I invite you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians. We're going to consider this morning from Ephesians chapter 6. If you're using a pew Bible, that can be found on page 1163, 1163 in the pew Bible. Considering the last section of this book, beautiful, beautiful section. So we're going to be considering verses 19 to 24, but I'm going to begin our reading at verse 18. Ephesians chapter 6, beginning at verse 18:
"Praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. And also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts. Peace be to the brothers and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible."
Well, I'm sure at a certain time when reading Scripture, while reading, we've said something to ourselves or maybe even out loud: "I wish I was there. I wish I was there at that moment in time when Scripture was being penned or when those events were happening. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall." Well, this morning we get to peek into the life of Paul. This passage grants us that peek that we would otherwise not have.
See, this text before us this morning is about the ministry. It's about the church. the local and the universal church. It's about praying for the ministry of the church. It's about encouraging each other as the body of Christ. It's about the hope we collectively have in Jesus Christ.
See, this book deals with a number of crucial and critical subjects at the end, the closing section of this book. It deals with the battle that Christians face, the necessity of the armor of God because of that battle, each of those pieces of armor, and the one thing that relates all of the facets of the Christian life together: prayer. And in this final, final section of this wonderful book, we see Paul continues to talk about prayer, but specifically as it regards to him and his ministry. And his love for this church leads him to then send a dear brother of his, Tychicus, to encourage this church at Ephesus. And then Paul ends this book with a beautiful blessing.
So this morning I want to consider with you two things from this text: the humility of Paul and the heart of Paul. The humility of Paul and the heart of Paul.
We all know that we are called to pray. Verse 18 says, "Pray at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication." We all know that we are called to pray for each other as well. Verse 18b: "To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints." But do we know that we should be asking each other for prayer?
Paul says in Romans 15 30 "I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf." And then in Colossians 4 3 "At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word to declare the mystery of Christ on account of which I am in prison."
Paul, an apostle of Christ, asks for prayer. And we too should be asking each other for prayer. We should be asking each other to pray for what we are going through. Should be asking each other to pray that the Lord would draw us ever closer to Himself. We should be asking for prayer that we would grow to be sanctified in Christ. Should be asking for prayer that the work of the Lord be done in us and through us.
We should be asking each other for prayer. Paul asked the various churches that he writes to for prayer. Here he specifically asked for the church of Ephesus to pray for him. And what we see in this request is Paul's humility. his humility
We all know that to ask someone for help requires humility, and that's why it's difficult for us to ask for help. When we ask for someone to pray for us, we're asking for help, and that too requires us to humble ourselves. Asking for prayer is a humbling experience.
See, asking for prayer requires that we be vulnerable with each other, and vulnerability takes humility. You know what else it takes? It takes having a relationship the kind of relationship where requests like for help and for prayer can be made.
See, brothers and sisters, within the church we need these kinds of relationships. We need genuine, true Christian brotherly love and relationships. I recently heard a story I think it was told by R.C. Sproul, if I am correct of three Christians who went out to play golf. And at the end of their golf game, they began to ask each other for prayer. And this led to them humbly confessing to each other their struggles.
The first Christian says, "Brothers, I struggle with alcoholism. I'm so afraid that people in the church will hear about this. Will you please pray for me?"
Well, after a brief moment of silence, the second Christian felt a little more free to share since the first one had already shared. And so he says, "Brothers, pray for me. I I struggle with lust i hate the thoughts that run through my mind at times. Please pray for me."
Well, again, after a brief moment of silence, the first and second Christians look up at the third and they ask, "Brother, are you in need of prayer?"
To which the third says, "Yes, I struggle with gossip, and I'm struggling to share the things that you have just shared with me with other people."
Now, we can chuckle at a story like that, but there's some seriousness to that, right? That's how we often feel. We can't share our needs. We can't be vulnerable with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We come to church and we come in our Sunday best, and we act like everything is all good when, in fact, our lives may be struggling, our spirituality may be struggling, our faith may be struggling. We may be struggling. We need prayer. We need relationships that foster prayer. We need to be humble enough to share and ask for prayer.
Well, what is it that Paul is praying or requesting prayer for here? Well, Paul humbly asked for two things here in this text: he asked for words and boldness. He asked for prayers for the words to proclaim the gospel, and he asked for prayer that a spirit of boldness may rest on him to declare that gospel.
Now, I think it's important to notice just up front what Paul does not ask for. Notice the humility and the mindset of Paul here. He doesn't ask for anything personally.
Here's Paul in chains, in prison. And when given the opportunity, he doesn't ask for personal prayers that he might be released from prison that had happened before, had it? not Back in Acts 5, where Peter and the other apostles were released from prison by an angel. But Paul doesn't ask for that. He doesn't ask that he would be treated fairly and justly while in custody of the Roman guard. He doesn't ask for a fair trial. He doesn't ask that the Lord would intervene and defend him. Doesn't ask for physical health. Doesn't ask for comfort, for privileges, for rights as a Roman citizen. Doesn't ask for any of that.
