1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,680 Well, this is it. This is our last week. 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:06,880 We come to the end of Ephesians and we began this back in August 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:09,120 and went back and looked, which means it's been just over seven 4 00:00:09,120 --> 00:00:12,360 months. We've been studying this letter 5 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:14,960 that Paul wrote not to just to Ephesus, but to all the churches 6 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:17,760 that were in that region. And we say by extension, he's 7 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:22,680 writing even to us today. There's a liturgy and every 8 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:24,360 moment holy. They wrote a liturgy for 9 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:26,440 lamenting the completion of a beloved book. 10 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,680 I thought this might be appropriate to to help us along, 11 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,600 the author writes. My heart aches each time I 12 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,120 received these beautiful, distant rumors of that far 13 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,840 country. Of course, I do not want such a 14 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,640 story to end, for it's wedged open for me away, like a window 15 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,360 through which I've glimpsed a vision of things more as they 16 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:47,760 one day will be than as they are now, in these hard and sorrowing 17 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:51,880 lands of exile. Thank you, Oh my God, for loving 18 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:54,480 me enough that you would rouse my deepest desires again, 19 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,000 appointing these longings as true signposts planted in a 20 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,280 war-torn and cratered landscape, reminding me that all history is 21 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:05,519 leading at last to a king and a Kingdom and pointing me ever 22 00:01:05,519 --> 00:01:07,920 onward toward his righteous and eternal city. 23 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:12,040 Amen. So we're left in this war-torn 24 00:01:12,320 --> 00:01:14,920 Kingdom, but we, we look, there's excitement. 25 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:16,920 We're we get to start Deuteronomy next week. 26 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:19,400 There's a joy in getting to submit to a new author and a new 27 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,320 book, but there's also a lament and having to say goodbye to 28 00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:25,840 Paul and to these churches in Ephesus. 29 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:29,720 And as we finish the story, I want to go back and just recap 30 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:33,280 for a minute everything that we've learned so far in this 31 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:36,200 series. Ephesians is the queen of the 32 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:39,480 Epistles. That's not the Tour de force of 33 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:41,240 Romans. It's not first and priority and 34 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:44,800 prominence like Romans, but it's more beautiful and lovely than 35 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:47,360 all the others epistles. It's what we call it, the queen 36 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:49,960 of the Epistles. And there's really little in 37 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,920 this book that you can't find somewhere else in the Bible. 38 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:57,000 But the uniqueness of this book comes from the beauty that Paul 39 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,720 writes with and the rhetorical flourish that he adds. 40 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:03,640 And it comes with with beauty and with power. 41 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:08,720 We we've seen Paul focus on our new identity and defining us as 42 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:12,040 being in Christ for from him and through him and to him are all 43 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:15,240 things that's from Romans, but it's true here in Ephesians. 44 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:18,640 You see Paul's focus on Jesus and his exaltation as Lord. 45 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,440 You get that overwhelming impression. 46 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:25,400 We see God's cosmic vision for his church in these six 47 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,160 chapters. We saw back in chapter 1 just 48 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:30,800 how incredibly involved your salvation really is. 49 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:34,080 And he goes back to the love that God had for you before he 50 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,560 created you. And we saw that our salvation is 51 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:38,920 from God the Father and through the Son and by the Spirit as 52 00:02:38,920 --> 00:02:43,120 you've been predestined unto adoption, that he had a plan 53 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:46,640 that you would become a child of God even before the foundation 54 00:02:46,640 --> 00:02:48,240 of the earth. And then your redemption was 55 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,400 blood bought by the love of Jesus Christ and that redemption 56 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:54,160 was applied to your heart by his Holy Spirit. 57 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:59,560 The moment you believe by faith. The beauty of chapter 1, chapter 58 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:03,160 2 said how we can be saved. Justification by faith alone 59 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:05,000 came through the the legendary passage. 60 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,840 For it is by grace that you have been saved through what faith. 61 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:11,560 And this is not your own doing. It's the gift of God, not of 62 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:14,600 work, so that no one can boast. And then he adds beautifully, 63 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:18,960 for you are God's handiwork. You are God's masterpiece that 64 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:21,680 he's created in Christ Jesus for good works. 65 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:24,640 And he prepared them beforehand that you should walk in them. 66 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:30,760 Then came the great prayer of Paul for power in Ephesians 3, 67 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:34,000 that according to the riches of His glory, He might grant you to 68 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:36,200 be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner 69 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:39,320 beings, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 70 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,080 To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout 71 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,040 all generations, forever and ever. 72 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:46,000 Amen. We saw He gives you the power to 73 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,320 know what you have no capacity or power to know, namely the 74 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:53,160 love of God. Chapter 4 Paul talks about the 75 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:57,040 incredible unity of the church. As he says, there's one body and 76 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:59,440 one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that 77 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:03,240 belongs to your call. 1 Lord, 1 faith, one baptism, one God and 78 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,360 Father over all, who is through all and in all. 79 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:09,440 And then came chapter 5. As we've moved into this really 80 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:11,680 practical section, He shows you that this is not just 81 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,920 theoretical and theological. This is not just something that 82 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:18,360 we know that's distinct and compartmentalized from our life. 83 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:22,440 We see just how practical the implications of this theology is 84 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:25,840 extends to how we interact with one another, how we joke with 85 00:04:25,840 --> 00:04:29,400 one another how we order our marriages and our households and 86 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,280 our families. Chapter 5 verse 22 wives 87 00:04:32,280 --> 00:04:36,240 submitting to your own husbands as to the Lord verse 25 husbands 88 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:38,280 loving your wives as Christ loved the church and your 89 00:04:38,280 --> 00:04:40,720 children. Chapter 6 verse one and two 90 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:43,280 obeying your parents and the Lord for this is right. 91 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:47,520 Honor your father and mother and all of this tied together was 92 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:51,800 teaching you above all your identity is found in Christ 93 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:58,640 Jesus and in his local church. So 35 times you are reminded 94 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:00,600 that you are now united with Christ. 