Please turn in your Bibles this morning to Ephesians chapter 3 as we look at a man who had the proper perspective of the situation he was in and how that impacted his life. You see, if you truly believe in something, if it has truly impacted your life, then nothing is going to stop you from sharing those truths with others as this story illustrates for us. We are told:
In 1917, a small handful of men set out to bring about a worldwide revolution. Within just a few decades, they had succeeded in building an empire that held more than one-third of the world’s population in its grip. How did it happen?
At least in part, the answer lies in their devotion to a cause and their willingness to sacrifice their lives for that cause. Their mission and the outcome of their efforts were undeniably evil. Yet the rise of the Communist Party is one of the most striking examples in human history of the meaning of total surrender.
Douglas Hyde was a one-time Communist Party leader in England. In 1947, he defected from the party and spent the rest of his life endeavoring to expose the movement. In his thought-provoking book, Dedication and Leadership, Hyde highlighted some of the principles practiced by the communist Party that he felt Christians would do well to embrace.
The theme of wholehearted dedication and sacrifice is a recurring one in Hyde’s book. He pointed out, for example, that “practically every party member is a dedicated man in whose life, from the time he rises in the morning until the time he goes to bed at night, for 365 days a year, Communism is the dominant force.” Hyde described Communists as “100 percenters in a world of 50 percenters.”
Years ago, I came across a letter written by a young Communist Party member to his fiancée, explaining why he felt compelled to break off their engagement. His letter illustrates the type of sacrificial mind-set that was characteristic of many who devoted themselves to the Communist revolution:
There is one thing about which I am in dead earnest and that is the Socialist cause. It is my life, my business, my religion, my hobby, my sweetheart, my wife, my mistress, my bread and my meat. I work at it in the daytime, I dream of it at night. Its hold on me grows, not lessens as time goes on. I shall be in it the rest of my life.
When you think of me, it is necessary to think of Socialism as well because I am inseparably bound to it. Therefore, I can’t carry on a friendship, a love affair, or even a conversation without relating it to this force which both drives and guides my life. I evaluate people, books, ideas and notions according to how they affect the Socialist cause and by their attitude toward it.
I’ve already been in jail because of my ideas, and if necessary, I’m willing to go before a firing squad. A certain percentage of us get killed or imprisoned; even for those who escape these harsher ends, life is no bed of roses. A genuine radical lives in virtual poverty. He turns back to the party every penny he makes above what is absolutely necessary to keep him alive. Radicals don’t have the time or money for many movies or concerts or t-bone steaks or decent homes or new cars.
We’ve been described as fanatics. We are. Our lives are dominated by one great over-shadowing factor – the struggle for Socialism.
The meteoric [dramatic] rise of Communism in our world cannot be explained, in my opinion, apart from a willingness to make what most would consider extreme sacrifices for a cause.
The example of those devoted to the cause of Communism prompts those of us who claim to believe the Truth to examine our own level of sacrifice and surrender: Is our relationship with Jesus Christ the center of our existence? Like the young Communist, does our every act revolve around ‘the cause’ – in our case, the cause of Christ?
- Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Surrender, pp. 89-92
As we are going to see this morning, Paul was a man whose life was not only
focused on Christ but he was also centered on Christ, every part of his day was focused on Christ. The Lord filled and overflowed his life and because of that he lived what he believed no matter the situation he found himself in. With that said, let’s begin reading in Ephesians chapter 3, starting in verse 1, and my prayer as we leave here this morning is that we too would have a proper perspective of things – that God is in control of all that comes our way!
Paul was in prison in Rome for his preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and bringing the message of reconciliation to the Gentiles, a mystery that was once hidden but now was revealed to Paul by God. Paul opens up this chapter by saying, “For this reason . . .” which refers to the blessings of God found in chapter 1 and then, moving into chapter 2 we see that we are a new creation in Christ (v. 15); that all believers have been united together into one body (v.16); that the Gentiles who were far off have been brought near (v. 17); that all believers are equal citizens of God’s kingdom, we are members of His family (v.19); and all believers are being built into God’s temple (vv. 21-22).
