Christ'a Loving Church
Ephesians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsLoving relationships are at the heart of God's purpose for His church
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Christ’s loving Church
Ephesians 6:21-24
I heard a story this week about an 11-year-old girl and her 8-year-old brother who bickered and fought over everything. That’s why her father was so surprised when the girl made a beautiful birthday card for her brother. Inside the card she wrote, “Happy birthday to my nine-year-old brother. I am so glad to have a brother to love. So, God gave me you. P.S. Don’t read this out loud or I will twist your head off.” [1]
I can’t help but think that is the way we feel sometimes toward our brothers and sisters in the Christ. We get irritated with each other. We misunderstand each other. We fight and we argue, but at the end of the day we are a family, and we are supposed to look past the mistakes we make and love each other anyway.
The Christian faith is about loving relationships. Our relationship with Jesus Christ and our relationship with each other. And the gospel spreads through relationships of love. All the studies will show; most people who come to faith, come through one -on-one relationships with a Christian, who shares their testimony or brings them to church.
Someone recently asked me if a person must go to church to be saved, and the answer is no. We are not saved because we go to church, but we go to church because we are saved. The mistake many Christians make is to think of church as something they do rather than somewhere they belong.
The church is a microcosm of heaven where we will praise and worship the Lord for eternity. A person who is truly saved is going to want to be in church, because if they are not, they are going to feel separated from worshipping God and the fellowship of believers.
A great example of that is the Apostle Paul himself. As he writes this letter to the Ephesians, he is in prison in Rome. He has been there for 3 years. And you can tell from what Paul writes he misses his church family.
Up until this point, the letter to the Ephesians has been very impersonal, but now as Paul begins to say goodbye, his heart begins to melt.
And what is amazing is, he is more concerned about the people of the church than his own circumstances. He wants them to be blessed. He wants them to grow in their relationship with God.
He doesn’t want them to worry about what he is going through. So, he sends a trusted friend, Tychicus as a messenger, to carry this letter and report about him.
What we learn from this passage is loving relationships are at the heart of God’s purpose for the church. (Read)
21. But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you.
22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts.
23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love. [3](Pray)
In our passage this morning Paul expresses his deep love and concern for the church at Ephesus. The church is not a building but a people. And Paul cherished these people, and he teaches us we should cherish the relationships we have as well.
Someone once said, “Blood is thicker than water.” That means the blood we share as a family is stronger than any relationship we have in the world. Nowhere is that more evident than in the church.
The blood of Jesus Christ makes us a family. Sometimes the bond we share is stronger than many of us experience in our biological families. Because we share something not everyone has. We share a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that has changed our life.
Now, we want to live for God’s purpose. We want to be a witness to the world that we are the children of God. And we do that through the church.
What Paul teaches us in this passage; Loving relationships are at the heart of God’s purpose for the church.
The first thing I want to show you in this passage is Paul’s messenger, Vs. 21-22. I am talking about Tychicus. Tychicus teaches us how to be a loving brother or sister in Christ.
But who was Tychicus? Well, he was Paul’s trusted companion and friend. Acts 20:4 we learn he accompanied Paul on his third missionary journey.
He traveled with Paul back to Jerusalem to meet the church council. Peter and James and the other disciples. He brought them a gift from the churches. It was on this journey to Jerusalem that Paul was arrested.
Tychicus obviously went through the trouble of staying connected to Paul, even while he was in prison in Rome. Now, Paul is sending him back to the churches of Asia, and he is carrying with him some of the most important documents we have in the New Testament.
He is carrying with him the letter to the Colossians, the Ephesians, and to Philemon. That means Tychicus was the first person to ever read the epistles of Paul we have in our bible. He may have been the first person to ever teach these principles to the churches.
He also is escorted a runaway slave, Onesimus, who had now become a Christian. He is taking him back to his owner, Philemon. Tychicus was responsible to intervene before Philemon so that he would welcome Onesimus back as a brother, rather than punishing him according to the law.[4]
Years later Paul was arrested a second time and taken back to Rome, where he would eventually be executed. It was Tychicus that stood by his side because we read about him again in 2 Timothy 4:12.
Tychicus is one of the unsung heroes of the bible. He is mentioned 5 times in the New Testament, but most people have no idea who he is. Yet here he is playing a pivotal role in early Christianity. He was a trusted friend to Paul, and a beloved brother of the church.
When people talk about men and women they want to meet when they get to heaven. They talk about Moses, Elijah, and Peter. There will probably be a line all the way back to the pearly gates to shake the hand of Billy Graham and Mother Teresa. But no one ever mentions Tychicus. Yet, he is the kind of Christian all of us should want to be.
