Gods Technicolour Plan

So why are you here today?

Why are you here in church?

I wonder why you're not down at the movies.

I wonder why you're not at home winding down in front of the TV or sleeping in.

I wonder why you're not at a cafe having coffee, morning tea, brunch, whatever it is.

I wonder why you're not at the gym, why you're not walking the dog, visiting friends and family,

why you're not playing a board game.

I wonder why you're here.

Is it because there's nothing better to do?

Maybe that's it.

If there was something better to do or something more pressing, then in fact you wouldn't be here.

After all, it's only church, isn't it?

I wonder if you're comfortable with the way that those words connect together.

Only church.

I wonder if meeting as a church fits in around everything else that's going on and we fit it in when it's convenient.

And other things are not too pressing.

Maybe it's not an afterthought, but still you wouldn't make too much of a deal about church.

If you're comfortable with the words, it's only church.

And if you're comfortable not making too much of a deal about church,

then I want to invite you to look with me at Ephesians 3 and 4.

You'll notice that church is mentioned twice in chapter 3 as it was read out.

And I want you to notice the wording.

First of all, in verse 10 of chapter 3,

Manifold means literally multicolored.

It means multifaceted.

It's the same words that's used in the Old Testament for Joseph's fancy multicolored coat that stood out from everyone else's.

That is, the church is God's brightly colored neon sign to the universe.

The church is the public advertisement, the public display of the wisdom of God.

So it would seem strange to glibly refer to it as only church.

Secondly, notice in verses 20 and 21, Paul says,

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,

according to his power that is at work within us,

to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Follow the wording.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or even imagine,

according to his power that is at work within us,

to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.

See, when God gathers together his church,

it is a beacon of his glory to the universe.

Now while your experience of church might have been disappointment or something slightly boring

or relationships have been less than what could have been,

we are here today in this moment to catch a glimpse of God's intentions

and recommit ourselves to it this year.

And God's plan, his eternal plan,

if you want to know what the will of God is,

if you want to know what his will is, his plan is,

it is devastatingly simple and disarmingly beautiful.

And Paul's language here bubbles with greatness and beauty.

He refers to the unsearchable riches of Christ in verse 8.

The manifold wisdom of God in verse 10.

The glorious riches of the Father in verse 16.

And the love of God that surpasses knowledge in verse 19.

Wonderful rich language that all talk about the very same thing.

The eternal plan of God to bring a new society together under the lordship of Christ

from all kinds of people who are bound together in love.

That's his plan.

And in chapters 1 and 2 of Ephesians,

Paul says that the great inheritance,

the great promises of God,

that the people of Israel had,

the great hope of the coming king

that the Jews had held on for generations,

had finally arrived in the coming of the lord Jesus Christ.

And Jesus' death on the cross brought forgiveness of sins.

His resurrection and return to the father

brought the pouring out of the Holy Spirit.

But the big surprise in chapters 1 and 2

is that the Gentiles are sharing with it.

Jew and Gentile are being brought together

into one new humanity in the local church.

And that's exactly the idea

that Paul now continues in chapter 3.

And that's why he's praying

that the church,

and this church in Ephesus

and every church from there,

will be a beacon of unity and love.

Now, Ephesians 3

is one of those chapters

that's kind of messy

when you read through it.

And Paul picks up the thought

at the end of chapter 2,

which says,

you too are being built together

to become a dwelling

in which God lives by his spirit.

And he begins chapter 3

by sort of like,

I'm going to pray

that that is going to be true

for you, Ephesians.

So he starts in chapter 3,

verse 1,

for this reason,

I, Paul, the prisoner

of Christ Jesus,

for the sake of you Gentiles.

And then he stops.

He breaks his thought

and he goes on a detour

in verse 2.

And it's a detour

that lasts until verse 14,

when he comes back on track again,

where he says,

for this reason,

I knew before the Father.

And so you've got to kind of

hold his train of thought together

while you travel this detour

with Paul

in verses 2 to 13.

And he starts in chapter 3,

continuing the thought

of chapter 2,

but he sort of says,

he gets to verse 2

and goes,

just hang on a bit.

Let me just remind you

of the theory again.

Let me remind you

of God's plan.

Let me remind you

of why I'm here in prison

and why the Gentiles,

like you,

find yourselves

part of God's eternal family.