Now here is the thing, Paul was not a prisoner of Rome even though that is where he was imprisoned at the time – maybe for some 5 years now including his two years he was imprisoned in Caesarea. Paul was not a prisoner of Nero even though he appealed to Caesar to hear his case. He was not even a prisoner of the Jews who caused all this trouble for Paul, starting a riot in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount. They tried to kill Paul because they thought he brought a Gentile past the court of the Gentiles and into the court of the Israelites, which was forbidden, (Acts 21:27-35). Paul tells us that he is a prisoner of Jesus Christ, God was in control, God was for him and thus, no one could be truly against him and win or subvert the plan of God!
What a great and proper perspective to have in any situation we as Christians find ourselves in. Paul’s life was given to the Lord as a living sacrifice. In fact, Paul tells us in Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” The Amplified Bible puts this verse like this, “I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.” Why did Paul say that we are to give our lives to God? One of the reasons is because of all that God has given to us, freely and thus, as we give our lives totally to Him it is a form of worship unto Him!
Also, it is what the Lord has done for us, the example He has shone to us as Hebrews 9:14 tells us, and again this is from The Amplified Bible, “How much more surely shall the blood of Christ, Who by virtue of [His] eternal Spirit [His own preexistent divine personality] has offered Himself as an unblemished sacrifice to God, purify our consciences from dead works and lifeless observances to serve the [ever] living God?” You see, if our Lord gave Himself as a living sacrifice for us, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world, then as His servant Paul was willing to lay his life down as a living sacrifice unto God, to use it as He wills and through it Paul was worshiping the Lord!
Thus, the first place for us as Christians to start is giving our lives totally over to God as a living sacrifice, that we are not our own but belong to another, the Lord. It is after we make that decision that we then live it out, we give to the Lord more than just our “spare time” but our entire lives for Him to use when and where He wants. We are His servants!
This may sound strange or foreign to you but it really shouldn’t be. Think about it this way, in your marriage, you came to that place where you became one, giving yourself over to the other person, and then, after you said, “I do!” it is a lifelong process of living what you committed yourself to. The same is true with the Lord, the moment we surrender to Him as Lord and Savior we then begin that lifelong process of living what we are committed to, the Lord!
In our marriage, for example, everything is great until the first problem comes up and then you may wonder, “What have I done? What did I get myself into?” That is because you lost the focus of what you had, a love that gave all to the other person and now you are focused on self, you love yourself more than you do your spouse!
The same can happen in our relationship with the Lord. Things are going great, no difficulty, everything is just perfect but then this huge trial comes your way and before long you wonder, “What have I done? What did I get myself into?” Then, like in many marriages, you drop out, you move away from a life of surrender to the Lord and you, as a living sacrifice have jumped off the altar of sacrifice and ran away! That is why they tied the animals down!
Again, if that is the case it shows that you have lost the perspective of the situation. You feel because it is tough, hard, there is work involved, persecution has come upon you, that this must not be of God or that God doesn’t love you! That is wrong, look at Jesus who came and fulfilled the will of the Father, He did good, He healed people and they crucified Him! Listen to what Jesus said in John 15:18-21, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.”
Many times it is how you look at things. A good example of this is when Sir Christopher Wren was building St. Paul’s Cathedral. He was taking a tour of the work that was being done and he came upon a man at work and asked him, “What are you doing?” The man said, “I am cutting this stone to a certain size and shape.” He came to the second man and asked him what he was doing, and he said, “I am earning so much money at my work.” He came upon a third man and again asked what he was doing and the man paused for a moment, straightened himself and said, “I am helping Sir Christopher Wren build St. Paul’s Cathedral.”
You see, all three men had a correct response. The difference is that one man had the best response, the best perspective of the situation. The first man was preoccupied with the work he was doing and not focusing on the total picture. It was a narrow self-centered look not being able to focus on what was happening around him or what the total outcome would be. Paul said in Philippians 2:21, “For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.”
Remember the story of Haman in the book of Esther? Haman was the Persian who the King of Persia, Ahasuerus made second in command. But there was a problem, Mordecai, a Jew, refused to bow before Haman, which made him crazy, so much so that he got the king to make a decree to kill all the Jews on a certain date!