95 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:03,200 Your identity is in Christ. And the culture tells you your 96 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:05,400 identity comes in in many places. 97 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:09,160 It's from your biology, it's from your intersectionality, 98 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:11,360 it's from your sexual orientation. 99 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,000 And these things may play some role in your identity. 100 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:17,360 They'll add to it that your identity is found in what you 101 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:20,720 produce and what you accomplish. And that may be true in part, 102 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,160 but Paul tells you this, Ephesians tells you this, that 103 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,600 your identity is found for first and foremost, and being a child 104 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,040 of God and belonging to the household of God by faith, this 105 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:32,560 is your family. This is where you belong. 106 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:34,640 This is the most important thing about you. 107 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:37,800 And we reflect back on everything that we've learned 108 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,160 and everywhere we've been. Now we have to ask the question, 109 00:05:40,280 --> 00:05:44,520 how shall we then live in light of these six chapters? 110 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:46,920 How shall we then live? And Paul ends the book with 111 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:49,960 three calls. You saw the first one last week. 112 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:54,240 There's a call to war. There's a call to watchfulness 113 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:57,800 and there's a call to prayer. I'll go back and recap. 114 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,120 First the call to war and then this week looking at verses 18 115 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:04,880 to 24, the call to watchfulness and the call to prayer. 116 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,520 Read with me these final verses. Turn in your Bibles to Ephesians 117 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:17,080 618 to 24. Important to note, it's a comma 118 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:20,120 leading us into verse 18. Praying at all times in the 119 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:22,400 Spirit with all prayer and supplication. 120 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:26,600 To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making 121 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:30,560 supplication for all the Saints and also for me, that words may 122 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:33,400 be given to me, and opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the 123 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:37,440 mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, 124 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:42,040 that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak, so that you 125 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:44,280 also may know how I am and what I'm doing. 126 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:47,040 Tikicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister, and the Lord 127 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,800 will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this 128 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,800 very purpose that you may know how we are and that He may 129 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,000 encourage your hearts. Peace be to the brothers and 130 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,200 love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus 131 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:01,760 Christ. Grace be with all who love our 132 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:04,440 Lord Jesus Christ with love. Incorruptible. 133 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:10,120 First call came last week. We were called to war. 134 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:14,160 Number one, we're called to war. It was in verses 10 to 17. 135 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:15,960 The call to war was also a call to strength. 136 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:18,160 If you remember, he says be strong in the Lord and in the 137 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:21,120 strength of his might or literally be strong in the Lord 138 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:24,440 and the strength of his strength because you're in a battle and 139 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:26,600 the war is not won by your own strength. 140 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,240 It's his strength. So we're praying in our in our 141 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:32,760 verses today in the spirit and we're called not just to 142 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:36,200 strength, but we're called to to take up arms, as he says, take 143 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:40,040 up the armor of God and then put on the armor of God because 144 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,520 we're in a spiritual you consider what it means to live 145 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:46,000 the Christian life. Paul says this is the metaphor 146 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:48,200 he gives. When you consider your life, 147 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:51,480 your calling, I want you to think of it as spiritual 148 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:54,560 warfare. You are taking part in a war. 149 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:57,280 And when we think of the Christian life, we often think 150 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:00,800 of the Christian life in in terms of simplicity, right? 151 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:02,640 Meaning I need to just leverage all that I have. 152 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:04,120 I need to give everything that I have to the Lord. 153 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,480 I need to sell what I have, live this simple life. 154 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:10,480 It's all about getting as much money as possible to the church. 155 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:15,160 Many people take vows of poverty, maximizing what we give 156 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:17,360 away. And the Bible corrects our 157 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:20,440 thinking and it says, no, look at your Christian life instead 158 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:25,160 as one of strategy, not necessarily simplicity, living 159 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:28,360 like the Nordic countries, but it's strategy, leveraging 160 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:32,080 everything that God has given you for this war and for his 161 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:33,640 Kingdom for the sake of the gospel. 162 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:36,200 I was thinking on this. If everybody lived like George 163 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,679 Mueller, we all sold all we had, took vows of poverty, His story 164 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:43,960 wouldn't even make sense there. It took a whole host of other 165 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,760 people that were leveraging their their resources and their 166 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:50,120 education and their occupation that made all of that possible. 167 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,360 And so each has been given resources and gifts to leverage. 168 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:58,480 And we have to be strategic. It's a wartime mindset, not 169 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:00,960 necessarily living first and foremost simply, but living 170 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:03,320 strategically. Our minds are impressed with 171 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:05,840 winning the war. So he says, take up the armor of 172 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:07,760 God. He says, put on the armor of 173 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:09,680 God. It's a metaphor for virtue. 174 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:14,520 Put on righteousness and arm yourself with theology and the 175 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:18,920 truth and with doctrine and carry along with it the 176 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:22,680 assurance of your salvation. He says Christ has bound the 177 00:09:22,680 --> 00:09:25,360 strongman. We plunder his goods. 178 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:29,560 It's war, it's strategic. It means the time for comfort 179 00:09:29,560 --> 00:09:33,560 and relaxation and entertainment is is gone and now is the time 180 00:09:33,560 --> 00:09:37,160 for wartime strategy. We tried to hit on this in our 181 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:41,000 in our budget meeting. The elders came and it was it 182 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,880 was really a strategy meeting. How are we going to leverage our 183 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:48,360 resources in this conflict? And we said in that meeting that 184 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:51,840 our, our church has been blessed with a measure of health, a 185 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:54,120 measure of talent, and a measure of, of resource. 