Reading from Ephesians 1 :15 – 23
By Pastor Ken Armstrong
The Chinese had a plan. I guess no one can say for sure when it was formed but at some point people sat down and said to themselves: Lets bring the Olympic Games to Beijing and use them to showcase the might and skill of the Chinese Communist system. And so for 2 weeks the world looked on in wonder at the fantastic stadiums and the efficient organisation and of course the breathtaking opening and closing ceremonies that left no one in any doubt what this was all about. Here are our achievements, this is who we are.
I mention these things because Ephesians 1 is about Gods plan, it’s the story of Gods plan to show case his glory. (v6, v12,v14)
Glory here stands for Gods reality, his essence, what he is really like.
I guess if the business of disclosing Gods glory had been left to us we would have chosen the Beijing Olympic route, except on a larger scale. Its called the Psalm 19 route.
The heavens declare the glory of God. The sun and the stars and the planets are day after day pouring out information about how great and wonderful God is. But it doesn’t do the business. It wouldn’t matter today if the sun was blazing in the sky and the birds were singing and the flowers blooming – the footballers would still be playing and the shoppers would still be shopping and the car washers would still be car washing.
God has a better idea.
Paul refers to (11) the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.
There is a divine plan and life, the universe, everything is being organised to bring this plan about. So what is the plan?
V12 – that we might be for the praise of his glory.
Or to be more precise – the plan is called the church.
If you look at the section for today you will see that it begins and ends by referring to the church. (v15,23)
What a surprise that is.
1. God would have us grasp the church’s great need.
If we are to be the means through which God gets glory for himself what will need to happen?
Ephasus is a good church. V15,16
And yet Paul prays for them pretty urgently both here and in chapter 3
What that tells you is being church is not easy.
Its not difficult to turn up to a meeting once a week.
Its not difficult to sing some songs and listen to a talk
But being an attractional church that reflects the glory of God that is something else. But that is the plan.
1. Our problem is not practical but theological.
V17
If we are to reflect Gods glory we must first glimpse it.
This verse refers to each member of the Trinity: it refers to the glorious Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.
There is nothing solitary about the God of the bible. He exists in relationship, the loving, harmonious relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The three are one living in perfect unity.
This letter is directed to people who previously would have been characterised by their nationality. They were marked off from one another by the fact that some were Jews and others were Gentiles. There was no shortage of baggage that dictated they feel hurt or abused or superior etc. Economically and socially they belonged to different strata’s of society. But now that is not the most important thing about them – now they are ‘in Christ’. Attractional church is made up of people who have every reason to stand apart from one another choosing instead to live in line with the God who has saved them.
Back to China for a second. There were gaps in the history lesson. Mao and his murderous regime wasn’t mentioned. No one dared refer to Tibet and the poor were kept well out the road. Gods glory is seen in people that previously would have hated each other learning to love and care for one another.
The focus of this verse is on the Father – and his glory.
He is referred to as the God of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And that is because its through the Son that we see the Fathers glory.
Its through the Sons submission that we see his Fathers glorious trustworthiness and reliability.
Jesus goes to the cross willingly
He tells us that he does so because he loves the Father.
The world must learn that I love the Father and I do exactly what my father has commanded me.
The overwhelming impression is – this must be one wonderful father if you are ready to willingly and lovingly engage in this kind of service for him.
The church’s problem will not be solved by us trying to be a little nicer to one another. It will only be solved when we persevere with this prayer and God starts to answer it.
2. God would help us grasp the church’s destiny.
V18
I guess if you were the Queen and some impressive royal visitor arrives you might be tempted to take them down to Oxford Circus with its wall to wall people and say: These are all my subjects. But more likely you are going to take them to the Tower of London with its dazzling display of jewels. “But these are my treasures.”
But listen to God speak in Exodus: Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all the nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine you will be for me a kingdom of priests ….
God doesn’t take his visitor to the tower to see his treasure, he points to the church.
He is praying that these people would know : the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.
He prays that the eyes of their hearts would be enlightened to this fact.
This is not something that will be visible to sight.
When you listen to the news, when you consider how things are going in the church or even in your life – we are not going to seem like Gods most precious possession. We don’t look that special to God
Go back to Malachi’s day and there you find people complaining about Gods failure. “Evildoers get away with it,” they say. It really doesn’t matter if your good or bad. God doesn’t care about justice. But not everyone talks like that – some feared the Lord and spoke with one another. And this is how the passage goes on.
They will be mine says the Lord in the day when I make up my treasured possession. And you will again see the distinction between those who serve God and those who do not.
It is the Son of God who gives us value in his Fathers eyes. He redeems us from the slave market. He renovates and refines our lives – that’s the picture in Malachi. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. How long will the refiner work on the metal – until he can see his face in it. What infinite pains Christ takes over the Fathers glorious inheritance, over you and me and the rest of his church.
By implication this is not pain free. Its not comfortable. It not unlike being around Jesus – not always easy to live with. Sometimes pretty brutal: Get behind me Satan…. He rebuked them and said “Let the little children come to me…” Peter do you truly love me…..
But there is criticism and criticism.
There is destructive criticism – its aimed to do damage
There is the kind of person who says: You’re just like your mother, always got to have the last word.
Or there is this: I didn’t find the way you finished that disagreement attractive. You can do better than that.
The second is criticism with hope.
Peter got it wrong on lots of occasions and Jesus was pretty straight with him. But all of it came under that opening encounter: You are Simon, you will be Peter. Jesus had hope, solid substantial hope for Peter. And he has for his church.
5:25-27
When we come to church and the word of God is tough we need to hear it in this context. We are Gods treasured possession, Christ’s bride who he is intent on beautifying.
3. The prayer asks that God would help us appreciate the Church’s resource.
V19 his incomparably great power for us who believe.
There is a strong emphasis in these verses on Gods choice, his election, his predestination of his people. But its not an end in itself.
God chose to bless Abram but that wasn’t the end –
He spoke of all people on earth being blessed through him.
Those verses in Exodus that speak of Israel as Gods treasured possession go on like this
Out of all the nations you will be my treasured possession.
Although the whole earth is mine you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
The church is intended to be a priestly community that channels Gods blessing to the world. You might be tempted to ask these days: who is in charge? Not the politicians or the bankers. WE might be fearful as to who really is in charge.
Paul points to Jesus far above all rule and authority, power and dominion. He informs us that God has placed all things under his feet.
We want to bless the world by revealing who is truly in charge.
The early church talked up the lordship of Jesus.
What must I do to be saved?
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
But it wasn’t just spoken off. It was modelled. They were like an army under one commander.
When the apostles are threatened and forbidden from speaking in Jesus name they reply – you can say what you like but we must obey God. We must defer to the wishes of the one who rules. That’s where everything is headed (23) the whole place is going to be full of the sovereign rule of Jesus.
Its not easy to be the church.
If we try to make it happen in our own strength we will simply settle for turning up to a meeting and reading our bible rather than fight the battle to love each other.
If we try to make it happen in our own strength will settle for our comfort zone rather than living for Christ in a hostile environment.
God has told us how precious his church is to him. How precious is it to you? There really is not any higher honour than belonging to the church of Jesus Christ.
But its not easy being the church. God has shared with us that there are great reservoirs of power available to the church through prayer. How committed are you to the prayer life of the church?
God has revealed to us that he has a great future for us his church. How concerned are we that others should share in that future?
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