What does he ask for? He asks, really, for prayer for the ministry of the gospel his ministry. And why do you think that's the case? It's the case because Paul humbly knows who he is, and he knows what his life is all about.
Sadly, today as Christians we can get caught up in a number of things in this world, and we can so easily be tempted to forget who we are in Christ and what our life is about. But not Paul. In this text, see, he had informed this church of how he viewed his life. Back in Acts 20, when he addressed the elders of the church there, and he says, there "I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself if only I may finish my course in the ministry that I receive from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."
Paul tells this church here and us what his life is about. He more briefly repeats it here in verse 20: "I am an ambassador in chains."
Paul repeats this perspective throughout this letter. In chapter one, chapter three, verse one he says, "For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles." And then he says again, in chapter four, verse one "I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of calling to which you have received."
Therefore, as someone who sees themselves as a prisoner for Christ, the emphasis of his prayer request here is not on himself, but on the ministry. That the ministry would be blessed in the midst of his situation.
Paul's life is humbly about the ministry. His life was so captured by the work of Jesus Christ on his behalf that he's resolved to offer himself as a living sacrifice for Christ and for the ministry of Christ.
That's what the work of Christ had done in the life of Paul. That's what the gospel of Jesus Christ does to a sinner saved by grace: it captures them, it captivates them, it arrests them even while they may be arrested, in chains, in prison.
See, brothers and sisters, we are not just Christians, but we are all prisoners of Christ. That is who we are. Servants of Christ. We belong to Him.
2 Corinthians 5, 15 says, "For Christ's love compels us because we are convinced that one died for all, therefore all died. And he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again."
And so we live for Him, and His work on our minds, controlling everything that we do, we think, we say, shaping our actions, shaping our lives.
The Apostle Peter uses the term "pilgrims" throughout his first epistle. What is a pilgrim? pilgrim is a person who has no home a traveler sojourner no place Our home is in christ our place is in his kingdom our lives are no longer our own. They've been bought, purchased as Paul says elsewhere in galatians 20 so it's no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
For this reason, because of the mindset of Paul, he can humbly ask and request from this church prayer. I'll say it again: prayer is a humbling thing. We all know this firsthand. When we try to ask for help, it's humbling to do so.
See, Paul could have easily thought to himself, "What would the people at Ephesus think of me if I asked them for prayer for the ministry? What if I asked them for for the words to speak? They might think I I don't know how to speak i don't know What to say I don't know how to explain the gospel what would They think of me if i asked for a spirit of boldness they might think i'm afraid fearful a coward one who's controlled by the fear of man and whether those thoughts came into the mind of Paul, either way, he puts his pride aside because he knows who he is in Christ. He's a prisoner of Christ. And that mindset puts himself in the proper perspective.
See, the mindset of being purchased, bought, set apart with and by the blood of Christ enables Paul to humble himself before others and to humbly ask for prayer.
Well, again, what does he ask for? He asked for words to speak and a spirit of boldness.
You see, it is the Lord who gives His servants words to speak, right? Remember what the Lord says to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 4: "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute or deaf or seen or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak."
Paul knew that truth and reality so well. And that's why he says in first Corinthians too "And when I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom, for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling. And my speech and my message were not implausible words of wisdom but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God."
This is essentially what Paul is asking this church at Ephesus to pray for. He's asking for words, utterances. He's asking that he would be given the divine words, the divine utterances, words to make known the mysteries of the gospel.
See, Paul not only knows his calling as an ambassador of Christ, but he knows that his abilities to fulfill that calling come from the Lord. They come from the Lord. He needs the words of the Spirit of Christ. He needs the gospel-revealing words. He needs utterances, divine utterances.
See, we may think to ourselves that preaching is just a simple thing. And in some sense, it is a simple thing, right? A man comes up front, reads a text, he explains that text. It's preaching. But in another sense, preaching is also complex. It's not simply speaking, but it's the Lord by His Spirit working through the words of men, using those words to grant faith, to build strength, to increase faith. And in that sense, it's very complex.
Now, Paul doesn't only ask for words. He also asks for a spirit of boldness. The word boldness here could also be translated "fearless." We might ask, why would Paul need to be bold or fearless? Well, I think we can often think of the Apostle Paul as something of a Christian superhero. But this request here shows that Paul, like us, was merely a man. He knows that, and so he humbly asked for prayer that he would be bold and fearless.
You know what else Paul knew? He knew that it was very likely that he would appear before Caesar. He knew that in his imprisonment, he was on his way to stand before the emperor of Rome. Now, with an audience of Caesar and his officials and the delegates of Rome, I think that audience would strike fear in the strongest man. And so Paul humbly asked for boldness boldness to proclaim the message of Christ.
