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Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (19-11-1995 Guisborough Evangelical Church)
Now Paul records the first of two prayers he utters for
these people. There are several prayers in his letters – in Ephesians,
Philippians and Colossians. They reveal to us Paul’s warm pastoral heart, and
they are also of help to us. How often we wonder what we can say when we pray
for a church or an individual. We could do worse than take on our lips these
prayers of Paul – just as we can take on our lips the words of a Psalm when we
want to worship God.
Going to look at what he prayed later on, but now his
introductory comments. When he heard certain things about them he never stopped
giving thanks for them and remembering them in his prayers.
Concerned mainly with what he heard about them, but
cannot help but notice this man’s prayer life. How balanced it was –
thanksgiving as well as petition. How glad he was to see the progress of other
Christians. How glad he was to hear of others who were going on with the Lord
and getting strong. And how glad he was to hear of God blessing others (a sure
test that God has delivered us from jealousy and envy, if we can be glad at
this). Full of thanks and praise. And then, of course, how prayerful.
Not only balanced, but fervent
– I do not cease to give thanks making mention of you in my prayers (Ephesians
1:16). He keeps repeating this theme in other letters. Without ceasing I make
mention of you (Romans 1:9), I thank my God always concerning you (1
Corinthians 1:4). Always in every prayer of mine making request for you all
with joy (Philippians 1:4). I do not cease to pray for you (Colossians
1:9). We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our
prayers (1 Thessalonians 1:2). We also pray always for you (2
Thessalonians 1:11). I thank my God, making mention of you always in my
prayers (Philemon v.4).
Paul also refers to “night and
day” frequently. Night and day praying exceedingly (1 Thessalonians
3:10). Without ceasing I remember you in my prayers day and night (1
Timothy 1:3). What a rebuke to us. We can be so half-hearted, so easily
discouraged, so lacking in perseverance. But even more so, it is a special
rebuke and challenge to the man in the ministry. Spurgeon said, “If you do not
pray as much as your people, you are a hypocrite. If you do not pray more, you
are utterly disqualified for your task.” Our motto should be not “the
work and prayer”, but instead “prayer is the work”.
Paul never stopped praying and
giving thanks because he heard certain things about these Christians. I heard
about your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and your love for all the saints (Ephesians
1v15). In these two phrases Paul is giving us two clear tests about whether we
are Christians. How do we know we are Christians, and how can others know we are
Christians? Need tests if we are to have real and solid assurance.
Various tests in New Testament
for Christian to test himself by. C.f. John’s first epistle. The man who
claims he is a Christian should have various marks on his life. Scripture
exhorts us to search and test ourselves: Examine yourselves as to whether you
are in the faith. Prove yourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5). So here we are
provided with two tests in Ephesians. Fully in line with New Testament teaching
elsewhere. Need to apply these two to ourselves. One of these tests is about
belief, the other is about practice. Faith and works go together, inseparable,
but we must keep the Bible order.
The Ephesians had these two characteristics, so Paul was sure they were Christians, and hence could give thanks for them.
Personal individual faith in the Lord Jesus. Here is the
vital, central test. People can be very good, moral, benevolent, church-going,
religious – but the crucial question is “Do they have faith in the Lord
Jesus?” Vital question in days of confusion about first principles, and in
days when landmarks are becoming less and less distinct. So often it is said,
“Do not worry about definitions. If a man says he is a Christian, then he is a
Christian, and that’s the end of the matter.”
Faith in the Lord Jesus – not
just faith in God, because the Jews and Muslims have that. But faith in the One
who is the Son of God, through whom God has finally spoken, and who is the only
way to God, the only Saviour. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – this is the
distinctively Christian emphasis.
Who is the “Lord Jesus”? Two
things involved in answering this – who He is, and what should be our
relationship to Him. “Lord” means He is God. The Divine Son of God.
“Jesus” is His human name, given before His birth in Bethlehem. The Saviour
is the God Man. Man had sinned, and the Saviour must be a man and suffer man’s
penalty. And the Saviour had to be God. Only God could redeem vast multitude
which no man could number. Martin Luther said, “If Christ was not truly God,
begotten of the Father before all the world, we would be lost.”