186 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:56,520 And so now we ask, what are we going to build? 187 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:02,240 Now is the time to build and how are we going to be strategic? 188 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:06,120 And it began for our church with what God has already revealed. 189 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:08,720 It's it's training counsellors in the expansion of a 190 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,360 counselling ministry. As we, as we realize we are not 191 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:14,040 beginning a counselling ministry, we are a counselling 192 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:15,520 ministry. And now we're equipping 193 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:19,000 ourselves to be prepared. There's plans for church plants 194 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:21,600 in the work. We're going to be strategic with 195 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:24,840 new gospel witness. There's partnerships in North 196 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:28,560 Africa, the expansion of our theological library, new city 197 00:10:28,560 --> 00:10:32,560 partnerships through the Justice and Mercy team, where we love on 198 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:35,800 families with children and are serving children through 199 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:38,600 deepened relationships with DHS and safe families. 200 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:40,400 This is our church's wartime strategy. 201 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:45,360 This is our strategy. And the greatest innovations in 202 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:49,760 history come during wartime because urgency breeds 203 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:52,840 innovation. I think of Isaiah and the the 204 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:55,160 piece of armor that's missing in the New Testament that it had, 205 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:58,080 that it described the Messiah. It said he wrapped himself in 206 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:01,600 zeal like a cloak. There's an urgency when you're 207 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:03,720 in a war. And so there's an article that 208 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:06,920 was published a few months ago by the US Department of War 209 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:09,200 where they look back on all the innovation that World War 2 210 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:12,080 brought. It's really interesting to to to 211 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:13,400 see and think through this. It said. 212 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:20,840 If you enjoy a microwave oven or radar or your computer or duct 213 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:26,360 tape or penicillin or GPS or the Internet, you have the fruit of 214 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:29,640 these of this conflict that we enjoy everyday, but we forget 215 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:32,320 they came from wartime innovation. 216 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:36,640 Paul says you're called to war now, live with wartime mindset. 217 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:40,360 And like the metaphor of a soldier, Paul brings up now the 218 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:43,920 metaphor of a sentry. SENTRY. 219 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:47,200 As you look at the second call, it's not just a call to war, but 220 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:49,000 because we are in a war, he says. 221 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:54,000 I now call you to watchfulness. Second call is a call to 222 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:56,920 watchfulness. And the call comes in verse 18 223 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:00,120 where he says keep alert. That's the imperative. 224 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:04,440 Stay awake, keep alert, and do it with all perseverance. 225 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:09,320 Interestingly, probably only interestingly for me is the word 226 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:11,960 vigilante. If you study that word, 227 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:15,840 vigilante is an individual who takes law enforcement into their 228 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:19,480 own hands without legal authority, which is why it 229 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:21,960 becomes the stuff of legend and comic books. 230 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:27,080 But these vigilantes, they, they see the legitimate agencies as 231 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:30,120 inadequate, and so they operate outside of them. 232 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:33,200 And what's most interesting about this word is that the word 233 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:36,600 vigilante comes from the Latin vigilare, which means to stay 234 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:38,680 awake. They're saying somebody's got to 235 00:12:38,680 --> 00:12:42,640 stay awake and keep watch. And the word vigil means awake 236 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:45,440 or alert and vigilance means watchful. 237 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:48,520 And the word entered our American vocabulary in the 1850s 238 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:51,720 when they they had men who had to keep watch on the frontier 239 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:53,520 when there was no one to keep watch. 240 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:57,520 And it were it originally meant neutrally A watchman. 241 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:00,200 And this is what called Paul's calling us to be. 242 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:01,840 This is what Paul is calling you to be. 243 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:05,000 You are a century. You are a, a soldier standing 244 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,280 guard and keeping guard. You are vigilant. 245 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,320 And this theme of watchfulness, this call to watchfulness is a 246 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:13,320 theme throughout the the New Testament. 247 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:16,280 So it's actually a major theme of the New Testament. 248 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:19,920 You go to Matthew 24 to 25 that the parables there are called 249 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:23,000 parables of vigilance because Jesus keeps commanding his 250 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,720 church to stay awake and to keep watching, to be prepared for 251 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:28,560 that day. And what does it mean to be 252 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:33,200 awake? Theologians see several layers 253 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:35,640 or levels of wakefulness. I want to introduce you to the 254 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:38,480 the three levels. The first one is Christological. 255 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:42,560 There's a Christological wakefulness, which means this is 256 00:13:42,560 --> 00:13:46,200 our call to be alert and awake. And it's rooted in Jesus's 257 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:48,720 alertness and awakeness and vigilance. 258 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:52,760 We're following after our Master and our Savior who was awake. 259 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:56,720 He, he applies to himself the metaphor of a shepherd, in part 260 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:59,480 because the shepherd is vigilant in watching over the sheep when 261 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:00,720 they can't watch over themselves. 262 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:05,520 He says I am the Good Shepherd. He, he puts it as and John 10 as 263 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:07,840 opposed to these careless hirelings that really don't care 264 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:09,920 about the sheep. And so he sees them and he 265 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:11,960 guards them. The, the hirelings see the wolf 266 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:15,640 coming and they leave. He says I am the Good Shepherd. 267 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:17,680 The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 268 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:21,600 He was a hired hand and not a shepherd sees the wolf coming 269 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:24,080 and leaves the sheep and flees and the wolf snatches and 270 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,040 scatters them. I am the Good Shepherd. 271 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:30,800 And so Paul takes that language, that imagery of the shepherd, 272 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:34,160 and he actually applies it to the shepherds of local churches. 273 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:37,360 And most important for Ephesians is he, he actually applies it in 274 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:40,320 Acts 20 to the shepherds of the Ephesian church, which is 275 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:43,280 presumably who he's writing to the shepherds and their sheep. 