In Vs. 21-22 Paul teaches three important truths about this man we should all want to emulate. 1. Tychicus was a beloved brother. Paul could have just referred to him as a brother, but he adds the word beloved because of the deep personal relationship these two men had.
That tells us Tychicus was more than a friend and companion, he was someone Paul wanted to be with. He was warm, relational, and considerate of those around him. He was beloved.
I imagine when Paul describes him this way, those who hear nod their head in agreement because they felt the same way about Tychicus. His reputation preceded him.
Let me ask you this, would people describe you that way? Are you a beloved brother or sister in Christ. Are you the kind of person everyone wants to be around? Do you make others feel welcome in your presence because you are warm, friendly, and approachable? Do you take a genuine interest in people?
If you are saying to yourself, “Not many people in the church know me.” That probably says more about you than it does the church. Because I guarantee you there are people here who want to know you. There are people here just like Tychicus, loving brothers and sisters in Christ.
2. Paul calls him a faithful minister in the Lord. That means he was trustworthy and reliable. He was a man of his word. He did what he said, and he said what he did. Paul put a lot of responsibility on Tychicus because he had proven himself faithful.
In a day when people could easily mishandle information and lose money because it had to be carried by foot, Tychicus delivered a large gift from the churches to the saints at Jerusalem.
Also, don’t forget he was charged with delivering the epistles of Paul to the churches of Asia. He didn’t know they would become a part of scripture, but we have them today because Tychicus was a faithful minister.
And don’t get hung up on the fact that Paul calls him a minister. There is no distinction in the Bible between a minister and a member of the church. Every member is a minister, and every minister is a missionary.
The word for minister is diakonos, and that’s where we get the word deacon from. To be a deacon means to be a servant and that’s what Tychicus was.
Colossians 4:7 Paul says, “As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bondservant in the Lord, will bring you information.” This is almost verbatim the same thing Paul says about him in Ephesians. Tychicus was a faithful servant.
What is important for us to understand is, faithfulness is one of the fruits of the Spirit of God that should be evident in every Christians life. It means you are full of faith and trustworthy.
It means you are a leader who is willing to take on responsibility. No one wonders if you are going to be up to the task, because you do everything unto the Lord.
Does that describe you? Are you a faithful servant of the Lord? Over the years I have found there are two types of people that come to church, those who come to be served and those who come to serve.
The former usually leave disappointed because the church didn’t meet their need. But the latter thrive because they are looking to meet the needs of others.
Jesus Christ is the epitome of the faithful servant. Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many.” The goal of every Christian life is to stand before God one day and hear, “Job well done good and faithful servant.”
3. Tychicus was an encourager. Vs. 22 says “I am sending him to you that he may comfort your hearts.” The word “comfort” is the Greek word “parakaleo.” It means to come along side you and encourage you.
Paul knew the Ephesians needed to be encouraged so they would keep growing in their faith. So, he had to send someone who was upbeat. Someone with the right personality. Someone with a positive attitude. Paul knew that Tychicus would deliver a report about him that was encouraging. Why? Because Tychicus had been an encouragement to Paul while he was in prison.
The church is in desperate need of people with the ministry of encouragement today. I think this is one of the most important gifts a person can have. Being an encouragement to people doesn’t mean you put on rose-colored glasses and deny reality. But it means you help people see that God has a purpose and plan for everything.
God is in control and if we just continue to trust Him, we are going to see that everything works out for our good. (Romans 8:28) (Eph. 2:10)
There is a friend of mine who is a local Pastor. He told me after 18 years of ministry, he was ready to quit. His family was falling apart at home and the problems of the church were overwhelming. He was suffering from depression. He said at that point God brought a young man to the church that was such an encouragement.
He said the young man would come up every Sunday after service and share what he learned from the message. The Pastor said that gave him the strength and encouragement he needed to continue to go forward. You never know the effect you can have on someone’s life with a word of encouragement.
So, from Tychicus we learn how to be a beloved brother, faithful servant, and powerful encourager to our brothers and sisters in Christ. The next thing I want you to see in this passage is Paul’s message, Vs. 23-24.
All of Paul’s letters end with what is called a benediction. It’s a good word of blessing on the people. It is a way of saying good-bye that lets them know how he feels about them. I think all of us want Paul’s blessings for our family and friends because they are a summary of the gospel message.
Vs. 23-24, “Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.”
If there were four faces of Mount Rushmore that represented the Gospel message, they would be peace, love, faith, and grace. These are the four greatest blessings of God. We should want these for ourselves and our families.
