The sermon, titled 'A Beloved Messenger Sent to Beloved Brethren' by Jason Dohm, explores the latter part of Ephesians 6, where Paul discusses the sending of Tychicus to the Ephesians. Tychicus is depicted as a beloved brother and faithful servant, tasked with delivering Paul's personal updates and comforting the hearts of the Ephesian believers. The sermon highlights the mystery of appropriating God's strength through prayer, both individually and corporately. It emphasizes Paul's deep concern and love for the churches, as demonstrated by his willingness to send a trusted messenger like Tychicus. The sermon also explains the four-fold blessing pronounced by Paul—peace, love, faith, and grace—and how these are actively imparted by God to believers. It concludes with a reflection on the importance of ambassadors in conveying God's blessing and the ongoing advocacy of Jesus for His followers.

Our sermon text for this week is Ephesians chapter 6, verses 18 through 24, but for context, I'm going to start reading from verse 10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation in the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the Saints, And for me that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that in it I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing. Titicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you, whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts.

Peace to the brethren and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. The title of the sermon this morning is A Beloved Messenger Sent to Beloved Brethren. This is the closing of Ephesians where the Apostle Paul tells of the messenger that he's sending.

It's a much loved messenger that he's sending to brethren in Ephesus that he loves. Last week in our text Paul brought us to a mystery that God has given us a way to appropriate his strength and the power of his might to ourselves. Now that is a mystery. God has given us a channel, a tool, in order to appropriate the power of God to ourselves for waging this war that we find ourselves in. And that way is prayer.

Both individually, prayer for myself, and corporately, prayer for my brethren. Now in these final few verses where we're finishing the exposition of Ephesians today with these four verses, Paul introduces the messenger that he's sending and he closes by standing as God's ambassador to pronounce God's blessing on the Ephesian believers. So that's where we're headed. Without further ado, let's ask God to help us. God, we ask because we need help to understand the things that are before us in this text, to appreciate them, to learn to love them, and to live life as if these things were true because they're true.

You are God, completely incapable of doing anything other than telling us the truth. So let the truth dwell richly in our hearts. I pray in Jesus name, amen. Let's begin by subdividing and looking at the first two verses, Ephesians chapter 6, verses 21 and 22. Read along as I reread this.

Ephesians 6.21, Paul writes, But that you also may know of my affairs and how I'm doing, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you, whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts." In these two verses we have personal updates delivered in person. It's not just simply the sending of a letter. It's the sending of a letter in the hands of someone who is known by the author of the letter and who's authorized to give his personal updates to them in person. Paul states his purpose here. He wants the Ephesian believers to know how he is doing and what he is doing.

But instead of just writing a longer letter, he sends it in the hands of a trusted fellow worker in the gospel who he charges to let them know how he's doing and what he is doing. He sends Tichicus. Now who is this messenger Tichicus? He's mentioned four other times in the New Testament, four times plus here. Number one, Titicus is mentioned in Acts 20 verse 4, where it's said that He's one of seven men who accompanied Paul to Asia.

When we think of Asia, we think of China, Japan, Korea. When they speak of Asia in the New Testament, they're talking about what we would call Asia Minor. And really, modern day Turkey, Ephesus, is part of that. So this messenger, Tichicus, is being sent to his home region where Ephesus is. 2.

Tichicus is mentioned in Colossians 4 verse 7. Colossians 4 verses 7 through 9 is almost word for word identical to our text today. It makes me think that as he was writing one either Colossians or Ephesians he had the other already written but still in his hands right before him. They're too close to think that that observation is too far afield. It's really only a couple of words in all these verses are different at all.

And so Paul not only sent Tychicus with the letter to the Ephesians to Ephesus, He also sent Tychicus with the letter to the Colossians. 3. 2 Timothy 4 verse 12 which reads, And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. So Paul let Timothy know that he had dispatched Titicus to go to Ephesus. Indeed, he did.