276 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:46,600 He says to them in Acts 20, Pay careful attention to yourselves 277 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:49,560 and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you 278 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:53,160 overseers to care for the Church of God, which He obtained with 279 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:55,800 His own blood. I know that after my departure 280 00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:59,080 fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock, and 281 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,800 from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted 282 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:04,560 things to draw away the disciples after them. 283 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:07,600 Therefore he uses this word, Gregory oh. 284 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:10,520 Therefore keep alert. Be alert. 285 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:14,160 And Gregory, Oh, if you know anyone named Gregory, their name 286 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:18,200 means alert or watchful, vigilant. 287 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,760 As an interesting aside, that's why 16 popes have taken that 288 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:24,960 name for themselves, Pope Gregory, because they want to be 289 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:27,480 alert and vigilant. This is what pastors and leaders 290 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:30,920 of local churches are called to. And Jesus takes that. 291 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:33,200 Paul, you know, Paul applies it to to shepherds and teachers and 292 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:35,480 leaders. Jesus applies it to all of us. 293 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:41,600 He says in Mark 13, as Joshua read for us, he commands his 294 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:45,200 whole church to stay awake and to be watchful for the coming 295 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:48,240 day of Jesus Christ. And so we've said theologians 296 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:49,600 see multiple levels of watchfulness. 297 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:52,160 Well, this is the second. This is what Jesus commands you 298 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:54,800 to. It's an eschatological or an end 299 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:57,040 time watchfulness. We're watching for the end. 300 00:15:57,480 --> 00:15:59,520 And as we watch for the end, we're living in light of the 301 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:01,040 end. This is your wartime mindset. 302 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:04,200 We're not living as if time's going to go on forever because 303 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:06,240 we know Jesus says these are the last days. 304 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:09,480 And because of that, the third level of watchfulness is 305 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:12,640 ethical. Watchfulness has a moral demand 306 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:14,680 of you. It demands a response of you. 307 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:17,880 We are to live holy lives because the end is near. 308 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:21,800 We're to live holy lives because this is it said in the language 309 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:25,680 of Ephesians, Our armor doesn't come off until Christ comes and 310 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:28,400 he's not here yet. And so we leave it on. 311 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:31,640 We keep our righteousness going before us. 312 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:34,600 And so helpful to understand this, I'm going to put another 313 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:36,360 word on you. We taught this word to our 314 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:38,080 Wednesday night tips for teaching class. 315 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:43,800 You have to be awake because of this word, soporific. 316 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:47,520 Anybody know the definition of soporific tending to produce 317 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:50,960 sleepiness? This was Paul's sermon when he 318 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:52,280 preaches. And there's the guy in the 319 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:54,040 window, poor little, what was his name? 320 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:57,560 Eudicus. He preaches and he, he wasn't 321 00:16:57,560 --> 00:16:59,600 interesting enough. So Uticus falls asleep and he 322 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,720 falls out the window and dies. So that's my warning to my 323 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:04,680 preaching tips for teaching Class B. 324 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:10,560 Don't be boring. People could die soporific. 325 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:15,160 Stay awake, keep awake, morally charged readiness. 326 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:17,319 The world will lull you into a kind of sleep. 327 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:20,880 Scripture picks up on this metaphor of sleepiness. 328 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:25,040 Jesus warns Luke 814. He says, As for the seed that 329 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:28,280 fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go 330 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:32,280 on their way, they are choked by the cares and the riches and the 331 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:35,040 pleasures of this world. Be on guard for these very 332 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:37,880 things. You're choked by the cares and 333 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:41,880 riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 334 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:46,160 The rich fool in Luke 1219 to 20 says, soul, you have ample goods 335 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:51,000 laid up for many years, so therefore relax, eat, drink and 336 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:55,440 be merry. And that's not the wartime 337 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:59,520 mindset that Jesus had in mind. He actually says to him, You 338 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:02,800 fool, tonight your soul will be required of you. 339 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:05,920 Take care of him. Going all the way back to the 340 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:07,800 beginning. Moses says, stealing time from 341 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:12,000 our next message, Take care lest you forget your God. 342 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:13,840 This is his way of saying, stay awake. 343 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:18,240 He says, lest you have eaten and are full, and you've built good 344 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:20,680 houses and you live in them, and your silver and your gold is 345 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:22,920 multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied. 346 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,200 And he says, then your heart will be lifted up and you will 347 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:28,320 forget your God. So as you, how did you get the 348 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:31,040 house you want, as you get the raise, as you get the salary, as 349 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:33,680 your money increases, and as God blesses you, by the way, as he 350 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,200 says he will when you live according to the principles of 351 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:39,560 the word, take care, stay awake lest you forget Him. 352 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:42,000 He says to the Church of Laodicea. 353 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:44,360 John does in Revelation. You say, I am rich, I have 354 00:18:44,360 --> 00:18:48,480 prospered, I need nothing. Those are the words of a sleepy 355 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:52,040 church. So comfort and prosperity lead 356 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:55,280 to pride. Pride leads to forgetfulness and 357 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:57,760 forget. Forgetfulness is is a damnable 358 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:00,280 estate. It's a dangerous, dangerous 359 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:02,040 place to be. The command of the church is 360 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:06,840 this stay awake, Paul that the Thessalonians says it in these 361 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:09,520 words. Let us not sleep as other people 362 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:12,960 do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 363 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:15,960 What is he talking about? He's talking about 364 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:18,920 entertainment. Entertainment is everywhere. 365 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:23,120 Pleasure is everywhere. To be had, comfort, distraction. 