September 13, 2026

The Greatest Mystery Revealed

Message Notes

HOW DO WE BATTLE DISCOURAGEMENT?  

1. Remember who called you (vs 7)  

Paul's ministry began with grace not human strength. And if God has called you to faithfully serve Him, your faithfulness must continue in grace and His strength.  

2. Remember what you are proclaiming (vs 8)  

The message hasn't changed. Christ is still enough. The gospel is still powerful. The world may reject the message, but rejection does not make it less true. Yes we want everyone to agree. Yes, we want everyone to understand. Yes, we want everyone to respond positively. But that isn't always going to happen. Jesus Himself was rejected. Paul was rejected. The prophets were rejected. Faithfulness has never guaranteed universal approval.  

So ask yourself: Am I more concerned about protecting my name or proclaiming His name? Because when everything becomes about us, discouragement can crush us.  

3. Remember you are a part of something bigger than you can see (vs 11)

Your story is not the entire story. This difficult season is not the entire story. That criticism is not the entire story. That setback is not the entire story. You are living in one chapter of a much bigger story. And God has not asked you to write the entire story.  

I loved hearing the woman, who went to Albania with our mission team, talk about her interaction with God…I’m ready for you to write the new book…I don’t want to be the ink, Just the paper.   

That is particularly important for leaders. Sometimes leaders carry a weight they were never meant to carry. We begin believing that everything depends on us. If this ministry doesn't grow, it's because I failed. If this person walks away, it's because I failed. If there is conflict, it's because I failed.  

Now, certainly, we need to examine ourselves. We need to repent when we are wrong. We need to learn. We need to listen. But something I’m trying to learn…there is a difference between healthy responsibility and carrying the weight of the world. You see,   

Faithfulness is our responsibility. Outcomes ultimately belong to God.  

4. Go to God instead of simply going inward (vs 12)

What do you normally do when you're discouraged? Some of us withdraw. Some of us become angry. Some of us replay conversations in our minds. We catastrophize. And all the while, discouragement gets louder.  

Paul says, approach God with freedom and confidence. When discouragement begins talking to you, don't just sit there and listen to it. Take it into the presence of God. Tell Him you're tired. Tell Him you're angry. Tell Him you're afraid. Biblical hope is taking what hurts into the presence of the God who is still good.  

5. Lift your eyes from affliction to glory (vs 13)  

"I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory." - Ephesians 3:13 (NIV)  

Obeying Christ is never easy. He requires you to take up your cross and follow him (Matthew 16:24). That means being willing to endure pain so that God’s message of salvation can reach the entire world. We should feel honored that others have suffered and sacrificed for us so that we might sit in a house of worship today and reap the benefit. God was completely in control even in the midst of Paul’s imprisonment. In this, the Ephesian believers could “glory” instead of being discouraged.

The Pause Questions

SERVE HUMBLY

Question #1: Ephesians 3:7–8

Where might God be asking you to serve Him with greater humility, remembering that your opportunity, ability, and calling are all gifts of His grace?     

Paul describes himself as a servant of the gospel and “less than the least of all the saints,” reminding us that ministry begins with grace, not our own worthiness or ability.  

REMEMBER CHRIST

Question #2: Ephesians 3:8–9

What “boundless riches of Christ” do you most need to remember today, and how might remembering what you have in Christ change the way you face your present circumstances?     

Paul's ministry centered on making the immeasurable riches of Christ known rather than drawing attention to himself.  

TRUTH GOD’S PURPOSE  

Question #3: Ephesians 3:10–11

Where are you tempted to become discouraged because you cannot see what God is doing, and how does remembering His “eternal purpose” help you trust Him with what you cannot see?  

God's purpose is being accomplished through Christ and His church even when His people cannot see the full picture.  

APPROACH GOD

Question #4: Ephesians 3:12

What is currently keeping you from approaching God with the “freedom and confidence” that are yours through Christ?    

Paul reminds us that because of Christ, we don't have to face difficulty, opposition, or discouragement alone—we have direct access to God through faith in Him.

DON’T LOSE HEART  

Question #5: Ephesians 3:13

Where are you most tempted to “lose heart” right now, and how does Paul's perspective on suffering challenge you to keep walking faithfully and hopefully with Christ?     

Paul's suffering did not convince him that God's plan was failing; instead, he could see his suffering within God's larger purposes and therefore encouraged others not to lose heart.  

Serve humbly. Remember Christ. Trust God's purpose. Approach God. Don't lose heart. 

Message Recording