Abide – Ephesians 3
Welcome Tyndale. Welcome to Abide. How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure, that he would give his only son, and make a wretch his treasure. Words from Stuart Townend, from a song. Many of you probably know how deep the Father's love for us is. And this is what we will be sitting in today for these 30 minutes, is that we are God's treasure and that his love is so deep for each and every one of us. And so get comfortable wherever you are in your commute, on your walk, in your room. Put your blanket around your shoulders, become relaxed, as relaxed as you can be, and yet alert and ready and open.
Let's all take a nice, gentle inhale through the nose. And exhale out. And again inhale. And exhaling out. Just recognizing our breath. Allowing it to settle us down a bit. I've heard it once said that meditation or pulling away to pray is like a vacation. It's like a holiday. Why wouldn't we? Why wouldn't we do this more often? And may we approach this time like that? Let's take a holiday from our normal way of thinking, our normal thoughts and responsibilities. Let's pull away and recover and rest in something and in someone that is so much bigger, so much more grand than the daily concerns; and yet, so much in the midst of these everyday comings and goings.
So here we are pulling away on our meditative holiday together. Some of us might feel like that wretch, like we are not doing so great and not holding it together and definitely can't keep up what we've said yes to. Welcome, welcome. We're all welcome in whatever state of mind, heart, or body that we find ourselves in today.
And I just would invite you all to just imagine the loving presence of God where you are. So if you're in your room with the door closed, just acknowledge that your Saviour is there. If you're on the bus, imagine he's standing or sitting very near you. If you're on a walk, he wants to walk with you.
And as we acknowledge this loving Saviour and that we are his treasure, we're going to spend some time in appreciation for God in gratitude. Today I want to use that word appreciation, that we want to spend some time just appreciating God and his glorious way in our lives and today it's going to be simple and yet extraordinary. So, I'd invite you to just look at your hands. You know, so wherever you are, if you can, if you're holding onto the steering wheel, you can still look at the back of your hands. If you're walking, you might just get to put out a hand in front of you. If you're Heather, you're looking at your hands while you're playing the piano. I want you to gaze at your hands for a moment.
Notice your specific hands and the way they look. Recognizing that your hands have changed from a baby hand into an adult hand into an older adult and they're going to continue to shift and change. Maybe they remind you of a family member's hands you've been told.
I want you to just ponder how your hands busily work throughout a day. I mean, hands do so much. And the hands so equally work together. They can, they often do two different things at the same time and don't seem to be communicating about it. We don't even need to think about it, that the hands, even when we're talking, we gesture, everyone has particular hand gestures they use. You'll notice how the hands care for you. They work for you and with you. And I just want you to marvel, right now, but maybe throughout this day, just remember. Watch my hands. Watch your hands.
Notice when you're cooking and you're chopping one hand holds the vegetable, the other one slices with the knife. Notice when you do the dishes, one hand holds the dish and the other hand uses the towel to dry. The hands work together effortlessly to accomplish many wonderful things. The hands never want to harm one another. And I wonder if our hands and marveling at them and appreciating them could clue us in. Could this be true for how we as human beings relate, work together, care for. Just a thought.
Oh Jesus. Thank you for these tools in which you've given us these hands. May we appreciate them as we click on the computer and slide and swipe and whatever [?] might do, maybe. We'd be more in awe of how the hands serve us, work with one another, and just do extraordinary things.
As we continue to sit with Jesus, walk with Jesus, appreciate Jesus, quieting our bodies. We're going to begin to open the scriptures and open this letter of Ephesians. And we're in Ephesians 3. And to be honest, I'll try my best because this passage of scripture is so meaningful to me. Sometimes when something so meaningful you can, you have a lot to say about it. But sometimes something so meaningful you can't, there's no words. So, maybe there'll be more silences today.
In our community of Tyndale, we're grieving a great, great loss of Gary Nelson. A friend, a guide, a shepherd. And he fits so beautifully in this passage. He loved so big. He embodied the word and preached it. And so I really feel as though Dr. Nelson will sit here with me and read this and celebrate this truth.
I also gave this passage to my son when he was dedicated. And so, my son is with me here too, in spirit. These are all the things I want him to know. So, it's a personal passage for us all. So let's open up and dive in. I'm going to read all the verses. There's 21. So here we go.
For this reason, I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles. Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is the mystery made known to me by revelation as I have already written briefly. In reading this then you'll be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations, as it has now been revealed by the spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given to me, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose, which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him, and through faith in him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you therefore not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you which are your glory.
For this reason, I kneel before the Father from whom his whole family in heaven and on Earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you being rooted and established in love may have power together with all the saints to grasp how wide, how long and high and deep is the love of Christ. And to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
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.
What a song. What a hymn. What a beautiful poetic expression from Paul for us, from God to us. And just as we were sharing last week about when we read the scriptures, we take them as personal words, as Jesus talking to us and we listened to the letter, we listened to the words. And then it's almost as if God says, what do you think about these words? How do they sit with you and mingle within you?