366 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:26,840 There's a momentum of your life along the path that you've 367 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:31,120 already set it on. And is is is that momentum there 368 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:34,520 because it's easy and it's the path of least resistance or are 369 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:36,320 on you? Are you on this path because 370 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:38,880 you're in a wartime mindset and this is where you can produce 371 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:42,440 the greatest fruitfulness for the Kingdom in this war? 372 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:45,960 You have to stop and ask critically in, in a moment of a 373 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:49,440 personal awareness and alertness, say, am I on the path 374 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:52,960 that I'm on because it's right and good and beautiful and true? 375 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:55,280 Or am I on the path because it's easy? 376 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:59,040 You have to be awake. You have to ask yourself, and 377 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:00,560 you can't ask yourself this at a restaurant. 378 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:02,880 The world distracts you. You step into a restaurant and 379 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:05,560 there's the sports channel and there's fails going on on this 380 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:08,480 TV and here's trivia and everything else and they're 381 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:10,280 trying to distract you so you don't even understand how long 382 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,640 it's taking to get your food. You can't think with all these 383 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:15,960 distractions. You have to get alert and get 384 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:23,000 away and pray there was a time. Years ago I this was very aware 385 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:23,800 to me. I had a day. 386 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:26,200 You've had days like this. You wake up late, hit the snooze 387 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:29,560 bar one too many times. You Sprint to work, no shower. 388 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:34,120 Worked hard all day, worked through lunch, very short lunch. 389 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:37,440 Had plans with my friends when I got off of work. 390 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:39,560 So got off of work, had a podcast all the way to their 391 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:44,480 house, stepped into that room with board games and pizza and 392 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:48,960 flashing lights and music and left his house at 11:00 PM. 393 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:52,280 And I remember leaving the house and it was dark outside and I 394 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:54,320 was like, when did this happen? When did it turn dark? 395 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:58,040 It was dark when I left. And just remember, he has a very 396 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:01,280 long driveway and I'm walking down this driveway and I hear 397 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:03,760 tinnitus and ringing in my own ear. 398 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:07,520 And it was my wake up call to realize I've been awake. 399 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:10,680 I've been asleep all day. I was asleep until 11:00 PM. 400 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:13,920 And if God wanted to tell me anything, if you wanted to 401 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:15,880 whisper anything to me, if I was going to be sensitive to 402 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:18,000 anything of the Lord, he would have had to wait until this 403 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:21,080 moment apart from the car crash. Or the Lord has a way of getting 404 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:22,760 your attention. But I was not alert to the 405 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:27,320 things of God until 11:00 PM. And this is in part what he's 406 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:29,760 talking about. He's saying keep alert, stay 407 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:34,160 awake, be watchful, don't get distracted, don't get involved 408 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:35,960 in the flow of life. Don't question whether what 409 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:38,160 you're doing is good and beautiful and true. 410 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:41,680 But look at ask the question, what may the Lord be demanding 411 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:45,360 of me? What, what may he be asking me 412 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:48,960 to leverage on behalf of this spiritual war? 413 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:54,560 Am I awake or have I fallen asleep? 414 00:21:56,880 --> 00:22:01,320 Call to arms, a call to war, a call to wakefulness. 415 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:03,080 And the third call is a call to prayer. 416 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:06,840 And I want you to think, if you've ever gone to two or a 417 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:09,840 castle, if you've ever gone to the Tower of London, if you ever 418 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:12,320 go to a museum, what do they put out front right there when you 419 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:14,960 walk in the premier places? What do people want to see? 420 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:18,640 We want to see the swords. We want to see the cannons. 421 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:21,400 We want to see the Shields. We want to see all the cool, 422 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:24,320 manly old stuff that they had at the weapons, the armaments in 423 00:22:25,120 --> 00:22:28,320 Warcraft. Because that it's saying that 424 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:33,160 this defensive structure, this nation did some pretty cool 425 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,080 things. It just tells us something 426 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:38,440 interesting happened here. They they weathered conflict. 427 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:40,200 The people here accomplished great things. 428 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:44,040 Everything about swords and Shields communicates action, and 429 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:46,640 in the same way, everything in Ephesians 6 orients us. 430 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:51,280 It screams action, communicates action, and it gears us toward 431 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:52,080 it. The armor is on. 432 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:54,760 We put on the armor the sword truth, the breastplate of 433 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:56,320 righteousness, the shield of faith. 434 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:58,640 We've taken the helmet of salvation in the shoes of 435 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:00,800 readiness. We've wrapped ourselves in zeal 436 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:04,440 as a cloak, and by this we can withstand all the flaming darts 437 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:06,160 of the evil 1. And then he finally says, And 438 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:09,680 we, we've been given our swords. And Paul says, now that your 439 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:12,400 armor's on, now that I have your attention, now that you're 440 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:14,760 listening, now that you're awake, now that you understand 441 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:16,800 that you're in a war, now that you're vigilant, here's what I 442 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:18,320 want you to. Here's what I want you to do. 443 00:23:19,120 --> 00:23:24,800 Go in your inner room, close the door, get on your knees, close 444 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:29,640 your eyes and pray. This is Jesus recommendation for 445 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:31,560 spiritual warfare. I hope you feel the contrast 446 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:34,440 there of you're in a battle and here's your armor and now go to 447 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:36,320 your inner room and close the door. 448 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:38,920 Have your having your armor on. I want you to take the most 449 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:41,280 humble and vulnerable position possible. 450 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:46,480 It's the same position as one who's being executed and turn 451 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:50,760 the lights off and and pray and prayer is a wonderful tool 452 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:52,680 because it has great power and it's working. 453 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:54,040 It's how spiritual progress is made. 454 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:56,320 And this is just a reminder. It's his strength. 455 00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:58,960 He's going to say here in verse 18 that you're praying in the 456 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:01,200 Spirit. You can't move mountains, but 457 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:05,400 when you pray, God can. It's just a reminder that this 458 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:09,200 is a humbling and utterly humiliating thing. 