The Lord Jesus is the eternal Son, second person of the blessed Trinity. Same substance as the Father. Also truly man. As a man, He stood under the wrath of God, under condemnation, and took sins and penalty on the Cross.
“In my place
condemned He stood.”
Two natures united in one person. The Redeemer was the
Lord Jesus, the God Man.
But also, the name “Lord
Jesus” involves my relationship. Lord of my life, Master, King, owner,
director, in total control of all my life and possessions, entirely under His
management. Also, the name “Jesus”, meaning He shall save His people from
their sins, means that as well as my Lord, He is my Saviour. The Lord Jesus –
the God Man – my Saviour and my Lord. Cannot be one and not the other, He must
be both in my life.
And how is this relationship
expressed? My faith in Him means a personal trust and personal reliance on Him
for salvation. I have put myself under His control and management. Relying on
Him means that I do not rely on my own righteousness, which is nothing but
filthy rags. My confidence is not in myself, but it is utterly, entirely and
exclusively in Him.
Here is the first vital test and
mark of being a Christian. He is one whose whole life and outlook centres on
Christ. Starts with Him and ends with Him. He is always the controlling factor.
Christ and Christ alone. He is our all in all.
“My hope is built on nothing less
Than
Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I
dare not trust the sweetest frame
But
wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On
Christ the solid rock I stand.
All
other ground is sinking sand.”
I cannot save myself, no one else can save me. Only Jesus can. Do you rest your faith in Him alone, as the One who died to atone for your sins?
Having dealt with the first
essential, we move to the second essential. Faith leads to love. As spokes of a
wheel approach the hub, they approach closer to one another. Love for Christ’s
people follows faith in Christ, as night follows day. This is his commandment
that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another
(1 John 3:23). Unfeigned or sincere love of the brethren. Love one another
with a pure heart (1 Peter 1:22).
For natural man who is not a
Christian, the man who is not born again, he has no interest in Christian people
as such. He may be interested in a Christian as a fellow worker or fellow
golfer, but not as a Christian. Man of the world dislikes Christians –
considers them dull, uninteresting, narrow minded, bigoted, and hypocritical. He
would not choose to spend time with a Christian, in fact he would do all he
could to avoid it. No community of interest. No affinity. No common ground.
But when a man is born again, he
has a new master, and he loves the saints. Cannot have too much fellowship with
God’s people. Like attracts like, “birds of a feather..”, “blood thicker
than water”. So when we have a love for God’s people, and delight in their
company, this is one of the great proofs we are children of God, one of the
great proofs of assurance. We know we have passed from death to life because
we love the brethren (1 John 3:14).
People have often been
challenged by doubt and driven into a corner. They have fallen back on this
argument “Whatever I am, I would rather spend my time in the company of the
humblest Christian than with the greatest in the land who is not a Christian.”
Here is one of the great proofs of our salvation, one of the greatest proofs we
have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom
of the Son he loves (Colossians 1:13). Same family, same salvation, same
Father, same Saviour, indwelt by same Holy Spirit, same aims and purposes in
life, same destination in glory.
May live life rarely seeing a
Christian. Then unexpectedly on travels or at work, we find a fellow Christian
– it makes our day. When we meet someone for the first time, our concern is
not with their clothing or appearance or political persuasion or school or
possessions – but is he my brother in Christ? A believer?
Then note that it is love for all
the saints. They may not have the same sort of house or job or car, or IQ,
or social class, or education, or temperament. But we are to love them all.
Philip Henry (father of the commentator Matthew Henry) fell in love with a young
lady of higher social class, who was a Christian. Philip’s social standing was
of no consequence to her, but her parents were not pleased. When they asked,
“This man, Philip Henry, where has he come from?” her immortal reply was,
“I don’t know where he has come from, but I know where he is going.”
We love God’s people because we know where they are going. Our faces are Zion-wards. We have the same family, the same Father, and the same heavenly home, one day when all faults, blemishes and wrinkles will be gone forever.
Two acid tests. Let’s apply them. Remember the order (1) Faith in the Lord Jesus, (2) Love for all God’s people. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship (Acts 2:42). Is that you?
