Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

This is it.

We have reached the conclusion of Paul’s letter to the Church in Ephesus.

We’ve spent 36 weeks covering a letter containing some of the most grand mysterious of the Almighty and His love for us through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Truth be told, we could start again and discover even more truths.

This is the joy of studying Scripture.

Before we read this conclusion, would you revisit with some of the things we learned from Paul’s letter?

On February 13 we opened this letter and right at the start, Paul is delivering unprecedented truth to us.

God our Father, through our Lord, Jesus Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven (Ephesians 1:3).

I called this the thesis statement of Paul’s letter.

These aren’t just the temporal blessings of the world.

These are the eternal blessings of the Almighty given to you and every believer and the treasure trove of these blessings follows us the rest of the letter.

Then we unpacked a multitude of blessings found in Paul’s massive sentence found in Ephesians 1:3-11.

I went through and identified 32.

In other words, we don’t need to live in defeat or as spiritual paupers.

Paul tells us we have all we need to live victoriously over the curse, stain, and penalty of sin.

Paul uses Ephesians 2-3 to explain the nature of the gospel and our relationship to God through Jesus alone.

That victory is found in one source and one source only, our relationship in Jesus.

In Jesus and only Jesus we have our redemption, our inheritance as God’s adopted children, and our salvation.

In Jesus we find our power and strength to live in godliness.

Because of that our lives are no long futile, but with a divine purpose and because of that we are no longer to live in the same manner of the world.

Our Walk is different (Ephesians 4:1).

Our minds, our knowledge, our understanding, and our hearts are no longer darkened by the power of sin and the lord of sin (Ephesians 4:17-24).

We are new, transformed, and bear the righteousness of Christ (Ephesians 4:23).

And as a result of that transformation of the inner life, the outer life is also transformed (Ephesians 4:23-32).

Our motivations are different and who we live to please is different (Ephesians 5:1-2).

With that, Paul tells us that sin and especially sexual sin and idolatry should not even be named among us (Ephesians 5:3-15).

Not only that.

but the transformation of Christ in our life affects the very core relationship of our life.

Wives submit to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22), husbands love their wives (Ephesians 5:25), children obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1), parents lead godly households (Ephesians 6:3).

Even the relationship between bondservants and masters is utterly transformed (Ephesians 6:9).

By understanding all of this we can and will be strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10).

We realize that we are engaged in a powerful battle that requires our strength.

But our battle is spiritual, not carnal (Ephesians 6:12).

Our victory is guaranteed because our foe is already vanquished and we are given armor to win every battle (Ephesians 6:13).

That armor is comprised of the Belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the show so the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and sword of the spirit (Ephesians 6:14-17).

Lastly Paul tells us that everything is held together through prayer.

(Ephesians 6:18) Prayer is to permeate our lives as a universal practice that is as natural to us as breathing.

We need to be in constant communication with God because the enemy is at constant war with us.

Last week we saw that our prayers are to be in concert with Christ and interceding for the saints.

This week Paul closes with a personal appeal.

In 2005 Barna Reports said, "Prayer is one of three critical spiritual dimensions which most local churches essentially ignore.

Prayer is said to be one of the top priorities in less than four percent of the churches surveyed."

Indeed Paul knew this when he told the church in Ephesus to pray for him specifically.

Prayer is the only force from the church that will emit change.

“To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.”

- Karl Barth

The Beltway sniper attacks were a series of coordinated shootings that took place over three weeks in October 2002 in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Ten people were killed and three other victims were critically injured.

We all know that they were apprehended just a few miles from here at the rest area on I-70.

Most don’t know that it was the power of prayer that led to the apprehension.

Just before the arrest of John Muhammad and Lee Malvo, 50 Christian truckers got together to pray to the snipers would be caught.

Ron Lantz would be retiring as a driver in a few days and didn’t even live in the area, but he felt sure that God would answer their prayers.

A few days later he felt compelled to pull off the highway at the rest stop here in Myersville.

As he pulled in, he saw a car similar to what was being described on the radio.

A chill went up his back as the license plate numbers matched.

He quickly called 911 and remained there for what he said were the longest 15 minutes of his life until the police arrived.

He even pulled his truck across the exit to prevent their escape.

The rest is now history-the snipers were taken into custody without incident.

Ron attributed the power of prayer to their arrest.

When asked what he would do with the award money, he said the half million dollars would simply be given to the victims’ families.

Paul knew the power of prayer and knew that he could do nothing without the churches praying for him.

“Pray also for me,” he said, “that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.

Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (Ephesians 6:19–20).

What a message right here we should pay attention to.

Paul could’ve asked for prayer for all kinds of things.

Money, freedom, provision, health, anything.

What did he ask them to pray for?

Boldness to speak the truth and present the gospel without fear.

He asks that they pray that he might be given words.

Paul seems to have been more eloquent with words than perhaps any other writer in the Bible.

Think of 1 Corinthians 13, the great hymn to love, for example.

Paul was a master of words.

Yet he knew he needed God’s help and blessing that he might choose words that would be effective in reaching others.

(Boice).

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians was Ephesians 1:18 “18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,” The Ephesians prayer for their Pastor was to be bold in his chains.

Paul said, “I am an ambassador in chains”: Chains could mean a prisoner’s shackles, but it could also be used for the gold adornment worn around the neck and wrists of the wealthy and powerful.

On special occasions, ambassadors wore such chains to show the riches, power, and dignity of the government they represented.

Paul considers his prisoner’s chains to actually be the glorious adornment of an ambassador of Jesus Christ.

(Guzik)

Too often our prayers are self-centered or temporal.

Os Guinness wrote: "To be always relevant, you have to say things which are eternal."

We are watching our world change and move into darkness at a rate none of us thought would be possible.

What is truly remarkable is that this is not something unique to our community, our state, or even our nation.

This sentiment is being expressed throughout the world.

But lets bring it closer to home because we see what is happening right in our own community.

Do you want to do something about it?

Pray.

Pray for me as your pastor, that I would have the boldness to fearlessly preach the gospel.

Pray for our community and pray that we would see an awakening to God.

“Oh! men and brethren, what would this heart feel if I could but believe that there were some among you who would go home and pray for a revival: men whose faith is large enough, and their love fiery enough to lead them from this moment to exercise unceasing intercessions that God would appear among us and do wondrous things here, as in the times of former generations.”

(Charles Spurgeon)

I want to challenge this church to become serious about being a church of prayer and joining together in prayer.

I think that was part of Paul’s message as he closed his letter.

Do you know who Tychicus is? He’s mentioned in the Bible 5 times.

(Acts 20:4, Colossians 4:7, 2 Timothy 4:12, Titus 3:12).

Tychicus seems to have been often used by Paul as a messenger and to bring the church news on Paul.

He often carried Paul’s letters to the churches.

Why?

First so the church could pray.