459 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:10,720 It's showing in our natural way of thinking. 460 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:13,480 There's really nothing less that we can do in the eyes of the 461 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:16,680 world than to go in our closet and close our eyes. 462 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:19,440 It's foolishness in the eyes of the world. 463 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:23,240 But Jesus says, Paul says from the perspective of God, there's 464 00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:25,520 nothing more powerful. There's no more powerful weapon 465 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,040 than prayer. It's at the heart of spiritual 466 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:30,560 warfare. So Paul says we're praying and 467 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:32,560 we're praying in the Spirit. This is what it means to be 468 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:36,040 strong in his strength. We're not strong only in our 469 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:38,760 spiritual gifts and we're not strong only in our natural 470 00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:42,160 affinities that he's given us, but we're strong in the Lord. 471 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:46,880 And so he sets prayer off here as distinct from this, the 472 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:50,080 spiritual weapons and the armor. It's not attached to a piece of 473 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,720 armor, but it's very important, as we've already said, that 474 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:55,840 verse 17 ends, at least in my translation, with a comma. 475 00:24:56,120 --> 00:24:58,520 And the commentators make much of this because he's saying it's 476 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:01,240 still connected. It's the same, the grammar 477 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:03,000 continues, it's the same thought. 478 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:05,920 Along with the armor of God is prayer. 479 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:08,800 And it answers, How are we supposed to be watchful? 480 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:11,480 You're to put on the armor of God and you're to pray. 481 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:14,240 You're the sentry on the wall. You're looking out as you see 482 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:16,560 things in the world, as you see the things that are happening in 483 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:20,000 the war, You pray. That's how you're putting on 484 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:22,280 this armor. And it's actually given more 485 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:25,720 attention than any individual piece of armor is, which is why 486 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:29,760 Charles and his song Soldiers of the Soldiers of Christ arise. 487 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:32,080 He calls the church to put their armor on. 488 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:34,120 And he says, pray without ceasing pray. 489 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:38,600 Your captain gives the word he summons cheerfully obey and call 490 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:41,800 upon the Lord to God. Your every want an instant 491 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:45,200 prayer display. Pray, always pray and never 492 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:47,360 faint. Pray without ceasing. 493 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:51,640 Pray another song by Duffields in the same thinking. 494 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:53,640 He says stand up, stand up for Jesus. 495 00:25:54,120 --> 00:25:57,720 Put on the gospel armor. Each piece put on with prayer. 496 00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:01,400 When Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane and he needs strength 497 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:03,280 for the task that was ahead of him, what does he ask the 498 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:08,800 disciples to do? 2 things, watch and pray. 499 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:11,920 And he rebukes them, saying, could you not stay awake? 500 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:14,920 Could you not be alert with me for even an hour? 501 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:17,200 And he says, my betrayer is at hand. 502 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:20,760 And so the watchful life is a prayerful life. 503 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:23,200 We're called to watch and pray. Read with me again. 504 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:27,240 Ephesians 618 to 20, you'll see this theme. 505 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:30,000 He says praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and 506 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:33,320 supplication to that end, keep alert with all perseverance, 507 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:37,120 making supplication for all the Saints and also for me, that 508 00:26:37,120 --> 00:26:39,760 words may be given to me and opening my mouth bold to 509 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:42,280 proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which I am an 510 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:46,400 ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly as I ought. 511 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,960 And so prayer and and being awake and being alert is, is a 512 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,880 dangerous thing because it makes you face yourself right. 513 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:57,440 You've got the distractions away and now it's just you and God 514 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:02,760 and it's very vulnerable time. It's why I think husbands 515 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:05,440 praying with their wives is, is such a difficult thing to do 516 00:27:06,120 --> 00:27:09,120 because you're, you're burying yourself before God, you're 517 00:27:09,120 --> 00:27:11,600 being completely vulnerable and you're doing it with somebody 518 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:14,400 else. So it's, it takes effort. 519 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:17,840 And as Paul calls you to pray, he gives instructions here on 520 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:21,440 how you're supposed to pray. There's four kind of 521 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:23,320 instructions that he he ties to this. 522 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:24,920 This is the first thing. How are we to pray? 523 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:26,800 Number 1, he says you pray at all times. 524 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:30,440 You could say praying with every opportunity. 525 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:31,800 You're the century, you're looking out. 526 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:33,840 What you see you bring to God in prayer. 527 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:36,800 And this is the overflow of what we say in the Christian life is 528 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:38,360 koram deo. We live our lives. 529 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:41,440 Koram deo. We're before the face of God in 530 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:44,960 constant communion with God. And it may be sappy, it may be 531 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:47,520 lame, but when I personally think of prayer, the image that 532 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:50,320 comes to my mind is the image of a mountain lake. 533 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:52,920 Some of, you know, if there's a kind of a mountain valley and 534 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:55,920 there's a lake there, it's the stuff of puzzles where the you 535 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:58,440 can't tell where the lake ends and the sky begins because the 536 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:01,360 water reflects the lake. And I think of that because you 537 00:28:01,360 --> 00:28:04,360 don't know where heaven stops and the earth begins. 538 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:07,400 And I think that is a, a wonderful picture of the 539 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:11,240 communion that comes with, with God and men and prayer, right, 540 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:13,800 that there's a, a meeting point between heaven and earth. 541 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:16,880 It's this open channel of communion and communication with 542 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:19,040 God. We say pray at all times, pray 543 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:22,080 with every circumstance, at every opportunity, pray without 544 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:23,960 ceasing. This is why we say prayer is 545 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:27,760 like breathing. We pray at all times. 546 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:32,720 Second, he says we pray with all prayer and supplication with 547 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:35,120 that prayer and supplication. Prayer is just the general word 548 00:28:35,360 --> 00:28:38,800 for prayer. Supplication is or are the 549 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:40,640 specific requests that you bring before God. 550 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:42,880 So you've got the general and the specific. 