This is exactly what's in our text today. And 4, Titus 3, verse 12, Paul writes this to Titus, when I send Artemis to you, or Tichicus, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. And so Paul lets Titus know that he is sending either Artemis or Tichicus to him. At that time, Titus was on the Isle of Crete, and Paul writes to him there. And so We have these four other occurrences of this name, this person that Paul is sending as a messenger.

In our text, Paul describes him. The second half of verse 21, Tichicus, a beloved brother and a faithful minister in the Lord. You'd be okay with wearing those labels? I'd be okay with wearing those labels. A beloved brother and a faithful minister in the Lord.

That is high praise from the Apostle Paul. So he's a brother, he's a believer, a member of the family of God, but also a much loved brother. Paul marks him out as not only a believer, but a much loved one, a beloved brother. Paul loves him. How do we know?

Because Paul says he loves him. And he has proven himself. He's a known quantity. He has earned Paul's trust. And so Paul sends him here, there, and everywhere.

That's what we find out by looking at the other occurrences in the New Testament also. He is a faithful servant in the Lord, or the NASB and the NIV render it a faithful servant in the Lord instead of a faithful minister in the Lord. I really sort of prefer servant, not because minister is a bad translation, but because we might be tempted to think of a guy in a collar, a priest. It really doesn't mean that. More literally, it means a servant in the Lord who in his service to the Lord is actually serving the Apostle Paul as well.

Now think through this. Think about the text. Tichicus is a brother. Tichicus is loved by Paul. Tichicus is faithful in Paul's service.

He's proven himself to be faithful to Paul. So Paul will dispatch him to many places. Now, why in the world would the imprisoned Paul part with this man? Ask yourself that question. So Paul's in prison, So his freedom is limited, his movement is limited.

Now why would he part with him? Listen to the postscript from the textus receptus. What in the world am I talking about? Well, a postscript is... Think about the Psalms.

Sometimes Psalms have a preface, but it's not part of any verse number. In other words, the inspired, it really is part of Scripture, A Psalm of David. Many of the Psalms have a preface like that. It hasn't been added by translators. It's in the original text, but it's not part of any verse.

It's a psalm of David, verse 1. The Textus Receptus has a postscript, meaning it's not part of verse 24, it comes afterwards. Many of the early Greek manuscripts had this. And when they made the verse numbers, which were not inspired, it wasn't part of that, but the early translations of Scripture were done from a Greek manuscript called the Textus Receptus. Most of our modern translations are done by a manuscript that pulls from many other different manuscripts, but the Textus Receptus was the one that was in use for hundreds and hundreds of years and it reads as follows.

To the Ephesians written from Rome by Titicus. Now doesn't bother me that it's not in our translation. Most of the modern translators say that that's probably not original. Whether it was original or not, it's early. It's in a fair number of the early translations to the Ephesians.

Well, we knew that already. You don't need this postscript for that. Written from Rome, that's new, and by Tychicus. So from that postscript, it's quite possible that Tychicus was actually the one who penned Ephesians and Colossians as the Apostle Paul dictated them. Tichicus wrote them and then delivered them.

I don't insist on that and it's not important whether he did or not. We know for sure that he hand delivered these letters because it says in the letters that he would be sent with them. So now knowing that back to the question, how can Paul spare this man? What is the answer? He loves the Ephesians.

And so, while he would be very useful to Paul, where Paul is imprisoned and his freedom is restricted, his motion is restricted. He could use a man like Titicus, but he can spare him because he loves the Ephesians. My friends, Ephesians is a mountain of truth, isn't it? It's just a heaping helping of truth in Ephesians, but it is no textbook. It is a letter to beloved brethren from a brother slash spiritual father sent in the hands of a beloved brother.

For me, this is one of the big takeaways of these last verses. Ephesians isn't a textbook. It's full of truth. It's got enough truth to be a textbook. But it is written by a man who loves people, and so he sends someone that otherwise you would say he can't spare him, but he can spare him because he loves the people who are going to receive his letter.

He sends them a beloved brother who is very useful to him in his imprisonment. Paul can't spare Tychicus, but he does spare Tychicus because he loves the Ephesians. Consider 2nd Corinthians 11, 28. So in 2nd Corinthians 11, Paul describes his hardships to the Corinthians. It's a long list.