It's all because

of the mystery.

It's no longer a mystery.

It's because of the plan

that's finally come together.

And as you run down,

you get your eyes

and you run down

verses 2 to 13,

you'll see what Paul does

in those verses

is he makes the same point

again and again

and again and again.

And the point is this.

The plan that wasn't known

is now known.

It's now clear.

The mystery has been made known.

What's the mystery?

Verse 6.

This mystery

is that through the gospel,

the Gentiles are heirs together

with Israel,

members together

of one body

and share us together

in the promise

in Christ Jesus.

But that doesn't seem

particularly mysterious

at all

until we remember

that he's talking

about the crossing

of the biggest

ethnic dividing walls

that you could ever imagine.

Centuries

of hatred

and hostility

between these two groups.

people

are not

how do you cross

a dividing wall

like that?

Paul says

that's the mystery

and the mystery

is this.

No matter where

you come from,

no matter what

your colour is,

no matter what

your ethnic background,

no matter how long

you've been

in the family,

if you've put

your faith

in Jesus,

you're all part

of the same

body,

the same family.

the church

according to

verse 10

is meant to be

the display

of that

in full

technicolour.

And there's nothing

that Paul wants

more than to see

this Ephesian church

live out

that reality.

And he comes

back from his

detour

in verse 14.

And that

is the very

thing that he

has moved

to pray for.

And verse 14

to 21

is a long

and pretty

complex

thought.

But in the end

it breaks down

to a very

simple

prayer.

A prayer

to the

Father

that the

Ephesian church

might really

be a

diverse

and united

family.

And the

prayer that

boils down

to this

in verse

17,

so that

Christ might

dwell in

your hearts

through faith

and I pray

that you

being rooted

and established

in love.

Now remember

he's talking

about a church

made up of

Jewish Christians

and Gentile

Christians

and he prays

that Jesus

might so

fill their

hearts

that they

might treasure

Jesus

together

that they

will know

what true

love looks

like from

each other.

Paul says

in the middle

of verse 17

I'm praying

that you

being rooted

and established

in love

may have

power

you Gentiles

along with

the Jewish

saints

to comprehend

what is the

breadth

and the length

and the height

and the depth

of the love

of Christ

and to know

the love

of Christ

that goes

way beyond

all comprehension.

What he's saying

there

it doesn't

make sense.

The world

looks at it

it doesn't

make sense.

the love

of Christ

encompasses

all kinds

of people

and he

says

I'm praying

that you

will

together

both Jews

and Gentiles

will catch

on

to how

big

the love

of Jesus

is

and be

so filled

with the

fullness

of God

he prays

it

because

the church

is God's

great

advertising

campaign

to the

world

of his

glory

and yet

friends

ever since

this letter

is written

and when

it was

written

we forget

it

we still

are so

tribal

in our

thinking

we draw

lines

who sits

with who

and who

won't sit

with who

which family

which tribe

which generation

people who

have been

part of

the local

church

for 50

or 60

years

and those

who are

brand new

lines that

often won't

be crossed

and the

reason is

because

we have

not absorbed

how big

the love

of Christ

is for us

20 years

ago

some of you

will remember

that there

was a war

raging in

Kosovo

between the

Serbs

and ethnic

Albanians

it came

on the

back

of cultural

hatred

that ran

back a

thousand

years

and resulted

in terrible

crimes against

humanity

on both

sides

and there

were Christian

churches

sitting on

both sides

of that

conflict

and in

the middle

of the

conflict

one pastor

of an

Albanian

Baptist

church

in

Pristinia

crossed

over the

racial

divide

and preached

in a

Serbian

church

on the

other

side

of the

conflict

and against

the background

of all

the hatred

the pastor

of that

church

in Belgrade

invited him

to preach

in his

church

and took

him into

his home

and that

pastor

says

we don't

have

anything

in

common

except

for

Christ

but

that's

enough

that's

enough

that's

the point

of this

passage

if you

really

catch on

to the

breadth

and the

depth

and the

height

and the

width

of the

love

of

Christ

then

you've

started

down

the path

of loving

one

another

against

the

odds

against

the

generations

across

the

cultural

dividing

lines

in a

way

that

only

astounds

the

world

around

us

when

they

see

the

way

that

we

love

one

another

but

if you

see

Ephesians

3

the

spiritual

powers

as well

it's

enough

to make

the

angels

sing

and

rejoice

at

the

wisdom

of

God

and

the

demons

just

hang

their

heads

it's

like

the

angels

appearing

over

looking

at

the

local

church

going

that

is

amazing

God

you

thought

of

this

Paul

says

God's

intent

God's

design

God's

plan

verse

10

is

that

through

the

church

the

manifold

wisdom

of

God

might

be

made

known

to

the

rulers

and

the

authorities

of

the

heavenly

places

imagine

that

a

vision

for

St.

