May 8th | The Boundless Riches of Christ
A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON PAUL’S LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS
THE BOUNDLESS RICHES OF CHRIST
Ephesians 3:7-9 “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of His power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given 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.”
A Christian pastor knows, or should know, his ministry is not about himself. Walter A. Maier (first speaker of the Lutheran Hour), Billy Graham, Joel Osteen, and Michael Ziegler (current speaker of the Lutheran Hour) all have been or are international proclaimers of the gospel. They have spoken before stadium size crowds and small groups. They would be the first to tell you, as does St. Paul in today’s devotional verses, no matter the size of their audience they speak as “servants of the gospel by the gift of God’s grace.” All true pastors, before they speak the gospel before God’s people, first pray for Him to fill them with His Spirit to enable them to preach His word.
A pastor depends upon God’s grace and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Before he begins preparing a sermon, he will pray to the Holy Spirit to guide him to understand the section of Scripture that will serve as the text for his sermon. He will pray that the Holy Spirit will help the hearers of the sermon understand it and apply it to their lives.
One of the first things a homiletics professor (teaches pastors how to prepare and deliver sermons) says to his students is that their sermon is to focus their hearers upon Jesus Christ. If a sermon is preached without doing this it is merely many words but of no substance. The hearer, as today’s devotional verses say, needs to hear about “the boundless riches of Christ.” St. Paul said regarding the importance of knowing Jesus Christ, “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:7-11)
God grant that you know Christ and the power of His resurrection and that you participate in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow you attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Prayer: Lord, grant me the boundless riches of Christ. In His holy name. Amen.
I know my faith is founded On Jesus Christ, my God and Lord,
And this my faith confessing, Unmoved I stand on His sure Word.
Our reason cannot fathom The truth of God profound;
Who trusts in human wisdom Relies on shifting ground.
God’s Word is all-sufficient. It makes divinely sure;
And trusting in its wisdom, My faith shall rest secure.
Increase my faith, dear Savior, For Satan seeks by night and day
To rob me of this treasure And take my hope of bliss away.
But, Lord, with You beside me, I shall be undismayed;
And led by Your good Spirit, I shall be unafraid.
Abide with me, O Savior, A firmer faith bestow;
Then I shall bid defiance To ev’ry evil foe.
In faith Lord, let me serve You; Though persecution, grief, and pain
Should seek to overwhelm me, Let me a steadfast trust retain;
And then at my departure, Lord, take me home to You,
Your riches to inherit As all You said holds true.
In life and death, Lord, keep me Until Your heav’n I gain,
Where I by Your great mercy The end of faith attain. (LSB 587)