Welcome to Expositing Ephesians

THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED to one of the chief passions of my life and ministry, The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians. I believe this epistle is at the very core of the Christian life. I spent years in the study of it and then three and one half years expositing it from my pulpit. I hope this blog will be a blessing to you as I share that exposition. I also hope you will tell others about this blog. Please check for new posts each Monday .

Monday, October 1, 2012

The Minister of the Mystery: How to Become One (1)


Again, the opinion today is that after one goes to college and seminary, he is ordained and becomes a minister. Wrong! Our text tells us how we become a minister: made . . . according to the gift of the grace of God (Eph. 3:7). Whether a preacher or laymen, whether in a pulpit or in a pew, we all are ministers by God’s grace. How marvelous! Once again this glorious theme is in view. Not only does grace save us, but it also makes us servants. As we have seen, we certainly do not deserve salvation. But now we discover that neither do we deserve to serve God. It is His grace, His unmerited favor that enables us to serve Him, that makes us “able ministers” (II Cor. 3:6). Service is a gift, a privilege we do not deserve. To serve the Lord brings a joy we could never know otherwise. While we might enjoy our job and get a certain satisfaction from our accomplishments, we wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much if we didn't get a paycheck, right? But not so with service to God. Just the privilege of serving a holy God is “payment” enough.

There is a mistaken idea today that it is our talents and abilities that qualify us to minister. Many think that just because they can speak well, teach, or sing, then that is what qualifies them to serve the Lord. But that is a humanistic attitude based in self. On the contrary, people who possess no “visible talents” are just as valuable to God as anyone else. Why? Because it’s God’s grace that makes us ministers, not natural abilities. If someone wants to serve God, God will give them the way to do so. It is the gift of His grace.

May we say again, it is a privilege to serve the Lord. Many Christians treat service as a chore, as a burden to be borne. Oh, but how marvelous it is to know that God allows us to serve, to serve the living and true God of the universe!

As I shared when this series began about a year and a half ago, these expositions are based are based on my preaching through Ephesians on consecutive Sunday mornings. After preaching the present message, I received a note from a dear lady in our church who does many small office tasks for me in her home that are a tremendous help to my ministry  Referring to those tasks the note read: “I trust you know it truly is a labor of love for my precious Lord and my dear pastor. As you mentioned this morning, it is a privilege to be a servant. It is a real blessing to me to know He is using me to help further your ministry for Him, even though it seems to me my help is small and insignificant. Of course, I realize it is by God’s grace that I have the desire and that He has made me able. I praise Him for that.”

What pastor wouldn't appreciate a note like that? Yes, many things we do might seem insignificant. In the grand scheme of the universe, what possible significance can cutting the church lawn be? The significance is that it is service to God. As Paul wrote the Corinthians, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (I Cor. 10:31). Why? Because when you do something only for God’s glory, that is service, that is true ministry.

To emphasize true ministry, we have “sign up sheets” at our church for certain jobs that need to be done, such as lawn work, cleaning the building, and so forth. Instead of lines for signing names, however, the sheet has little tabs on the bottom that can be torn off and used as a reminder. This helps to keep the whole thing anonymous.

After preaching this message, another of the ladies in our church came up to me and said, “You know, Pastor, it really is a joy to serve the Lord. As I was dusting the window sills the other day and just puttering around, I found myself smiling as I realized that even this little thing was service.”

I encourage you to serve the Lord in whatever manner He empowers you to.

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