Paul's

for the

angels

to look

down

on

us

and

marvel

at

God's

eternal

purposes

being

worked

out

in

us

imagine

that

marveling

at the

love

that is

shown

in

small

ways

but a

thousand

ways

marveling

at the

work

of

Christ

as

the

boundaries

that

the

world

puts

up

are

torn

down

between

us

so

why

are you

here

today

nothing

better

to do

we're

part

of

God's

church

and

we're

here

to

display

his

glory

and

to

actively

love

one

another

we're

here

to

demonstrate

to

this

world

the

angels

in

the

heavenly

realms

the

wisdom

and

the

wonder

of

God's

plan

being

worked

out

in

the

Lord

Jesus

we're

here

to

reveal

to

the

world

that

alienation

and

self

centeredness

and

hatred

and

division

don't

have

the

final

word

we're

here

to

work

together

to

display

Christ's

love

in

real

ways

to

this

world

there's

work

to do

to make

the

reality

measure

up

to

that

but

there's

the

challenge

friends

be

here

the

starting

point

be

here

week

by

week

and be

part

of

it

look

for

ways

to

love

one

another

to

build

bridges

with

each

other

every

way

you

can

don't

wait

for

the

opportunity

for the

invitations

come

looking for

the

opportunities

keep

looking at

the love

of Jesus

as you

see it

at the

cross

and look

for ways

to imitate

his

sacrifice

and

there's

a great

reminder

at the

end

of

Paul's

prayer

that

the

potential

of the

church

to be

what it

should

be

goes

way

beyond

than

I

could

ever

strategize

or vision

for

or imagine

or dream

of

Paul

prays

in verse

20

now to

him

who is

able

to do

immeasurably

more

than we

could ever

ask him

to do

or even

imagine

that he

could do

according

to his

power that

is at work

within us

he prays

that God

will be

glorified

as people

see his

church

being

what his

church

is called

to be

God's

neon sign

of his

glory

to the

universe

now that

plan

in chapter

three

is what

lies behind

Paul's

call

for the

church

to

maintain

its

unity

in

chapter

four

notice

verse

three

of chapter

four

make

every

effort

to keep

the

unity

of the

spirit

through

the

bond

of

peace

there

is

one

body

and

one

spirit

just

as

you

were

called

to

one

hope

when

you

were

called

and one

Lord

and one

faith

and one

baptism

and one

God

and Father

of all

notice

that what

Paul

urges us

to do

in view

of the

unity

that we

have in

Jesus

he says

verse

three

make

every

effort

to keep

the unity

in other

words

we've got

to work

hard

at being

at peace

with one

another

and that's

going to

require

every

effort

it

requires

sweat

sacrifice

hard

work

and our

unity in

Christ

should

smother

our

differences

like a

blanket

should

smother

a

fame

we are

God's

new

society

we are

God's

new

family

a new

creation

a new

humanity

characterized

not by

walls of

personal

preference

and hostility

and differences

and division

but by

unity

and peace

and Paul

goes on

and he says

yes there is

this amazing

unity

but we're

not clones

yes there is

one faith

and there is

one baptism

but our

unity does

not equal

uniformity

and that's

what he goes

on to talk

about in

verse seven

when he

starts to

talk about

apportioned

grace

he says

but to

each of

us

grace

has been

given

as

Christ

apportioned

it

in other

words

after

Jesus

saved

us

through

his

death

he

gave

us

gifts

to

use

in

his

service

to

display

his

glory

that

is

the

use

of

the

gifts

of

grace

that

God

has

apportioned

to

us

is

how

we

make

every

effort

at

maintaining

the

unity

you get

that

unity

is not

maintained

by not

engaging

standing

back

and going

well if

I don't

cause any

problems

I'm

maintaining

the

unity

unity

is

maintained

by engaging

with the

gifts

that God's

given me

that's

how we

make

every

effort

and down

in verse

11

Paul describes

the way

that these

gifts

are to be

used

it

was

he

who

gave

some

to be

apostles

some

to be

prophets

some

to be

evangelists

and some

to be

pastors

and teachers

to prepare

God's

people for

works of

service

so that

the body

of Christ

may be

