisoned Apostle to the
Gentiles
and in Ephesians chapter 3 there are
really two major themes first that Paul
is called by God to preach and he has a
passion to preach or share the gospel
he may be a prisoner but he's called by
God and God is a Divine Purpose for his
life and second major theme in in
Ephesians chapter 3 is Christ's power to
radically change our lives we read about
that in Ephesians 3 verse 20 and 21 that
he's able to do exceedingly abundantly
above what we ask or think now in the
second paragraph
of Sunday's lesson it says Paul
identifies himself as the prisoner of
Jesus Christ
now this is his way of arguing that
though he may reside in prison and in a
Roman captivity and appear to be unto
the authority of the Roman Empire he has
a deeper Divine Purpose being worked out
in his life and that purpose is to share
Jesus even in a Roman prison he's not
the prisoner of Rome but he's the
prisoner of Jesus Christ now if you're
in prison in the first century it's you
don't get meals of your choice served in
there you don't have a TV to watch in
there there's not some comfortable bed
it is a dark damp dingy dungeon cold
shivering food is not provided generally
sometimes they provide just enough food
to keep you alive but you have to depend
on friends to keep you alive with your
clothing with your food bring in
blankets to keep the chill of the night
air off you Roman prisons were not
designed for people to live there for a
long time you don't have this idea of
five years in prison seven years in
prison life imprisonment Roman prisons
you were there until you were tried and
that the trial you were either
flagellated you could be executed there
might be if you paid a fine so they
could be a very of a punishment so Paul
shouts of the Triumph of Christ the
victory of Christ that although he's in
prison the gospel still reveals Jesus
love Grace in power
Monday's lesson July 31
the long hidden Mystery of the Gospel
what's the mystery that's been entrusted
to Paul you find it in Ephesians chapter
3 1-6 what indeed is this mystery of the
Gospel why is the Gospel called a
mystery we get help here in Ephesians 3
it says for this reason I Paul the
prisoner of Jesus Christ for you
Gentiles if indeed you have heard of the
dispensation of the grace of God which
is given to me for you how that by
Revelation he made known to me the
mystery and what is the mystery the
mystery is that through Jesus Christ and
through the gospel all human beings can
be brought together it is the mystery
that's been hidden Through the Ages that
Christ reconciles us to himself
vertically and reconciles us to others
horizontally The Mystery of the Gospel
is the mystery of the good news that
through Jesus by Jesus because of Jesus
we can be saved in his kingdom and and
we can have reconciliation with others
we can forgive others as it says in
Ephesians 4 32 so clearly it says that
we are able to forgive others because we
ourselves are forgiven by Christ as we
continue here notice how clearly it puts
it
it says
how that by Revelation verse 3 of
Ephesians 3 he made known to me the
mystery as I wrote before in a few words
by which you read you may understand my
not my knowledge in the mystery of
Christ
who in ages was not made known to the
sons of men as it has now been revealed
by the spirit To His Holy Apostles and
Prophets that the Gentiles should be
fellow Heirs of the same body and
partakers of his promise in Christ
through the gospel
so what is Paul describing here as this
mystery the mystery is that not only
does God have the Jews as a chosen
Nation but through Christ the Gentiles
have been brought into the family that's
a Divine mystery it's a mystery that the
gospel goes to all men and women that
charm by his love and Redeemed by his
grace we are part of the same family we
go to Tuesday's lesson the revealer of
God's wisdom what does Paul say about
God and the actions of God in Ephesians
3 7 to 13. he says basically three
things first that God has commissioned
him to preach the gospel that the gospel
is not something merely that Paul has
chosen to preach it's something it's a
burden that's laid on him by Christ he's
been chosen commissioned by Christ he
has Divine Authority from Christ second
he points out that God has created this
world and everything in it and that as
Creator God he is worthy of our worship
and thirdly that God's wisdom is made
known through the unsearchable riches of
Christ in other words
Paul's called to preach Christ created
us Ephesians 3 9 all things were created
by Christ and Christ has redeemed us he
is worthy of our worship because he's
our creator and he is Our Redeemer the
closer we draw to Jesus and the more we
see the magnificence of his love and the
greatness of his power the more we're
going to feel little more going to feel
unworthy we see God as our creator he
spoke and worlds came into existence he
spoke in Sun Moon and Stars appeared he
spoke and Earth was created was carpeted
with living green he spoke and flowers
appeared and fish in the sea and he
spoke and you have the animals he God
spoken all of that took place he is the
all-powerful Creator and when you think
of the god that created the sun Moons
and stars through Christ you feel pretty
small don't you
then when you think of Jesus in his
perfect life
his compassion his unbridled love is
unfathomable of his infinite love when
you think of his patience when you think
of his kindness when you think of all
that and you think of how far you fall
short you feel pretty pretty small don't
you but Ellen White puts it this way and
steps to Christ pages 64.
the closer you come to Jesus the more
faulty you will appear in your own eyes
for your vision will be clearer your
imperfections will be seen in the broad
and distinct contrast to his perfect
nature I know in my life I feel that way
at times the closer I draw to Jesus the
more I see his righteousness his
goodness his Perfection the more I see
the imperfections of my own character
and the closer you draw to Christ this
why is this so because the closer you
draw to Christ and the more you see your
imperfections the more you will be
driven to trust his Perfection the more
you see his uh your unrighteousness the
more you'll be drawn to his
righteousness
in Wednesday's lesson
Dr John McVeigh talks about Christ
dwelling in our heart
he asks us to compare Paul's earlier
prayer request in Ephesians 1 verse 16
to 19 with his plea for believers in
Ephesians 3 14-19 now if you look at
those passages together you're going to
notice a common theme
first Ephesians chapter 1 verse 16 to
19.