Verse 2 says “Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you that is the mystery made known to me by revelation.”
Verse 6 says “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel members together of one body and sharers together the promise in Christ Jesus.”
Verse 4: “In reading this then you'll be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ which was not made known to men in other generations as it is now.”
And so I am drawn to this word mystery, mystery. What is this mystery? This word mystery seems to maybe we can put our finger on it a little bit, but there's always room for openness and newness and bigness. And this mystery is that God has this plan, this cosmic plan that we would all be united with him. And he made the mystery known by giving us his son Jesus to come, to be with us, to tell us that we are his treasure, to die for us to raise again, to show us that all are invited, all are welcome and all are sharers in this great mystery. And so I ask myself, I invite you today right now. Where is this mystery working out in your life? Where is this mystery of the deep love of God and the deep opening and welcoming of all? Where is this visible in your own life? Who are the people that God is continuing to desire for you to welcome, to love, to be patient with? To say they're a part of the, they're a part of the inheritance too, you know. Where are we meant to extend this great mystery?
Jesus, Spirit. Guide all of us to where this mystery could touch and reach within our personal lives. Speak to us now.
I think Paul is very sensitive to this message. As he himself was one that casted people out, there were only certain people allowed to be in. And he was very firm on this understanding. And yet the revelation has been made known to him the mystery, and he's forever changed. And he wants to spend the rest of his life sharing that how I used to think was wrong. And now it's much bigger.
Verse 7 says “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace. Given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all God's people. This grace was given to me to preach to the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of God.”
We see in verse 16: “I pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being.”
What I'm sensing here is this, this extension of love, this extension of the mystery being communicated to the world will not be easy. Not in our own strength. Here we see Paul saying he is one of the least and that there is weakness there and there is strengthening needed by the spirit. And so, if you can relate to feeling weak or intimidated or overwhelmed, or I can't do this, or I'm not the person; you're in good company here.
I think all of us would say that Paul is a stellar preacher and a stellar writer. And yet he himself says I am, I am one of the least here. And so I'm wondering today if any of us are feeling doubt about our calling, about the work that God has given us, that we're not able to do it, we’re not strong enough, we're not equipped enough. I'm wondering if these words in this letter from Paul can remind us it won't be done in your own strength. It will be done in his strength.
So commit those spaces in your life now where you feel like you cannot continue on in the work that you've been called. May you receive the strength and the encouragement and the love which only comes from him.
“I pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” These words are very close. The spirit wants to get really in there. This is about, this is abiding. This is the inner being, the inner thoughts. The inner weaknesses, the daily hours. This is an indwelling. The spirit wants to be and is in all of this. And so, whatever your day and struggles and thoughts and responsibilities, the spirit of God longs to be in the inner being and dwell in your heart. And so, let's just take a moment to maybe open up a little door, maybe open a crack a little more within the door of the heart for the spirit to be welcomed in, into those deeper places. That's where it's meant to go. That's where the mystery is meant to live. The message, the love.
Let's move into this beautiful chorus. “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know that his love surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all fullness of God.”
This is big, this love, and deep and wide. And maybe for some of us now, you might say, Lizzie, this world is actually really broken and dark, and I don't see the love of God as being wide and high and everywhere and surpassing all things. Friends are passing away. Wars are continuing. My grades aren't getting better. The relationships are still so much work. I don't see this love, Lizzie.
And so, this is when I sense Jesus coming alongside us and saying, “Yes, those things are there, but look here. Listen for the finer vibrations of life.” Where are those gentle, beautiful, sweet sounds? Sometimes I just walk by, and I see people embracing and I think there is the love of God. Or I hear the trill of a bird. Or I see someone busily making me a coffee and handing it over: “Have a beautiful day.” The vastness and the greatness of God's love often comes in small packages that no one is ever able to see, they're hidden from the wise and the great. And so, I ask you today and challenge you today that this immense love that Paul's talking about often lives and dwells in the most small gesture. I think of Jesus speaking with the disciples, he said, you brought me a glass of water. You’ve visited me. And you came back and said thank you. Like these gestures, they're so small. But to Jesus, they're so beautiful. They communicate the vastness of love. And so, may we all tune in to the finer vibrations of life that many just pass over. And may we extend these beautiful hidden love towards our community today, toward the stranger, toward the loved one. For this love of God is immense and meant to fill us beyond measure.
And so, friends as we prepare to close this time of prayer. I'll read you the closing remarks of Paul. Verse 20: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us today. To him be glory, in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
Friends go in peace, to love and to serve, to be filled with this immeasurable love. Look at your hands. Look at how they love and serve and care for you. What a miracle right in front of you. How deep the father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure, that he would give his only son, to make us his treasure. Go in peace, my friends, and thank you for joining me. What a gift.