He starts with the beatings, and then he talks about the imprisonments, then he talks about being stoned, and then he talks about the shipwrecks, and then he says this in 2 Corinthians 11 verse 28, besides the other things, What comes upon me daily, my deep concern for the churches." So Paul describes his hardships. I've been beaten many times. I've been imprisoned multiple times. I've been shipwrecked three times. I've been stoned once.

And aside from all of that, the thing that's on me daily, my deep concern for the churches, I love the churches. Paul didn't just come, bring the gospel, rejoice over some converts, and then move on never to return. Paul's heart was always with them, and he was sending trusted co-workers back to them. He was writing them letters. He was praying for them all the time.

My deep concern for all the churches. That is so reflected in our text today. How is Paul doing? What is Paul doing? Well you know my favorite answer to a question like that.

The text doesn't say. But, We know that Paul was a prisoner. Ephesians 3 verse 1, for this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles. Ephesians 6 verse 20, I am an ambassador in chains. He says in the letter that he's a prisoner.

So if you'll allow me to speculate, and if what most commentators think is true, and if the postscript from the textus receptus is accurate, Paul is at prison in Rome as he writes to the Ephesians and to the Colossians. So if that's so, look at how the book of Acts ends. Acts 28, just going to read you the last two verses of the whole book of Acts. Acts 28 verses 30 and 31. Acts 28, 30 and 31.

Acts 28, 30 and 31. Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him." So This describes at least a part of Paul's time of imprisonment in Rome. It was house arrest. He wasn't free, but he was able to rent his own house and be under house arrest, and receive anyone who came to him and preach the gospel and teach the word of God to anyone who came to him for two whole years. Do you think that would be of interest to other believers in other places who had received the gospel?

The how Paul was doing and the what Paul was doing. He was at liberty to preach even in his imprisonment. Think about last week's text. He just asked them to pray for his preaching of the gospel, that he would be able to preach this mystery of the gospel clearly and powerfully and boldly. Acts 28, 30, and 31 says that happened.

Maybe in answer to the prayers of the Ephesians and the Colossians, he had solicited their prayers. Ah, but There's another objective in our text, the second half of verses 22. And that he, Tichicus, may comfort your hearts. So he does want them to know what he's doing and how he's doing, but more than that, in addition to that, he wants Tichicus to comfort their hearts, or the ESV and the NIV render it, encourage your hearts. Both comfort and encourage are good translations of that Greek word.

That Greek word is used one other time. In the book of Ephesians it was used in chapter 4 verse 1, I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called." So in chapter 4, when Paul used it, the translators brought it over, rendered it as beseech you. So that would maybe inflect a little more towards exhortation or encourage. In any event, Paul is sending Tichicus to get at and help and influence the hearts of these brethren. Why is Paul writing?

So they would know truth. Why is he sending a trusted messenger so that they would know how he's doing and what he's doing, but also that this trusted messenger would get at and help and influence their hearts, the hearts of these Ephesian believers. Now we think of heart, we think of the place where emotions happen. That's a very English and American way to think of the heart, but the Greek word includes emotions, but it's much more than that. It's the central command center for the whole person.

It's thoughts, and the will, and moral conduct, and emotions. Paul is sending help. Paul is sending encouragement, and exhortation, and comfort in the form of this beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord Tichicus. Maybe his most prized possession as a prisoner possibly in Rome. Moving to the last two verses, Ephesians 6, 23, and 24.

Paul writes this, Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. Here in these two verses we have the pronouncement of God's blessing of peace, love, faith, and grace. It's a blessing pronounced.

A four-fold blessing. Peace, love, faith, and grace. Now let's look at the bookends, both the beginning of the letter and the end of the letter. Turn back to chapter 1, verse 1 and 2. So we're studying today how he ended the letter.

How did he begin the letter? Ephesians 1, 1 and 2. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, an Apostle is one sent on a mission to do the things commanded by the sender, to say the things commanded by the sender. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints. Saints are ones set apart for a purpose.