551 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:45,360 And so he's saying literally through every prayer and 552 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:49,240 petition at every opportunity or occasion, we're praying without 553 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:52,280 ceasing every conceivable form of prayer. 554 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:55,360 So all prayer means all kinds of prayer. 555 00:28:56,200 --> 00:29:00,080 And so when things aren't going according to the plan or how you 556 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:02,080 thought your life should go, then you come to God with a 557 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:04,440 lament. And remember, even the biblical 558 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:08,280 model that lament always ends with a declaration of trust in 559 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:09,840 God. And so you use this formula. 560 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:13,280 You're praying lament when God delays and answering your 561 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:17,800 prayers. You're praying through praise in 562 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:20,280 every circumstance, praising God for who he is, praising God for 563 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:23,080 what he's done, looking for opportunities to praise him. 564 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:26,480 You're you're confessing, confessing where you've fallen 565 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:30,360 short, confessing sin, repenting of sin. 566 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:33,640 You're giving Thanksgiving for everything that he's done. 567 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:35,520 We're, we're, we come with a thankful heart. 568 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:37,960 We bring supplications and petitions, which means our 569 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:42,760 specific prayer requests saying, Lord, save the souls of my 570 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:45,560 children. Lord, heal my broken heart. 571 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:47,760 And then there's intercession where we're praying the same 572 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:49,400 things, but on behalf of other people. 573 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:53,040 Lord save his children, heal her broken heart. 574 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:56,440 We're praying for other people. And you can look and say, where 575 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,960 am I lacking in my praying? Where do I need to diversify and 576 00:29:59,960 --> 00:30:03,960 to to take all kinds of prayers? So there's a comprehensiveness 577 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:07,040 to prayer, which is why he says he adds all occasions, bringing 578 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:10,640 all kinds of prayers on all occasions for all things to God. 579 00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:14,040 It's like breathing. So you see watchfulness and 580 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:16,320 prayer go together, watching and praying. 581 00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:17,560 And as you're watching, you're praying. 582 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:20,160 And so he adds, you do this with perseverance. 583 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,440 The third we're praying with perseverance and perseverance 584 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:27,160 implies hardship. Otherwise he would have just 585 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:29,680 said, hey, be really disciplined as you try and do this every 586 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:31,200 day. You know you're saying, no, 587 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:33,960 it's, it's going to be hard and there's going to be delayed 588 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:36,800 answers to your prayer. And so you need to persevere in 589 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:39,320 prayer. It's why you have to pray 590 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:42,120 through delayed answers and pray through weariness and, and 591 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:44,520 sleepless nights. That's your opportunity. 592 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:46,800 When God wakes you up at 3:00 AM, you can say, Lord, this is 593 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:48,640 my opportunity to come before you. 594 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:50,600 We're praying through discouragement. 595 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:55,440 We're praying through heartache and humiliation, and it gets us 596 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:59,440 through our periods of spiritual stagnation, an experience of 597 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:04,920 guilt and shame. And so we pray and persevere 598 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:07,400 because this is how we persevere, in the strength of 599 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:10,240 the strength of Him. Remembering that Christ is on 600 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:11,840 His throne right now, interceding for us. 601 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:14,560 Remembering that His Holy Spirit is praying for us even now, 602 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:17,320 interceding for us with groanings too deep for words. 603 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:22,040 We pray as he prays, and then he adds finally forth for all the 604 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:24,240 Saints. Paul's already said, you see 605 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:25,880 that again, the comprehensive nature of prayer. 606 00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:28,360 Paul says, take up the whole armor of God twice. 607 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:31,320 He says the whole armor of God, and having done all that is all 608 00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:34,920 that you can, all things, then you will be able to withstand 609 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:37,480 all things. Verse 16, he says in all 610 00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:40,680 circumstances you can extinguish all the flaming arrows. 611 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,240 Verse 18, praying at all times with all prayer and 612 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:45,520 supplication, with all perseverance, making 613 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:50,120 supplication for all the Saints. And so here, all the Saints 614 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:53,160 means everyone in your church. And we've made that easy for 615 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:54,240 you. If you open up your app and you 616 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:57,480 go down to the the very bottom, there's a directory you can pray 617 00:31:57,480 --> 00:31:59,840 for everyone. Open up your directory. 618 00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:02,280 It's a tool in your hands and pray for your church. 619 00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:08,560 And he says in verse 19, Oh, and also for me with, with all this 620 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:10,800 power, all this praying that you're doing, please don't 621 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:14,200 neglect to pray for me. Paul says, I heard a pastor this 622 00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:17,160 week, He said a guy asked him to. 623 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:19,040 He said, I'm committed to praying for you, pastor, I'm 624 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:20,440 going to pray for you for six months. 625 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:23,720 And he said, he said my my gut reaction was why not a year? 626 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:24,760 What do I got to do to get a year? 627 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:26,360 But he says, OK, I'm praying for you for six months. 628 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:29,080 He said, amazingly, I committed to praying for him because if 629 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:31,160 he's committed to praying for me, I don't want anything to 630 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:33,200 happen to him because then no one's praying for me. 631 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:34,640 So he said I started praying for him. 632 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:37,760 You see the reciprocal nature. We pray for the Saints. 633 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:40,480 He says, pray for me. Spurgeon was asked, what's the 634 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:43,280 secret of your ministry? His answer, My people pray for 635 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:45,960 me. And look at what Paul doesn't 636 00:32:45,960 --> 00:32:52,280 ask them to pray for success, a protection from harm or danger, 637 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:57,280 no travel, mercy, prayers from Paul, deliverance from suffering 638 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:01,080 to be spared from opposition. He didn't say remove the thorn, 639 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:02,840 pray that this thorn would be removed. 640 00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:05,040 He didn't pray to get out of jail. 641 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:10,040 Instead he prays verse 19 that the right words would be given 642 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:12,280 him while he proclaims the mystery of the gospel. 