Greetings and welcome to the last day of November, also an Aloha Friday. Hard to believe that tomorrow is December, just a short 25 days until Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, lets talk. I’ve been on a soap box lately about the meaning of our observed ‘holidays’ and that some of them aren’t even celebrated for what they mean. Christmas has to be at the top of the heap. Christmas is meant to celebrate one thing and one thing only, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Period. Every other single thing that is attached to it is nothing more than paraphernalia that is meant to detract. Not just as a Christian does this drive me crazy but also as an organizational freak that loves order and common sense. What would you think if I said in observance of Flag Day we were going to not have any flags. What? How can you have Flag Day without flags? I mean, that’s what its meant to do, celebrate the flag of the United States of America. How about Arbor Day. What if I said we would celebrate Arbor day but we should not mention trees. What? That is just plain silly. To deny or omit the specific thing a holiday was developed to recognize is just insanity.
So I went up to help out Margie at her store last week and Hulen Mall is all decorated up for ‘Christmas.’ It’s kinda funny what society thinks Christmas is. The parking lot is decorated with lights, wreaths, and reindeers, but of course, no mention of Jesus. On the inside right outside of Margie’s store is the whole Santa's Village setup. I like Santa as much as the next guy, but what does He have to do with the factual birth of Jesus Christ? I’ve even seen a trend lately of having a kneeling Santa inserted into the Nativity! What? What? Santa Claus at the Birth of Christ? That's just historically atrocious. As I walked through the mall I had a thought. This Holy Day is meant to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, right? If I walk this mall, can I find even ONE example of this in this entire mall? It’s a challenge and I’m going to do it one day before Christmas. I’m going to walk every foot of that mall and see if I can find even one image or declaration of the birth of Jesus Christ. I’ll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, encourage Christmas to be celebrated for simply what it is. To celebrate the birth of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. It’s not about trees and lights. It’s not about Santa and gifts. It’s not about snowmen and reindeers. And it’s not a ‘holiday’ it’s a HOLY DAY. I will kindly step off my soapbox for now, but I’m keeping it close.
This morning we find ourselves in Ephesians chapter 3. Paul is continuing on in his letter to the church at Ephesus. In the first 2 chapters we have seen that the church is not a building but a body. A body of believers that comes together to worship, serve each other, give out the Word of God and to do the work of the Lord.
In chapter 3 today, Paul tells us the church is a mystery. The word mystery is used 27 times in the New Testament but not every reference is the same. Here in chapter 3 Paul is not only telling us it’s a mystery but he’s also clearly revealing the mystery to us. Before we get into the mystery its important to look at the root of the word. When we think of a mystery today, we think of Agatha Christie and somebody getting murdered in a dark castle on a stormy night. It’s a mystery, who did it? Not here. The Greek translation should really be looked at here as “divine secret.” It’s basically something that was not revealed in the Old Testament that is now being revealed in the New Testament.
So what is the mystery of the church?
“The mystery is that the gentiles are fellow heirs, member of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Jesus Christ through the Gospel.” Eph 3:6
In the Old testament the Jew and Gentiles were oil and water. Not so in the New Testament. Not so because of the work God did through Paul. Before God called Paul, the Gentiles had no access to the Gospel. Listen to Paul clarify his call a few verses later:
“To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things.” Eph 3:8-9.
God’s plan was and always will be, to make access to Him through His Son Jesus Christ something that every person has availability to. God wants every person on the entire planet to hear of His Son and what He did, so that we can all have a home in Heaven with Him. This is God’s plan. So how does it get done? Can’t God get a big God helicopter and drop bibles all over the planet? Well I guess He could do that, it would be pretty effectual, I guess. If He did, I bet His helicopter would be really cool. I kinda think it would have some really cool graphics down the side. Maybe a flaming lion or something. And it would definitely have turbo. And a snack bar. And a really good stereo. I know what you’re saying….you should live in this head for just one day…
Back on topic, how does the Word of God go out? It gets done through US. Not just other people. Not just Pastors and missionaries. YOU AND ME. We simple give out the Word of God. If you give out the Word of God in Dallas and I give out the Word of God in Fort Worth and somebody else does in Nigeria, Canada, China and India, then the world will hear. It’s our job.
The last half of the chapter, from verses 14-21, Paul prays for the church. What a beautiful prayer. He starts out with “for this reason I bow my knees before the Father.” (Eph 3:14) We have so many instances in God’s Word of His people kneeling before Him in prayer. How about this one “And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed.” Do you remember who this was? Jesus.
Question. When was the last time you fell on your face to pray? We read this verse and just by the posture of Jesus we get a sense of His desperate need for the Father. We get a sense of a humble, simple, reverent posture before the Father. I’m not saying that you have to kneel for God to hear you, that’s simply not true. But let me ask you another question. Have you ever been around when someone else is kneeling to pray? At Southcliff every Sunday we a have a time in the service where you can bring down prayer requests to the front and pray. I watch these people. I try to imagine what heavy burdens they are bringing to the Lord. Some stand and pray and some walk that aisle and fall on their faces before the Lord. I can see the difference in the posture. It brings tears to my eyes. I can feel their cries to the Lord. When we fall to our knees we are nothing. When the world brings us to our knees we fall to our knees. Pain can do that. Every morning I start out on my knees in prayer. I don’t think it makes God hear my prayers any better but my friends, in my heart, being on my knees in front of my Heavenly Father just feels right. It just feels good. It’s where I belong.
As Paul is closing his prayer, there’s one line that especially spoke to me.
“And to know the Love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the goodness of God.” Eph 3:19
I always ponder love. Even before we accept Christ we are able to love. Lost or saved, the world has the ability to love. So can love go deeper? Does love have levels? Can you possibly love more? Is there a limit to love? The answer is yes to all. We can love deeper than we’ve ever imagined. How? The answer is Jesus Christ. When we accept Christ as our Lord, we’re told we become new creatures. (2 Cor 5:17) Though this re-birth we receive the ability to really love. We get a glimpse of the love that Jesus has for this world. My friends, the closer you can focus on the love of Jesus, the more you will be able to love. But how deep does it go? Very deep. Paul’s prayer says that he longs for them to “know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.” I paraphrase that as “to know the love of Christ that surpasses the knowledge and capability of mankind.”
You see if love goes to 10, we as humans, even saved humans, cannot get there. Our human emotional system does not have the capability to truly love at a 10. So how are we afforded to truly see a glimpse of what it is to love with a love that surpasses our human ability? 2 words….Holy Spirit. Look at the verse that follows:
“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.” Eph 3:20
When reading God’s Word I came to understand that “you need God to understand God.” Meaning that without the help of the Holy Spirit, we can never truly understand the power and depth of His Word. Work that same thought over to Love. “You need God to Love like God.” We need to completely rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us into a love that surpasses our knowledge. The Holy Spirit will teach us a new love. A love that does not got to 10 but goes all the way to 11. (that was for you Margie)
Well, I hope this morning’s 5 minute challenge, made you think. Think deeper about God and the walk He has for you today. But please remember, the 5 minute challenge is not just you reading what I write. The 5MC is a challenge for you to get into God’s Word for 5 minutes every day. That’s not the challenge though. The challenge is to do it every day for 30 DAYS IN A ROW. I hope you accept the challenge. And when you do, will you do me a huge favor? Message me or call me at the end of the 30 days and let’s talk. I would love to hear about how God changed your world in a short 30 days.
God bless you all and as Paul said, May God’s Holy Spirit allow you to know a love today that surpasses all you have ever known.
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