Avoiding Discouragement When Times are Tough. (Ephesians 3: 1-13)

This Podcast is part of a 10-year project to complete an in-depth, daily study of the entire Bible, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. 

Episode Notes: Avoiding Discouragement When Times Are Tough. (Ephesians 3: 1-13)

Today we come to a passage that speaks right into the heart of something every believer faces sooner or later: Discouragement. And what makes this passage so powerful is that Paul writes it from prison.

He is cut off from the churches he longs to visit, living through circumstances he did not choose and cannot change, and yet he is not discouraged. In fact, he writes to the Ephesians so that they won’t be discouraged on his behalf.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But today I can tell you how the Apostle Paul handled discouragement, because he faced it, he lived through it, and he wrote about it with remarkable clarity.  And to see how Paul dealt with discouragement, we only need to look at what he says here in Ephesians 3….

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Welcome back, friends. It's so good to have you here with me again today as we continue our journey through Paul's letter to the Ephesians, part of our great Bible journey through the whole Bible, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. And today we come to a passage that speaks right into the heart of something every believer faces at one time or another. That is discouragement. Discouragement when life is hard. Discouragement when prayers seem unanswered. Discouragement when circumstances don't change. Discouragement may be when we feel forgotten, overlooked, or just overwhelmed by our circumstances. But what makes this passage so powerful is that Paul is writing about this from prison. He is confined, he's under restriction, and he is in no doubt suffering. He's been cut off from the churches he longs to visit, and he's living through circumstances that he did not choose and cannot change, and yet he's not discouraged. In fact, he writes to the Ephesians so that they won't be discouraged on his behalf. There's something really amazing and beautiful about that. Paul has discovered a way of seeing his circumstances that lifts him above those very circumstances. He has learned how to interpret hardship through the lens of God's eternal purpose, and he's found a perspective that keeps him steady when life is anything but steady. And today's passage, which is the first thirteen verses of Ephesians chapter three, Paul invites us into that perspective. He shows us how to understand suffering in the light of God's calling and how to see trials through a sort of lens of God's grace. He also shows us how to anchor our hearts, to make them secure in God's eternal plan and how to avoid discouragement when times are tough. This is not theory or abstract spirituality. It's not even theology. This is lived experience. This is the testimony of a man who has walked through and is walking through hardship and discovering joy in it and on the other side of it. Discouraging situations in life are a fact, friends. As I sit well no, actually, as I stand this morning and speak these words, I'm taken back in my mind to the first week of January 2021, a moment when the world felt really heavy, uncertain, and weary. Here in the UK we were entering our second full national lockdown. Shops were closed, church buildings were empty, families were separated, and many people were wondering whether a third or even fourth wave of lockdown might follow. Discouragement was everywhere. Some people were discouraged because they lost their jobs, others felt discouraged because their professional identity had been shaken by events. Businesses were closing down, employees were being furlonged, or worse, some were being letting go of completely, and many were struggling or finding it impossible to find re-employment in that landscape. Others simply felt undervalues in the roles they still had. And then there were some who worked hard every single day, struggled to keep the services we all need going, only to discover month after month that there was more month than money. Discouragement comes in many forms. It comes through circumstances, it can come through loss, it can even come through uncertainty, through the exhaustion of life's daily toil, and it also comes through disappointments. And the important point is it can come and affect our spiritual lives also. So the question is, how do we handle such discouragement when it comes? Now I don't pretend to have all the answers today, but what I can do today is very clearly tell you how the Apostle Paul said he handled discouragement because he faced it and he lived through about it, and thankfully he wrote about it with remarkable clarity. And to see how Paul dealt with discouragement, we only need to look at what we're looking at today here in Ephesians chapter 3. Welcome to our continuing journey through the book of Ephesians. That is the mystery that was made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations, as it has been revealed now by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. The mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members of one body, and sharers together in the promise of Jesus Christ. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given to me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all of the Lord's people, this grace was given to me to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavens, according to the eternal purposes that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In faith and through faith in him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you therefore not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. Okay, now before we go back and travel through and look at these verses, but particularly verses 1 to 12 in detail, I want to begin by just casting our eyes over that closing verse again, the last verse of this passage, verse 13, where Paul wrote, I ask you therefore not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are for your glory. This is a really remarkable sentence. Paul is still in prison, he's still confined, he's restrained, he's unable to travel, he can't preach or visit the churches he loves, and yet he said he's not discouraged. In fact, he's more concerned that they might not also be discouraged on his behalf. Imagine that. Paul is the one in chains here, but he's the one doing the encouraging. So the question then is, what did Paul say in the preceding twelve verses, verses one to twelve, that enabled him to conclude everything he said in verse 13 and says, and say, Therefore, do not be discouraged. What perspective did he have? What truth was he holding on to? What understanding kept him steady when life was anything but steady for him? Let's take a look. Paul begins the chapter with these words, For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus, for the sake of you Gentiles. Now notice what he doesn't say here. He doesn't say, I, Paul, the prisoner of Rome. He doesn't say I, Paul, the victim of a great injustice, and he doesn't say, I'm I, Paul, the man whose amazing ministry has been cut short. He simply says, I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus. In other words, my circumstances are not controlled by Caesar or Rome, and my situation is not outside of God's plan. I am exactly where Christ wants me to be, a prisoner of him. Paul refuses, refuses to interpret his circumstances through the lens of discouragement. Instead, he interprets his circumstances through the lens of God's calling upon his life. He sees purpose where others only see prison. He sees ministry where others might just find misery, and he sees God's hand where others see human hands controlling him. And this is the key, the first key to avoiding discouragement. Being that you must interpret your circumstances through God's calling, not God's calling through your circumstances. Paul is not discouraged because he knows that God is sovereign and God is purposeful. God wastes nothing, and God can work through suffering. God sometimes even uses hardship to advance his plan. Paul's chains do not limit God's work. In fact, he says they're becoming part of God's work. Discouragement usually comes when we forget why we are where we are, or we forget who we belong to, and that God is at work even when we cannot see it. We forget that suffering is not a sign of God's absence, and that hardship does not mean God has abandoned us, and Paul refuses to forget that. He remembers that he's a prisoner of Christ, not a prisoner of Rome. And he remembers that his suffering is for the sake of others, it's not just a meaningless accident. He remembers that God is using even his hardship to advance the gospel and particularly to advance it among the Gentiles. And because he remembers those things, he's not discouraged. Now we are often inclined to think things or stay or say things like that. If God really loved me, this wouldn't be happening. If God had a plan, surely, if God has a plan, why are things looking like this? If God were with me, why do I feel so stuck? But Paul flips the whole thing upside down here. He interprets his circumstances through the lens of God's calling. And discouragement comes when we lose sight of that purpose. Discouragement often creeps in when we forget why we are where we are, or we forget simply who we belong to. Secondly, Paul sees his suffering as part of God's plan, not a detour from it. He goes on to explain that the mystery revealed to him, a truth hidden for generation, has now been made known to him. And he says that through the gospel, the Gentiles are now heirs together with Israel, members of one body, sharers together in the promise of Jesus Christ. And this is the mystery that has changed everything for us. He's been on this, he's been banging on about this for a chapter and a half now. He's saying we've got to understand the gospel is not just for the Jewish people, it's for the whole world, every tribe, every nation, every background, and every life story. And he says he's been called to proclaim that message. So when he suffers, when he's even imprisoned, when he's restricted, he is he does not see those as setbacks. He sees that as part of the mission. He sees and uses his chains now as a platform. He sees his confinement