One evening the king couldn’t sleep so he got out the chronicles of the kingdom and had them read to him, hoping that might put him to sleep. As he listened he found out that Mordecai saved the king from an assassination attempt and was never rewarded. And in Esther 6:6-9 we are told, “So Haman came in, and the king asked him, ‘What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?’ Now Haman thought in his heart, ‘Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?’ And Haman answered the king, ‘For the man whom the king delights to honor, let a royal robe be brought which the king has worn, and a horse on which the king has ridden, which has a royal crest placed on its head. Then let this robe and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that he may array the man whom the king delights to honor. Then parade him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him: “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!”’”
It was then that Haman found out that Mordecai was the one to be honored instead of him. He was so self-centered, so self-consumed with gaining honor by men that in the end, the gallows that were made for Mordecai by Haman ended up being the place where Haman himself was hung! Thus, don’t get hung up on yourself, that is the wrong focus and it can be dangerous!
The second man was interested with monetary gain. Again, it is a desire that is selfish. Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” You see, this man had his treasure; it was the money he was making. There is nothing wrong with making money unless it is what your life is focused around.
In Luke 12:13-21 we are told, “Then one from the crowd said to Him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ But He said to him, ‘Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?’ And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.’ Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, “What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?” So he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’” But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’” The love of money, possessions, wealth destroyed this man’s life, he was not prepared to meet his Maker and it continues to destroy many lives today!
The third man had his heart focused on the full picture. He knew who he was serving and what the goal of that relationship should be. He was able to see what the final result would be, that is the completion of St. Paul’s Cathedral.
You see, having the correct perspective, the big picture will determine how you will live, what you will do. Who are you serving? It should be the Lord! Do you know the end result of what God is doing? He is preparing us for glory, to be with Him and the rest, He will fill in as we walk with Him on a daily basis. On Thursday I shared with you the story of Paul and Silas being thrown into prison, a Philippian jail and I think it is a great lesson that is important for us to learn and re-learn, hear and hear again.
Paul and Silas were preaching Christ and following them was this demon-possessed girl who cried out, “. . . ‘These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.’ And this she did for many days.” Acts 16:17-18. There was nothing wrong with the message, just the messenger. God does not need demons to proclaim His truths and thus, Paul frees this slave girl from her demon possession, which made her owners angry because by her divination, her fortune-telling they made a good profit and now they lost it all. Thus, they had Paul and Silas thrown into prison.
And in Acts 16:25-34 we are told, “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.’ Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.”
Instead of being angry, mad, bitter, withdrawing from God, they sang praises unto Him which got the attention of the other prisoners and as God caused a great earthquake, freeing the prisoners, the jailer was ready to kill himself because he would have to serve the sentence of all the prisoners that escaped and felt it was better just to die. But none escaped; they were all around Paul and Silas hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ!
When the jailer hears and sees all this he wants to be saved and he also brings Paul and Silas to his house and his household is also saved. I wonder what would have happened if Paul and Silas were not responding like that? God would have used someone else to bring salvation to this Philippian jailer!
Now, how many of us can look at the total picture or be able to trust God in His direction that He is leading us? Can we say as James said, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4.
If God is truly for us then who can be against us? No one can outsmart God or is more powerful than God, thus, we need to rest in that. I believe, without a doubt, that I will not die and go to be with the Lord until He is done with me. It won’t be a moment too soon or too late! Thus, it is not something I worry about for He is in control.
And yes, trials in a person’s life can be difficult but we must understand that God is using them in us for a reason. It produces patience, endurance, and perseverance in our lives. Trials are not something that are empty or useless but if we can learn the lessons from them we can grow in our Christian walk.
Because Paul had a proper perspective of things, all the trials and tribulations that he went through, and you can read of them in II Corinthians 11:23-33, he was still able to say in II Corinthians 4:16-18, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” He saw his afflictions as light and was encouraging the Corinthian believers not to lose hope no matter what they are going through for this body of flesh is not eternal, we are spirit and soul!
You see, whatever may come our way in this life is nothing when compared with eternity with the Lord, being raised up in glory! A proper perspective changes everything! And think of it like this, Woodrow Wilson said, “I would rather lose in a cause that will some day win, than win in a cause that will some day lose.” You will never lose serving the Lord!
As I begin to rap this up this morning, let me share with you this story, it is a little long, but the point is powerful. We are told:
Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before – such was its splendor, its majesty, its strength.
People offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused. “This horse is not a horse to me,” he would tell them. “It is a person. How could you sell a person? He is a friend, not a possession. How could you sell a friend?” The man was poor and the temptation was great. But he never sold the horse.
One morning he found that the horse was not in the stable. All the village came to see him. “You old fool,” they scoffed, “we told you that someone would steal your horse. We warned you that you would be robbed. You are so poor. How could you ever hope to protect such a valuable animal? It would have been better to have sold him. You could have gotten whatever price you wanted. No amount would have been too high. Now the horse is gone, and you’ve been cursed with misfortune.”
The old man responded, “Don’t speak too quickly. Say only that the horse is not in the stable. That is all we know; the rest is judgment. If I’ve been cursed or not, how can you know? How can you judge?”
The people contested, “Don’t make us out to be fools! We may not be philosophers, but great philosophy is not needed. The simple fact is that your horse is gone is a curse.”
The old man spoke again. “All I know is that the stable is empty, and the horse is gone. The rest I don’t know. Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can’t say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will come next?”
The people of the village laughed. They thought that the man was crazy. They had always thought he was a fool; if he wasn’t, he would have sold the horse and lived off the money. But instead, he was a poor woodcutter, an old man still cutting firewood and dragging it out of the forest and selling it. He lived hand to mouth in the misery of poverty. Now he had proven that he was, indeed, a fool.
After fifteen days, the horse returned. He hadn’t been stolen; he had run away into the forest. Not only had he returned, he had brought a dozen wild horses with him. Once again the village people gathered around the woodcutter and spoke. “Old man, you were right and we were wrong. What we thought was a curse was a blessing. Please forgive us.”
The man responded, “Once again, you go too far. Say only that the horse is back. State only that a dozen horses returned with him, but don’t judge. How do you know if this is a blessing or not? You only see a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge? You read only one page of a book. Can you judge the whole book? You read only one word of a phrase. Can you understand the entire phrase?”
“Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. All you have is a fragment! Don’t say that this is a blessing. No one knows. I am content with what I know. I am not perturbed by what I don’t.”
“Maybe the old man is right,” they said to one another. So they said little. But down deep, they knew he was wrong. They knew it was a blessing. Twelve wild horses had returned with one horse. With a little bit of work, the animals could be broken and trained and sold for much money.
The old man had a son, an only son. The young man began to break the wild horses. After a few days, he fell from one of the horses and broke both legs. Once again the villagers gathered around the old man and cast their judgments.
“You were right,” they said. “You proved you were right. The dozen horses were not a blessing. They were a curse. Your only son has broken his legs, and now in your old age you have no one to help you. Now you are poorer than ever.”
The old man spoke again. “You people are obsessed with judging. Don’t go so far. Say only that my son broke his legs. Who knows if it is a blessing or a curse? No one knows. We only have a fragment. Life comes in fragments.”
It so happened that a few weeks later the country engaged in war against a neighboring country. All the young men of the village were required to join the army. Only the son of the old man was excluded, because he was injured. Once again the people gathered around the old man, crying and screaming because their sons had been taken. There was little chance that they would return. The enemy was strong, and the war would be a losing struggle. They would never see their sons again.
“You were right, old man,” they wept. “God knows you were right. This proves it. Your son’s accident was a blessing. His legs may be broken, but at least he is with you. Our sons are gone forever.”
The old man spoke again. “It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. No one knows. Say only this: Your sons had to go to war, and mine did not. No one knows if it is a blessing or a curse. No one is wise enough to know. Only God knows.”
-Max Lucado, In the Eye of the Storm, pp. 144-147
Folks, God is in control, never lose sight of that perspective and He knows what is best. We may not understand things perfectly now, we might have many questions of why these things happened, but Father knows best and one day we will rejoice because of what He has done as we look at the whole picture on the other side, when we go to be with Him!
But why wait, lets rejoice now knowing that God has a plan, He has a purpose for our lives and we can rest in that fact. If we are able to do that then we can say as Paul said in Acts 20:24, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” You see, you won’t be moved from the course that God has set for your life because you have a correct perspective of things – GOD RULES! Thus, we can say as Paul said here in Ephesians chapter 3,“For this reason I Joe (and you can place your name here) . . .” and let God fill in the blank, resting in Him and what He has for us!