Ephesians (W5D3) God is Great In The Least of Us
Week 5. Wednesday: God is Great in the Least of Us
PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word.
READ: Ephesians 3:7-9
7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 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, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words
Servant (Greek: diakonos): minister, one who executes the commands of another
Believers are called to be servants of Christ.
We serve Christ no matter the consequences (2 Corinthians 6:1-10).
Gift (Greek: dōrea): something freely given at the cost of the giver
Working (Greek: energeia): the effective, supernatural activity of God
This Greek word is always used in the New Testament to refer to God’s work.
The working of our power cannot produce anything worthy of God’s grace.
Less than the Least (Greek: elachistos): the very least in rank
Since Paul started out persecuting Christians, he was a humble servant.
Paul often referred to himself as the least of the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:9).
Boundless (Greek: anexichniastos): unfathomable, cannot be comprehended
The riches of Christ are far beyond our understanding.
Paul also describes this in Romans 11:33.
Make Plain (Greek: phōtizō): to bring to light, enlighten, give clear understanding
Also seen in Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian believers (Ephesians 1:18).
True life has been brought to light through Christ (2 Timothy 1:10).
Administration (Greek: oikonomia): management, stewardship
APPLY: What is this passage calling me to do?
We cannot call ourselves Christians if we are not servants of Christ. All believers in the gospel must also be servants of the gospel. Of course we are not worthy of this calling. Paul wasn’t worthy either. Paul (formerly Saul) came on the scene as the head enemy of the gospel. Yet God saved him and called him to serve the world with the gospel. Even the very least can become great in the kingdom of God. Therefore, we can serve God gladly.
In what ways are you serving Christ?
Is there anything holding you back from serving Christ? PRAY: Ask God to help you be a worthy servant of His grace.