as a sort of pulpit. He sees his suffering as a doorway for the gospel to be understood at a deeper level and explained at a deeper level. And that is why he can say, Don't be discouraged because of my sufferings. They are in fact for your glory. His suffering is the very thing God is using right now to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. So it's not a detour, it's the road that God planned. And Paul also sees himself as a steward of grace, not a victim of these circumstances. He says, I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace. He sees all of this, his calling as a gift, his imprisonment as a gift, not a burden. He sees his ministry as grace, never obligation, and he even sees suffering as an opportunity for service. It's not misfortune. Paul is not discouraged because he sees himself as a steward of God's grace in this. He has been entrusted with something precious, the message of Christ for all the nations, and he's willing to endure what little he's enduring now, in fact, anything to fulfil that calling. Paul sees God's eternal purpose in all of this. It's not a temporary segue or a misplaced detour. He says this was according to his eternal purposes. That's verse 11. Paul's eyes are not fixed on the prison wall in front of them, they are fixed on God's eternal plan. He sees beyond the moment, beyond any suffering, beyond any hardship, and he sees the bigger picture here. And when he sees that big picture, of course, discouragement loses its power. And then now we reach that one of the most powerful statements in all of this letter to Ephesians, if not in all the writings of the Apostle Paul. It says that because of Christ, because of the gospel, because of what God has revealed, verse 12, we now have direct access to God. He writes, verse 12, in him and through faith in him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Direct access to God is the privilege that has changed everything. This is astonishing. He's saying you don't need a priest, you don't even need a pastor or minister, you don't need any mediator other than Christ Himself. You can now go directly to the Father. And the writer of the Hebrews say the same things. He says Jesus Christ is now our high priest, so let us come boldly to the throne of grace that we might obtain mercy and find help in our time of need. That's Hebrews 4 16. This, my friends, is fantastic news because when you are discouraged or when you feel overwhelmed, or even if you're just anxious, hurting, or for feeling forgotten, you can now go straight to the throne of grace. You have access to the mercy of God, and you also, listen, friends, have access to the power of God and even just the ability to dwell in the presence of God. This is the part of what Paul describes as the great mystery. The thing that Paul has been talking about, the mystery that he says was revealed to him, and the mystery that he's been entrusted to proclaim here. Now, normally when someone reveals a secret, it means they're betraying someone. But Paul here says no. He's been called to reveal this secret, this mystery, and that blesses everyone. It blesses the churches, it blesses the believers, it blesses Jews, Gentiles, it even blesses those watching in the heavenly realms, it says. The mystery now revealed is that Jew and Gentile, everyone around the world, are all one in Christ. That all believers who've made that decision and accepted Christ as God's Son and Messiah have access to God, and that that good news is for the whole world. It is a revelation, and it is a revelation that brings glory to God and encouragement to his people. So don't be discouraged. That's Paul's final word here. And he ends this section with that simple heartfelt plea that I read at the start. I ask you therefore, do not be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are for your glory. In other words, don't feel sorry for me, folks. Don't lose heart because of what I or you think I'm going through. Don't let my sufferings discourage you in any way, because I'm not discouraged, and you shouldn't be either. Paul sees and frames his suffering as a privilege, a privilege for the sake of the good news of Christ, and a privilege for the sake of everyone. And a privilege for the sake of Christ and honoring him himself. And now he wants the Ephesians to see their hardships through the same lens that he sees his hardship. So how might that help us today? Well, Paul's story is not just a story from the ancient past, it provides a model for us today and how to handle discouragement, how to avoid discouragement altogether, particularly when times are tough. And I think this passage gives us it in two very simple practical steps. First, accept reality. Do that without losing faith. Paul begins this whole passage by saying and declaring, I, Paul, am a prisoner. So he doesn't deny his situation, he doesn't pretend everything is fine, he doesn't minimize the hardship in any way, he accepts the reality. He is a prisoner at the beginning of this passage, and he's still a prisoner at the end of it. Nothing in verses 2 to 12 changes his circumstances. But Paul refuses to let his circumstances define his faith. He accepts the