Made New: The New Revelation, The Mystery Revealed
Week Four • September 29, 2024 • Ephesians 3:1-13
Open in Personal Prayer Time
Take some time to ask God to quiet your heart and make you aware of his presence in your life.
Pray that God would give you eyes to behold wonderful things in His word, by His Spirit.
Read Ephesians 3:1-13
God’s Mysterious Plan Revealed
1 When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . . . 2 assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. 3 As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. 4 As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. 5 God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.
6 And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. 7 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.
8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. 9 I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.
10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. 13 So please don’t lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored.
Discuss Together
What initially stands out to you from the passage?
What is the significance of Paul saying he is a prisoner of Christ?
In verses 2-6 Paul speaks about the mystery of Christ which is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, why is that significant to the church in Ephesus?
In verse 7-9 Paul shares that he was given power to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, why is it important that Paul receives power to carry this out?
Verse 10 states that the Church is to display the wisdom of God to the heavenly beings, reflect on your own experience of the church and how you can see the church as the wisdom of God.
In verse 11-12 Paul proclaims that Jesus' accomplishment has awarded bold access to God, how might this reality change your daily life?
In Verse 13 Paul asks that the readers might not lose heart, how has this truth encouraged you?
Close in Prayer
Pray and ask God to show you more of the mystery that has been revealed that you may see more of His brilliance in the Church.
Pray and ask God to show you specific people you could invite into a relationship with God.