You see, Paul realizes that is the Lord, again, who not only gives words but also provides His servant with strength, with boldness, with fearlessness. And Paul's not too proud to ask for prayer for this.
Here's my question to you: What do you need prayer for? What should you not be too proud to ask your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ for prayer for? What should we not be afraid, but to humble ourselves and to be vulnerable and to seek the help that we need from each other through prayer?
In addition to humbling asking for prayer from each other, another application here is: Do we accurately see ourselves as bought with the price of the blood of Jesus Christ, and therefore is that the controlling factor in our lives? What Christ has done for us, is that moving us to a spirit of humility to ask for prayer? Furthermore, is that moving us to declare the excellencies of what He has done for us?
We're all familiar with the text that God has called us out of the darkness of the world and into His marvelous light. But do you remember the rest of that text? So that we might declare the excellencies of what He has done for us. You don't have to be an evangelist to do that. We're all called to do that.
Well, the next thing we see in this peek into the life of Paul is his heart.
Let's be honest: we tend to gloss over these final words in this final text here of the book of Ephesians or any epistle, for that matter. They are, as the Bible titles them, final greetings. And it's easy for us to kind of neglect these things that we take to be final greetings. They're just, you know, what people say to end a letter we all have to end a letter some way right so what do We write we write sincerely or you" know I typically write blessings to you in an email. But these aren't just customarily words that Paul is writing here to this church he loves. These Christians he loves them. And this letter was no typical or customarily email or letter that Paul is writing.
This is a letter of Scripture to the church and to churches, written by the Apostle Paul appointed by Christ, written by Paul while he was in prison, to a church that he loves and cares deeply for.
Again, Acts 20 informs us of the relationship that existed between Paul and the church at Ephesus. There it says that when Paul left them, he knelt down and prayed with them, and there was much weeping on the part of all. They embraced each other and kissed each other, and they were all sorrowful because they did not expect to see each other again.
So again, this is no typical signing off for Paul of a typical letter. In this final section, we see Paul's heart his heart for this church and his heart for the people of God.
Paul says in verse 21, "So that you may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts."
Children, you know, at times it could be difficult to share a friend. Maybe you have a friend that you consider to be your best friend. And at times it's difficult to share a best friend with someone else. Well, the same is true for adults. And here is Paul in this passage sharing a dear friend with the church at Ephesus.
This would have been very, very difficult for Paul to do because Paul was in prison. He had been arrested. He was not on his own free will to come and go as he pleased. Imagine yourself in that situation. You have friends who come and they visit you, they stay with you, they encourage you. But here you're now moved by your heart and love for a church to send them away, to send them to that church.
Paul calls Tychicus "a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord." Tychicus was a minister a minister of the gospel. He was a pastor, a friend, a great source of encouragement for Paul. Paul repeats those same words in Colossians 4. He says again, "Tychicus is a beloved brother, a faithful minister."
Again, I think we can think of Paul as being something of a Christian superhero. But he's not. He's just a man. And in this situation, he's in chains, in prison. And as a man, it would have been difficult for him to send away a beloved brother.
He expresses that difficulty when he says to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4, "Do your best to come to me soon. He's saying this to Timothy. For Demas, in love with the world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescent has gone to Galatia. Titus to Demacia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus."
Paul, in prison, in chains, sends away a dear brother. It would have been difficult for him to do so, as you can imagine. But however difficult it was, Paul loves this church at Ephesus. And so we see his heart here. He cared more for these brothers and sisters at this church than he did for himself.
And what was the reason that he sent Tychicus? Well, he sends Tychicus so that they might so that tychus might inform them of how Paul is doing and that he might encourage them. Paul, a man who himself needed encouragement, sent a brother away to encourage others.
If we don't see Paul's heart here in this text, I don't know what would express his heart.
Why would Paul do this? Again, this goes back to the impact of the gospel upon his life. Just as he had told these Christians back in chapter 5, verse 1, to "Be imitators of God as beloved children, and walk in love as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us," Paul now, under the influence of Christ's sacrifice for him, he sacrifices for this church.
See, the encouragement here is not just spiritual encouragement via the presence of Tychicus or a report on Paul. Tychicus is not simply bringing greetings and report He's bringing the very words of God He's bringing this letter to this church at Ephesus he's bringing this spirit inspired word of God to the churches. That's the encouragement that Tychicus is bringing.
Paul is thinking about the spiritual encouragement and the growth, the ministry, and the kingdom of God here. Tychicus must go. However difficult it might be for Paul, he must go for the sake of the church, for the sake of the church of Christ.
Again, here we see Paul's heart is shaped by the gospel. He lived for that ministry.