built up

until we

all reach

unity

in the

faith

and in

the

knowledge

of the

Son

of God

and become

mature

attaining

the whole

measure

of the

fullness

of

Christ

and so

throughout

history

the church

has been

built on

the foundation

of

diversity

foundation

different

people

faithfully

serving

each other

in different

and unique

ways

so that

Christ

might be

promoted

amongst us

and displayed

to the

world

in other

words

diversity

is the

way

that

God

works

God

works

with

differences

and quite

ironically

he uses

those

differences

to build

unity

diversity

and why

so much

diversity

why so

many

different

gifts

verse 12

to prepare

God's

people

for works

of service

so that the

body of

Christ

might be

built up

until we

all reach

unity

in the

faith

and in the

knowledge of

the Son

of God

and become

mature

so the

picture I

have here

is of

an

orchestra

a collection

of a

bunch of

different

instruments

playing all

of their

different

parts

but played

together

because there's

a conductor

pulling us

together

and making

a sound

that no

individual

instrument

by itself

would be

able to

make

and God

God's

design

is for

us to

be

different

but when

we get

put together

we come

up with

a harmony

that is

absolutely

impossible

if we are

all the

same

that is

the

genius

of God

in fact

it's because

we are

different

that we

need

each

other

we're

all

involved

in

this

ministry

of

as it

says

to

prepare

God's

people

for

works

of

service

and

Paul

is

saying

that

when we

get

together

we ought

to be

doing

those

works

of

service

so

that

Christ's

body

in fact

might

be

built

up

in

such

a

way

that

it

displays

his

wisdom

we get

together

to pray

for each

other

to share

with each

other

to encourage

and spur

each

other

on

in the

faith

when we

get

together

the reality

of heaven

and hell

should be

so sharp

in our

focus

that any

bickering

there might

be amongst

us

just seems

to be

just so

trivial

the building

up of our

brothers and

sisters in

Christ

the glory

of the

Lord

Jesus

and his

promotion

to the

world

has to

transcend

the differences

and the

disputes

and when you

use your

God-given

gifts

to strengthen

me

instead of

gratifying

yourself

and when I

use my

God-given

gifts to

strengthen

you

instead of

gratifying

myself

then what

happens is

all of our

diversity

works together

to build us

up in

truth and

love

rather than

fragment us

it's when we

use our

gifts to

gratify

myself

that's

what

fragments

us

Paul then

leaves us

with a

wonderful

picture of

the outcome

of each

part doing

its work

verse 14

then we

will no

longer be

infants

tossed

back and

forth by

the waves

and blown

here and

there by

every wind

of teaching

and by

the cunning

and craftiness

of men

in their

deceitful

scheming

instead

speaking the

truth in

love we

will in

all things

grow up

into him

who is

the head

that is

Christ

from him

the whole

body joined

and held

together by

every supporting

ligament grows

and builds

itself up in

love as

each part

does its

work

see the

picture he

leaves us

with here

is of a

stable

loving

mature

church

that is

working

together

and growing

together in

Christ

friends

that is

my vision

for St

Paul's

and it's

certainly my

vision for

us at

St Paul's

this year

which is

why we've

made this

change to

our current

corporate

worship

gatherings

and as we

finish what

has been

prayer week

this past

week as we

finish that

and look

forward to

this year

of ministry

ahead

will you

join with

me and

make

Ephesians

3 20

our prayer

that this

would be

our prayer

this year

this is what

you would

plead for

God to

do amongst

us

to pray

that God's

reputation

in this

world

will be

increased

by St

Paul's

what a

prayer

that God's

reputation

would be

increased

by us

pray that

the way

that we

love

the way

that we

care for

one another

the way

that we

are united

will bear

the sort

of fruit

that we

could not

even imagine

possible 12

months ago

will you

join with

me and

make Ephesians

3 20

your prayer

for us

this year

amen

begin

thank

you