To the saints, the set apart ones who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus. Literally full of faith in Christ Jesus. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." And then what does Paul do? He piles up the riches.

He spends three chapters trying to convince the believer that you're a rich woman or a rich man. And then he tells us what we ought to do with those riches how those riches ought to work their way out in in our life in practical ways So I want to earnestly declare what this is not these last two verses in Ephesians are not a final exhortation for action on the part of the believers. No, no, no, no, no. Be peaceful, be loving, have faith, show grace. No, God is the source and the giver here.

And the believer is the recipient. It is not a call to action on the part of the believer. It is a blessing pronounced. Peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ to you, believer. Grace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ to you, believer.

Paul has been sent as an ambassador from heaven to proclaim to his brethren that God is actively imparting peace to them Matthew Henry says this By peace we are to understand all manner of peace. Peace with God, peace with conscience, peace among themselves, and all outward prosperity is included in the Word. This term is a really broad term. It is grounded in peace with God. It starts with peace with God.

You have nothing if you don't have peace with God. But once you have peace with God, your conscience can be at peace. We can be at peace with one another. We can receive spiritual prosperity from God. Paul has been sent as an ambassador of heaven to proclaim to his brethren that God is actively imparting love to them." Believer, God's love for us is not past tense.

God's love for you is not past tense. You are accepted in the beloved. That was Ephesians 1 verse 6. Accepted in the beloved. As long as God loves his son, he loves the believer.

Everlasting love, undying love, unending love. God wants that declared to you. That He is actively imparting His love to you. Sometimes you feel that, sometimes you don't. He is loving you.

Paul has been sent as an ambassador of heaven to proclaim to his brethren that God is actively imparting faith to them. My faith is going to fail. No it isn't. Not if you're a true believer. He has prayed for you.

Jesus has prayed for you that your faith would not fail. That's what He said to Peter. Satan has desired to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith will not fail. Your faith didn't come from you. The continuance of your faith does not depend upon you.

If you have entrusted yourself to Jesus Christ, He is actively imparting faith to you. Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. Praise God for Ephesians 2, 8 and 9, for by grace you have been saved through faith. And that the grace and the faith, not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." God is actively imparting faith to every believer who is listening. Are you listening?

Are you a believer? If both of those things are true, know this. God is actively imparting faith to you. He's keeping your trust in Him strong. He's sustaining it.

He's growing it. But it doesn't feel like it. Okay, you're more reliable than the Bible. I think we know better than that. Paul has been sent as an ambassador of heaven to proclaim to his brethren that God is actively imparting grace to them.

Because of the person and work of Jesus, because of who he is and what he's done, God's fundamental disposition towards me is grace. It's goodwill. It's lavishing on me riches that I don't deserve and could never earn. That's his fundamental disposition towards me. How can that be?

Because my sins have been dealt with. So even a holy God can be gracious to me. Because I've been parted from my sins they've been dealt with. Oh believer, do you believe this? God has sent ambassadors that you would believe this.

To tell you and retell you. To tell us and retell us that God is actively imparting peace to us, that God is actively imparting love to us, that God is actively imparting faith to us, that God is actively imparting grace to us. Now I know what I'm getting ready to say is repetition. So just forgive me in advance. And turn to Numbers chapter 6.

Occasionally I'll say this before the benediction and read this as the benediction. Well, this is a benediction. What we're studying today is a benediction. Numbers chapter 6, verses 22 through 27. First of all, just observe its placement in the Bible.

It's near the left-hand cover. It's at the beginning. It's early days. Now what are we studying? It's near the right hand cover.

It's at the end. Numbers chapter 6 verses 22 through 27. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron, the high priest, and his sons, the priests, saying, this is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them, this is a command, Say to them, the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them." From cover to cover, God has commanded and desired and wanted his ambassadors to pronounce his blessing over his people so they would know and be reminded that he is with them and for them, that he is actively involved in imparting to them peace and love and faith and grace. And grace, cover to cover, numbers to Ephesians. We must be prone to forget. Why would he command ambassadors to keep saying this to his people over and over if we weren't prone to forget that God is actively imparting his blessing, that he's with us and for us?