reality, but he does not surrender to it, and that is important. When you face discouragement, friends, acknowledge it, name it for what it is, accept it, and don't pretend that such a thing isn't happening. But also remember that discouragement is normal in a foreign world, in a fallen world if you're a believer. Opposition is normal for anyone serving God. Hardship is almost normal for believers. Trials are normal and tests are normal for those who follow Christ. Nehemiah discovered this when he returned to Jerusalem to try and rebuild the walls. The first thing he encountered right away was opposition. And if you are doing God's work today, you will face resistance. If you are part of building God's kingdom, you will face discouragement. So accept it as a reality, but don't be defeated by it. Because resistance, discouragement, persecution will pass. Trials will pass, hardship will pass, but God's purpose for you will not. And secondly, look at your situation through a spiritual lens. Paul could have described himself as a prisoner of Rome, but he didn't. He said, I'm a prisoner of Christ Jesus. He saw his situation through that spiritual perspective. He believed that Christ allowed this and that Christ was more than that, using this and working through this. Christ had a purpose in this for him. Paul, of course, remained a prisoner, but it did not mean God was not working for him in that situation. And the same, my friend, is true for you and I. We often want God to work in the way we want him to work. We want him to be a sort of bellhop. We ring the bell, call on him when we need, ask him to fix the problem, make it go away. But the truth in the reality is God rarely works that way. Sometimes he does, because that's what we need. But more often I would suggest, he works by revealing truth to us and by deepening our faith, by strengthening our characters and by opening doors we perhaps never even expected, and by using those very circumstances to reach people that we would never have reached otherwise. Paul saw this reality clearly during his imprisonment. He would win Roman soldiers to Christ. The book of Philippians tells us that the entire palace guard heard the gospel because of Paul being in chains. You see, every four hours, two new soldiers were chained to him. Paul didn't see that as confinement, he saw that as an opportunity. He probably thought, well, what does that mean? It means twelve soldiers a day, and every one of them gets to hear the gospel. And not only that, Paul used his time in prison to write four books of our New Testament whilst incarcerated. He wrote this book, he wrote Philippians, he wrote Colossians, and he wrote the letter to Philemon. Think about that. One man in a prison cell under persecution sat down and pondered the sacrifices of Christ. And he re-received revelation because he did that, and he wrote us these letters. And by doing so, he not only encouraged the church in those regions, in those situations, in those days, he has encouraged millions and millions of Christians ever since, and are still today being strengthened by these words, and that has happened and gone on for 2,000 years now. So Paul certainly didn't sit around in prison saying, Woe is me. He didn't dwell in the circumstances, he focused on what God was doing in him and through him. So let me close today by offering you a final encouragement. The truth of the matter is that you and I will face trials in life as we go along the way. We will face situations that might be discouraging, and we will also face opposition, but we don't need to be discouraged because we can say, like Paul, with God's help, I will not be discouraged. God is at work in you, my friends, and God is at work among you, and God can and will remain working through you, even when circumstances are hard, even when people oppose you, and even when the future maybe feels uncertain. So don't be discouraged. Look at your situation spiritually. See what God is doing. Remember who you are, remember who you belong to. Remember that you have access to the Father, and remember that God is working in all things according to his eternal purposes. And thanks be to him for that. Okay, that's the end of today's episode. Let me leave you with that simple encouragement, Paul's simple encouragement. Don't be discouraged, friends. God is at work right here, right now, even now, if times are tough. And in our next episode, we're going to see his response to this insight he's just received. And it will tell us how to remain encouraged. And his response is one of the great and the most powerful prayers in the entire New Testament, and it's found in Ephesians chapter 3, verses 14 to 21. I've called tomorrow's episode Staying Strong. Paul is going to show us how to be strengthened with power in our inner beings, how to be rooted and grounded in love, and how to live in the fullness of God. And I look forward to sharing it with you. Until then, may the Lord strengthen your heart and steady your steps and in every circumstance you face. Thanks for being with me today. Please do consider subscribing to this podcast wherever you get the podcast from. 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