GVCC sermon handout July 15th 2012

Garden Valley Community Church
Pastor Shane Moffitt             July 15^th 2012

“Who am I before God?” series
Study of the Book of Ephesians
~ What Is Your LIFE MISSION? ~
Ephesians 3:1-9

3:1  “A PRISONER of Jesus Christ”

·        Paul does NOT say he is a prisoner of Rome or the Jews     Acts 21:27-28:16
·        Paul KNEW God was guiding his life
·        PERSPECTIVE determines attitude
·        How we VIEW & REACT to circumstances is more important than the circumstances themselves
·        Philippians 1:12-14, James 1:2-4,                1 Peter 4:12-19, Acts 16:19-25
·        Being a prisoner helped Paul see God’s control when He had no control
·        Don’t Pray, “Why me?”                    
Do Pray, “God, what are you  working to accomplish through this?”

3:2-3 “the administration of God’s grace” NIV

·       Mystery: something unknown (3:5) that God revealed   Matthew 13:34-35
God’s Mystery is the Gospel:  the truth that Jesus Christ died for Jews and
Gentiles so that they can have a relationship with God      READ: 3:4-6

3:7 serve Him by spreading this Good News

3 Tools of God’s SLAVE:

3:7a A Slaves’s Heart grows out of
         understanding God’s GRACE
·        Serve out of LOVE not GUILT
·        Grace: God’s undeserved
unlimited kindness

3:7b A Slaves’s Life is God Powered
·        NLT “mighty” NIV “working” both Greek: dunamis  = dynamite
  Why? Powered for God’s service

 3:8  A Slaves’s Access to God’s
Power is enabled by humility
·        1 Corinthians 15:9 1 Timothy 1:15

Humility is the ability to recognize your weakness & recognize that God can and will work His unlimited strength in your life to accomplish His perfect will