So this is very precious, but only apply it as far as the Apostle Paul applies it. What do I mean by that? Verse 24, the last verse of Ephesians. Grace be with everyone on earth. No.

Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. So be it. In sincerity, that phrase must and does mean that there's an insincere form that doesn't count. Is my logic sound?

Am I okay? All those who love our Lord Jesus Christ, insincerity must and does mean that there's a knockoff version, a counterfeit version. An insincere form that doesn't count, a pretended form that might look genuine on the outside, but isn't Pretending to love Jesus when there's no real love for Jesus Acting like you love Jesus, but there's no real love for Jesus. Listen to 1 Corinthians 16 verse 22. 1 Corinthians 16, 22 is the exact other side of the coin, But it drives home the point.

1 Corinthians 16 22, Paul writes this, If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, Let him be accursed. Grace be with all those who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, Let him be accursed. How could Paul say that? Why would Paul say that?

Because God is holy. And without Christ, your sins cling to you. You are under the Curse. Cursed is everyone who hangs on the tree. Jesus has hung on the tree and borne the curse for his people, but it doesn't apply to you.

Bear your own curse, you who don't love Christ. Bear your own curse. Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ? Insincerity. I have I have hypocrisy in my life.

My love for Christ isn't what it ought to be, but I know I love Him. Do you know that you love Him? There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. There's only one name. It isn't that loving Jesus is a work that saves.

Don't get this wrong. Do you have enough love for Jesus that you cross the threshold so that is the work that saves you. No, heaven forbid that we think that for a second. It is that trusting Jesus' faith accompanies a new heart that loves Him. Being born again by faith removes a heart of stone and implants a heart of flesh, and that heart loves him.

There is no saving faith in Jesus without accompanying love for Jesus. It cannot be. It isn't a work that saves, but it must result from saving faith. It always results Applications, I'll give you three. Number one, think of the care for God's people that is represented by the sending of a beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord at something like 1200 miles to deliver this personal letter of instruction.

Just think about what that represents. So there's a beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, and he gets sent something like 1200 miles, if it's Rome to Ephesus, I think it probably was Rome to Ephesus, that's about 1200 miles. 800 as the crow flies, but he's not sending a crow. Think of the care for God's people that this represents. Sending your best asset, or one of them, with this precious hand-pinned letter that Paul has labored over, and then send it 1, 200 miles to a church.

To a church. God loves His people. And God implants His love for His people in His ambassadors. So much care. Number two, updates or prayer guides?

Updates Tichicus going to say how he's doing and what he's doing. That's a prayer guide He he last week's text he was asking for prayer. Don't forget to pray for me. With all prayer and supplication for all the saints and for me, we ought to take an interest in how each other is doing and what each other is doing, and then we ought to take another step and put that info to use. Let's just reread verses 18 and the beginning of 19.

Last week's text. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit Being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints and for me Updates or prayer guides Got to take an interest in each other. We ought to know how each other is doing. We ought to know what each other is doing. And we ought to use that, take the next step, to place these things before the Lord and ask Him to enter into all of them.

Number three. There is an advocate with the Father. There he is at the Father's right hand right now. Pleading for peace for me. Pleading for love for me.

Pleading for faith for me, pleading for grace for me, to a Father who's already predisposed to give it to me. God doesn't have to be begged by Jesus to do good to me. He's already predisposed and yet we have an advocate who's there pressing our interests with the Father. That's a great mystery. Let's pray.

God thank you for these words of comfort. So comforted by how Ephesians ends. So thankful that you would send ambassadors from heaven to labor with me to convince me that You're actively imparting peace, faith, love, and grace to me every day. Your mercies are new every morning. I wake up with a fresh supply, and you want me to know it and live like it.

Pray that you would help us to know it and live like it. Let us have just this great sense of your love for us, your care for us. Thank you for these weeks in Ephesians and all that there is to glean from this. In many ways, There's so much more to say and learn. We thank you for what has been said and what we have learned.

Pray that you would help us to remember these things and to be able to recall them when we need them most. Pray in Jesus name, Amen.