I Have Sent Him To You

Ephesians 6:21-22
April 19, 2020
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

Here we are at the end of Ephesians. Praise the Lord for our time in this book. I hope that it has been good for you as it has been for me. I hope that it has been good for you as it was for our brothers and sisters in the church of Ephesus.

It was good for them because they were greatly discouraged.

The Ephesians were discouraged because of Paul’s suffering and imprisonment in Rome. They missed him dearly. And they wondered why such things were happening to him.

The Ephesians were also discouraged because of how difficult it was to grow as Christians and live for Jesus. They were not sure if they were going to make it to the end. And they were not sure if they could stand a chance against the spiritual forces of darkness.

The Ephesians were greatly discouraged because of these things.

But they were greatly loved by the Lord Jesus Christ. And their Lord encouraged them. Jesus encouraged them with his words. Words given to his apostle and messenger and servant Paul. And so we have this letter. A letter from Paul to the church in Ephesus. A letter of great encouragement for them. And for us.

This encouragement was carried by a relatively unknown man named Tychicus. Not much is revealed or known about him in the Bible. But we do know this. We know that he was a minister and a servant of the gospel. We know that he was a trustworthy helper and a beloved friend of Paul. We know that he was the one who delivered this letter by hand to the church in Ephesus. And we know that the very first sermons on the book of Ephesians came from his mouth as he read aloud and then explained Paul’s letter to the church.

And this is what Tychicus basically said to them. Or to be more precise, this is what Paul basically said to them.

Dear Church. Do not be discouraged. You are blessed in Christ. You were once dead in sin. But now you are alive in Jesus. Everything is different now. Isn’t it wonderful? How we are loved and adopted and redeemed and forgiven. You have peace with God. And now you and your brothers and sisters next to you are being built - built upon the cornerstone that is Christ. All of this is wonderful. This is all yours.

And this is what I live for. So do not be discouraged. Do not lose heart. Yes, I am suffering and in chains. Yes, I am dying. But I am a steward of God’s grace. And this is all according to his eternal purpose. Do not be discouraged.

I pray for you and I bless you. You are a new creation in the Lord. So love one another, grow together, and don’t go back to your old lives. You are a child of light. So be holy in your life. Jesus loves you. So love everyone in your home. And know that Jesus gives you his armor. You will win the war. So stand firm with Jesus’ strength and pray for everyone else to do the same. Be encouraged.

I have sent my beloved friend Tychicus to you to deliver and explain these words to you. May he encourage your hearts. Grace and peace to you.

This is what Tychicus said to them. This is what Paul said to them. Or to be more precise, this is what the Lord Jesus Christ wanted said to them.

What encouraging words for them. And for us.

Dear Highland, Jesus wants you to know and remember this morning that you are blessed in him. He wants you to know that when we suffer, there is purpose and there is glory. Do not be discouraged. Do not lose heart. Jesus wants you to know that he is praying for you and that other believers are praying for you. He wants you to know that you are a new creation in him and that you can and you will change and grow. And Jesus wants you to know that he provides his strength to you so that you can persevere in this war.

Jesus encourages you. And we actually a beautiful reflection of his gospel in this text. Tychicus was sent by Paul. Paul was sent by Jesus. And Jesus, who is God the Son, was sent… by God the Father. Your Father in heaven saved you by sending you his Son. His only begotten Son whom he loves. For the very purpose of your salvation. It is as if the Father was saying to you, “I have sent him to you. I have sent Jesus to you.” And so Jesus came into our world. He was the Word. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14).

There is nothing more encouraging that having Jesus sent to us. It’s one thing to be sent a text or a care package or a stimulus check. It’s another thing to be sent the second person of the Triune God.

And so everything can be summed up in the words of Christ in John 13:20. He says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” The Ephesians received Tychicus and Paul. The Ephesians received grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the love and the salvation of God.

Dear Highland, let us be a sent church. Because Christ was sent for us, let us be a church and a people that are sent for his glory, for the salvation of others, and for the encouragement of the saints. I’m not saying that we all need to be sent out like missionaries sent out to foreign countries. I’m asking: can we have a posture, a mindset, a point of view of being sent? Sent with purpose. Sent for encouragement. Sent to share the gospel of how Christ was sent for sinners.

Can you believe that God sent you to Highland? Can you believe that God sent you to your children? To your spouse? Can you believe that God sent you to the school and the workplace that you are in? I hope so. Our Father in heaven is a sending God. He sent Tychicus with a purpose. He sent Paul with a purpose. He sent his Son Jesus to you for the very purpose of your salvation. And he sends you with a purpose too.

Let us therefore be a sent church in two basic ways. Encouragement and evangelism. This is a great time to think about encouragement and evangelism. We are bound to our homes, just as Paul was bound in Rome. And we can easily be discouraged by our situation. But look at Paul. He did not think much about himself. He thought much about his brothers and sisters in Christ. He didn’t let his chains stop him from encouraging the church and evangelizing to the world.

We can do the same. I look forward to Highland being a more encouraging church and a more evangelizing church as we wait for Christ’s return.

Soli Deo Gloria