This too should raise a question for us this morning. Again: Is our hearts shaped by the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are our lives shaped by what He has done for us? Would we be willing, for the sake of brothers and sisters, to out of love, sacrifice something in our lives for each other?
That's what the gospel does, doesn't it? That's what the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ does for us causes us to deny ourselves, to lay ourselves aside for the sake of Christ, for the sake of His church, for the sake of His kingdom.
The second way we see the heart of Paul here is through his blessing. Paul ends this letter with a blessing in verse 23:
"Peace be to the brothers and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus with love incorruptible."
There are three things that Paul points out here in this blessing: peace, love, and grace. Each of these Christian gifts from God played a significant role in this letter.
Paul begins the letter with green and with a greeting, saying in verse in chapter one of verse two, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Now, you should be familiar with this greeting. It's a greeting that we hear every time we gather together for worship: "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." the ball goes on to highlight the idea of peace in this letter. Chapter 2, verses 14 through 17: "For He himself that being christ is our peace who has made both one and has broken down in His flesh to dividing wall of hostility that existed between Jews and Gentiles." Then he goes on to say in verse 17, "And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near."
And then in chapter 4, verse 3, "I therefore, prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness with patience bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit of bond and of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
And then of course, chapter 6, verse 15, "And as shoes for your feet having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace."
Paul has much to say about peace in this book. Who is our peace? Christian Christ. Christ is our peace. Where do we find that peace? In the gospel of His grace. What peace has He brought to us? Peace between us and God. Peace between us and our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We are one body of Christ because of that peace brought about by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Do you have this peace? Do you know this peace? Is this peace operating in your life? I pray that it is.
Well, it's not just peace that he speaks of here, but he also speaks of love. Love too plays another significant part within this letter.
In chapter 1, verse 4, who doesn't know the saying: "In love God predestined us before the foundation of the world, in love, before you were even born, Christian, before you were a thought, God set His love upon you. In love He predestined you." Or chapter 2, verse 4, which I read: "Because of love, even while we were dead in our sins and transgressions, God made us alive in Christ."
Which leads Paul to say in chapter 3, verse 14, that we are rooted and grounded in the love of Christ, and that we should be striving and praying to better grasp that love which is incomprehensible. He says, "Which we don't know the height or the depth or the length of that love of Christ."
And then he says, "Therefore, bear with one another in love," in chapter 4, verse 2. "Walk in love as Christ loved," chapter 5, verse 2. And which wife doesn't know? "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church," chapter 5, verse 25.
Paul does know Christian love, does he not? Yes, he knows that we love because Christ first loved us.
Well, finally, Paul speaks of grace in this blessing. Grace too played a tremendous part within this letter. Paul mentions in those beautiful opening words of chapter 1, verses 3 to 14, the role that grace plays in God's work of redemption. Grace was lavished upon us, and that the work of redemption was to the praise of His glorious grace.
Or chapter 2, verse 5: "For by grace you have been saved. It's not our work that saves us in any way, shape, or form."
If you're here this morning and you're under the impression that Christianity is about doing unto others as you would have done unto you, Christianity is about loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and your neighbor as yourself. Friend, Christianity is about the grace of God lavished upon sinners who couldn't live up to those commands, who now, in turn, strive to live up to those commands because of the wonderful grace of God.
And that's why we sing, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me." We were wretches, as Ephesians 2 so plainly declares. We were dead in our sins and transgressions. But God was the one by His grace to work so mightily in us.
This is a blessing that Paul gives to this church. It's a blessing that we've all become familiar with. We're familiar with peace, love, and grace. We hear it in the beginning of our services, and we hear it at the end of our services. We're familiar with that blessing.
And you know what? number six tells us in the Aaron Aaronic blessing, at the end of that blessing, it says that by the blessing of God He puts His name upon us. What a beautiful picture, brothers and sisters! By these truths of peace, love, and grace granted to you through the work of Christ Jesus declared to you in Scripture and by men standing before you. God places His. name upon you. He marks you off. You are His. He's purchased you.
Let that sink into your hearts, brothers and sisters. You are His. You no longer belong to yourself.
And so, humbly, just as Paul does, request for prayer. Ask for prayer from each other. Cultivate relationships within the church where we can foster a church of prayer and love each other. Express that heart of Christ that sacrifice that christ has done for us should control us and move us to love each other.
Let's pray.
Father, we thank you for what so easily could be simple words in this text, but when we dig beneath the surface, Lord, they are so profound. And we know, Lord, that you are good and gracious and true to your Word to work through them. And so we pray this morning, Lord, that you would indeed do that very thing. That you would remind us here of the heart of Paul, Your servant. You would remind us here of his humility, Lord. Indeed, which was a reflection, Lord, of Your work in his life, and which directs us all to the love and the humility of Christ Jesus our Lord.
We pray this in His name. Amen.