First, let’s talk about peace. For Paul salvation begins and ends with peace. When you come to know Jesus you have peace with God, and you have peace in yourself. The Bible makes it clear that peace is more than the absence of hostility, but it is the blessings of God in Jesus Christ.
You see God’s answer to sin, hatred, and violence in the world is the cross of Jesus Christ. It’s through the cross we have been redeemed, our sin is forgiven, our relationship with God has been restored.
But not only does the cross give us peace with God, but It gives us the peace of God. We are set free from worry and fear in this life. We are set free from hell and death. We have a home in heaven, and no matter what anyone thinks of us in the world, we are accepted and loved by God.
When you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you have a peace that surpasses all understanding. In other words, whatever is going on in life, we don’t worry about it, we pray about it. You give it to God and He gives you peace.
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
I heard a story this week about a couple in 2012 who was searching the country for the safest place they could raise their children and send them to school. They finally settled in a place called Newtown Connecticut.
it was a beautiful little town with a tiny population and it seemed like safest place in America.
After sending out Christmas cards bragging about the safe haven they found. Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre took place. Newtown Connecticut became the most unlikely place for the second deadliest school shooting in US history. Within twelve minutes 20 1st graders and 6 teachers lost their life.
That couple’s peace was shattered and that proves the only sure place to find peace in this world is in Jesus Christ. John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
Next Paul adds love to the list. If Peace is the beginning of our salvation, love is the motivation for it. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whosever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”
Love was the motivation for the cross and now it is the motivation of the Christian life. Throughout the book of Ephesians Paul has been teaching us about love. For example, in 3:17 he said, “we are to be rooted and grounded in love.” In 4:2 we are to bear with one another in love.
In 4:15, We are to speak the truth in love. In 5:1-2 He sums it all up by saying, “As God’s ‘beloved children,’ we must ‘walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.’ The motivation for the cross and the Christian life is love.
Next Paul adds Faith to the list because it is our faith in God that gives us access to salvation. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” So, faith is God’s gift to us. He gives us the strength to believe. As Christians, we need greater faith in Jesus Christ that will help us to love one another.
Finally, Paul mentions grace. He began this letter with the words “grace and peace to you” and he ends with the same idea here. Grace is defined as God’s divine favor given to those who don’t deserve it. That means you and me and everyone in the world, because none of us deserve it.
People often ask me why bad things happen to good people and my answer is always the same. That only happened once, when Jesus died on the cross, because He was the only one that was good. He was the only one who got what he didn’t deserve. The rest of us think we deserve God’s grace, but we don’t. It is given to us as a gift from God when we believe.
So, if we were to ask ourselves, what is a Christian? The answer is summed up by the four words of this benediction. A Christian is someone who has peace with God and themself, because of God’s love, that was given to them through faith—a faith that believes in Jesus Christ and receives God’s grace—his unmerited favor to all who will come to the cross and seek forgiveness.[6]
We have come to the end of the book of Ephesians. The most important phrase of this book are the words “In Christ.” Certainly, Paul wanted everyone to know the grace of God and to have the peace of God. He devoted his entire life to sharing the gospel.
But it is important we understand the words of his benediction can only be applied to those who are in Christ. A relationship with God that provides us with saving faith begins at the cross. Without the cross there is no forgiveness and grace so we must first embrace Jesus.
Let me ask you this, do you know the peace of God that comes through faith in Jesus Christ? Do you feel God’s love in your life? Because God invites all of us to come to Him by faith and experience His incredible gift of grace.
Then we can sing along with the saints of the church the words of William Featherstone.
My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;
For thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, tis now.
I love thee because thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree.
I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.[7]
This is what identifies us as true Christians and allows us to become brothers and sisters in Christ. What this passage teaches us is loving relationships are at the heart of God’s purpose for the church.
[1]Cole, S. J. (2017). Lesson 63: The Caring Church (Ephesians 6:21–24). In Ephesians (Eph 6:21–24). Galaxie Software.
[2]Phillips, R. D. (2016). Ephesians(p. 455). Mentor.
[3] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update (Eph 6:21–24). (1995). The Lockman Foundation.
[4]Cole, S. J. (2017). Lesson 63: The Caring Church (Ephesians 6:21–24). In Ephesians (Eph 6:21–22). Galaxie Software.
[5]Phillips, R. D. (2016). Ephesians(p. 456). Mentor.
[6]Phillips, R. D. (2016). Ephesians (p. 459). Mentor.
[7] William R. Featherstone,1864, My Jesus, I Love Thee