643 00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:13,920 He says, I want to get this right. 644 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:15,880 I want to say the right thing at the right time. 645 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:20,240 And verse 20, that I may proclaim the gospel boldly. 646 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:23,680 So his prayer request is for utterance and bold speech. 647 00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:26,840 And then he says, as I ought to speak, help me to speak, as I 648 00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:31,360 must speak, as I should speak. And then we come to these last 649 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:34,840 four verses, the final greeting and the final benediction. 650 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:37,600 And you, when you read these 4 verses, you're, you're really 651 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:40,400 getting the sense more than the rest of the letter that you're 652 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:43,880 reading somebody else's mail. You can read with me verses 21 653 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:46,200 to 24. We'll see the final words of 654 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:49,680 Paul, he says, so that you may know how I am and what I'm 655 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:52,040 doing. Take a kiss, the beloved brother 656 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:54,160 and faithful minister, and the Lord will tell you everything. 657 00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:56,880 I've sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know 658 00:33:56,880 --> 00:33:59,560 how we are and that he may encourage your hearts. 659 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:04,640 Peace be to the brothers and love with faith from God the 660 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:06,080 Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. 661 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:10,199 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus with love 662 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:14,880 incorruptible. He brings up this man Tychicus, 663 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:20,639 who's probably, as we are not known names in Scripture, we're 664 00:34:20,639 --> 00:34:23,560 probably not going to be remembered for all of our work. 665 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:27,520 But Tychicus is an unsung hero. He was the one who carried the 666 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:29,000 Ephesian letter. He's the one who carried the 667 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:31,960 Colossian letter. He's named in the book of 668 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:35,159 Philemon, who probably carried that letter to Onyismus. 669 00:34:35,159 --> 00:34:37,120 And so he was the one that carried the word of God. 670 00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:42,960 He's Paul's scribe, which means that he may have been discussing 671 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:46,080 these scriptures with Paul even as he's writing them. 672 00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:48,440 And so we don't know what kind of role that he has. 673 00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:51,600 But Paul says of Tikakis, he's going to tell you everything, 674 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:53,600 and he's going to encourage your heart. 675 00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:59,920 He was Paul's ministry partner. And you move even past him. 676 00:34:59,920 --> 00:35:03,560 Alan says of this, this final greeting, that the epistle began 677 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:07,320 with such a lengthy, unrelenting word of blessing, talking about 678 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:10,120 verses 3 to 14. And he says, and he returns to 679 00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:12,040 the posture of benediction at the close. 680 00:35:12,720 --> 00:35:16,080 The enveloping nature of blessing is perhaps a lens for 681 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:18,160 how the entire epistle Canon should be read. 682 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:21,120 We're reading this as a blessed church with our identity in 683 00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:22,800 Christ. He says it began with blessing. 684 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:24,680 It ends in blessing. It began with grace and peace. 685 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:28,960 It ends with grace and peace. And these, this closing comes in 686 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:32,040 the form of a benediction. And Paul's showing us with what 687 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:34,280 he's doing with the words that he's saying is that we can be 688 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:37,760 joyful in every circumstance. Remember where he is, He's under 689 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:43,080 house arrest, arrested, chained to a prayatorian guard, and he's 690 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:45,960 writing these beautiful things. He's showing you that God's 691 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:49,040 presence can be known and trusted truly in every 692 00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:51,240 circumstance. We read this and we forget he's 693 00:35:51,240 --> 00:35:56,600 in jail and he he prays 4 things here at the end, 4 things are 694 00:35:56,600 --> 00:36:01,200 given over and blessing, peace, love, faith and grace. 695 00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:04,440 And again, the epistle began with grace and peace. 696 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:08,760 Peace, love, grace and faith are woven throughout the whole 697 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:10,640 epistle. And now he kind of binds them 698 00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:14,120 all together at the end. And he ends with these words. 699 00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:16,840 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus with love 700 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:20,520 incorruptible, and that means incorruptible by death. 701 00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:24,400 So the epistle begins with the love of God and eternity past, 702 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:27,560 and it ends with the love of God and turning into eternity 703 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:31,920 future. So how do we end our study of 704 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:33,880 Ephesians? How do we end the queen of the 705 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:37,000 Epistles? Look at Paul's final application 706 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:38,560 one more time. He says in light of everything 707 00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:40,440 that you've learned, remember your new identity. 708 00:36:41,720 --> 00:36:43,680 And in light of everything that you've learned, he says there's 709 00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:47,080 a call to war. Be strong in the Lord and in the 710 00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:50,760 strength of his strength. And he says, put on the whole 711 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:56,200 armor of God that you may stand. And his final application is be 712 00:36:56,200 --> 00:36:59,520 vigilant and pray. And I want to end with the 713 00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:02,200 Lord's Supper, and I want to end again by praying with you. 714 00:37:02,200 --> 00:37:05,480 Would you bow your head as we go before the throne of grace? 715 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:12,160 O Lord God, thank you for Paul. Thank you for his words. 716 00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:16,800 Lord, may we be changed and may we take these things we've 717 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:18,880 learned and press them on our memories and in our hearts and 718 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:21,760 our conscience, our will and our affections, so that we can live 719 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:23,920 out the ideal that you've put before us. 720 00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:25,200 These are the fundamentals of the faith. 721 00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:28,240 Lord, You've taken us all the way back to the beginning, to 722 00:37:28,240 --> 00:37:30,800 the basics, teaching us that we've been adopted. 723 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:32,280 We've been predestined for adoption. 724 00:37:32,280 --> 00:37:35,240 We're loved, grace and peace and love and faith have been 725 00:37:35,240 --> 00:37:37,960 multiplied to us through the Lord Jesus Christ. 726 00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:41,160 And there's no earth identity out there that we have to earn 727 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:43,520 or maintain or keep up. We are children of God. 728 00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:45,840 Impress on us all of these things. 729 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:49,200 Lord, be with us as we move on and we look toward Deuteronomy. 730 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:54,200 Bless our time there, God. Keep us awake and vigilant until 731 00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:56,600 that last day. We pray this in Christ's name, 732 00:37:57,240 --> 00:38:00,680 Amen. Thanks for listening. 733 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:03,400 To learn more about Heritage Church or if you'd like to 734 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:05,840 respond to this sermon, visit our website at 735 00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:09,520 www.heritageshawnee.org.