it says do not cease to give Paul's
praying he says I don't give cease to
give thanks for you I pray I'm praying
for you I mention you in my prayers and
he says in verse 17 that he's praying
that we'll receive wisdom and Revelation
from God
it says in verse 18 that he prays that
the eyes of our understanding might be
open that we might know the hope of his
calling you can see why Paul would pray
this at a time of praying writing to F
Ephesians because the church at Ephesus
Faith was part of a pagan immoral
culture the church at Ephesus lived
in a city that worshiped Diana or
Artemis pagan gods thousands of immoral
Pagan priestesses would flock the
streets of the city at night you had
commercialism and materialism and what
we would call secularism or godlessness
so Paul says I'm praying for the Church
of the Ephesus that you never lose sight
of your calling that you realize that
your sons and daughters of God that you
have a destiny in Christ then
it says
I want you to know I'm praying that
you'll know the exceeding greatness of
Christ's power toward us who believe
according to the working of his mighty
power Paul is leading them from what is
around them the culture so that the
culture doesn't squeeze them into its
mold so that they are not transformed by
the culture but they transform the
culture around them Paul is praying here
for them that they experience the mighty
power of God if you compare that to
Ephesians 3 verse 14 to 19 you have
something very very similar because here
Paul again talks about the mighty power
of God he says in verse 16.
that Christ would Grant you according to
the riches of his glory to be
strengthened with might through his
spirit in the Inner Man
so here Paul recognizes that
Christianity is not gritting your teeth
and bearing it it's not clenching your
fists and saying I will overcome this
temptation if it kills me
but when we come to Christ there is
Supernatural power that flows through
our lives when we come to Christ the
Holy Spirit strengthens us in the Inner
Man the inner woman to face the
challenges
of life
to face the Temptations of life to
overcome our inherited and cultivated
Tendencies towards sin so here in
Ephesians chapter 3 we find the secret
weapon of victory not in our strength
but in his not in our power but in his
we are strengthened by might into the
Inner Man
um here in the lesson the second
paragraph down it says Ponder this
thought your family despite its
imperfections and failures belongs to
God your family is not in the cruel grip
of Fate but in God's Caring Hands God
loves imperfect families they bear the
Divine name they carry the mark of his
ownership in Ephesians 3 16-19 Paul
asked God to Grant believers an abundant
spiritual experience marked by the Inner
Strength through the through the
spirit's presence intimacy with Christ
who is also portrayed as dwelling within
and a settled secure spiritual identity
Paul talks about remember the breath
length height and depth what's he
talking about the breath of God's love
it's so wide it brings in all of us the
depth of God's love it plunges into the
deepest part of our beings and changes
us
the length of God's love us it can take
us from here to heaven the height of
God's love God's ideal for his children
is more perfect and greater than we can
ever imagine you remember what it says
in the book of Isaiah 55 it says there
my thoughts are not your thoughts nor my
ways your ways says God in other words
what's the height of God's love it is
the height of his ideal for us God has
an ideal the breath of God's love it's
so broad it reaches all of us the length
of God's love it takes us From Here to
Eternity the height of God's love his
ideal is greater than we can ever
imagine the depth of God's love
he plunges his love punches into the
depths of our life and heals us brings
healing to us in the innermost recesses
of our being
Thursday's lesson
talks about the fact that
um
Jesus Christ our Lord and savior
is indeed
the one who has come to transform Our
Lives the one who has come to make us
over again and to renew us in Christ
let's look at Thursday's lesson glory in
the church and in Christ Jesus
Paul concludes Ephesians 3 with this
doxology remember we've read it earlier
now to him who is what was able to do
exceedingly abundantly above all we ask
or think according to the power that
works in US
keep in mind that he is able he's able
to do in your life more than you can
possibly imagine the one that began a
good work in you will finish it he is
the author and finisher of our faith
he's able to do in your church your
church with all its imperfections your
church with all its conflicts your
church
with uh all of its laodiceine
complacency he's able to do in your
church above what you could ask or think
if you have a vibrant church that is
growing rapidly in Christ God wants to
do something more if you have a
missionary-minded church that is
reaching out to the community God wants
to do something even more with it if you
have a church that is Unified God wants
to even bring you closer in Fellowship
to one another but if you have a church
that's laid a sea in complacent a church
that is arguing with Strife God wants to
bring that church together you say is is
that possible listen
Paul says
as he quotes
Ephesians chapter 3 that God can do
exceedingly above our our author says in
reminding us of Paul's words this is so
true
that God can bring us together in unity
that he imagined Believers being filled
with the fullness of God he celebrates
these spiritual realities and praise
again marveling at the abundance of
God's power on offer to the Saints to
bring them together
in unity the imprisoned Apostle raises
our vision to the Grand Horizon of God's
purposes and Grace reminding us that
whatever our current circumstances we
are participants in God's ultimate plan
and his power is at work in us God can
bring us in unity with himself and he
can bring us in unity in our church why
because of his strength his power his
inner working of his Spirit may it be so
in our lives let's pray Father in Heaven
thank you for your spirit thank you for
your power thank you that we can be
strengthened in Christ Moment by moment
day by day and transformed by his grace
and brought together in unity with our
brothers and sisters in Jesus name amen