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
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