PAUL'S SPONTANEOUS DIGRESSION (6 OF 21)
by Zach Terry
Scripture: Ephesians 3:1-13
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Paul's Spontaneous Digression (6 of 21)
Series: Ephesians
Zach Terry
Ephesians 3:1-13
INTRODUCTION: The statements that have changed my life the most have tended to be those things that are unrehearsed, unscripted, and often an aside, or a parenthetical statement.
• Rick White Pastor of the People's Church in Nashville said once, "People like the vicarious feeling of being a part of a growing church, but few really like doing Evangelism personally"
• Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC said, "You will be about as good at Evangelism as you are friendship."
That's one of the reasons I like to hang out with older Pastors in settings where they are somewhat off the record. It's when they speak from the overflow that the best stuff comes out.
Well in the passage we come to today Paul takes a sort of Spontaneous Spirit led Digression. He gets off of his main track and writes a moment from the overflow.
TEXT: Notice verse 1 - Ephesians 3 (NASB95)
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-
Do you see the two dashes? Those were inserted by the editor to indicate that the sentence took another course.
Then notice verse 14 -
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father
There Paul seems to pick up the original flow of thought building upon his previous statements. But verse 2-13 contain one of those glorious asides.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Paul chases a major spiritual rabbit.
ILLUSTRATION: Beagle - At times Paul reminds me of an old beagle I had growing up. That dog was good for nothing - until he caught a scent of a rabbit. Then suddenly he was transformed into a hunting machine. Well Paul wasn't good for nothing, but it seems that at times he would catch the mental scent of a thought - then suddenly his attention would be arrested and he would have to develop that thought more fully.
You see in the seventh word of the first verse Paul catches the scent…
...
Series: Ephesians
Zach Terry
Ephesians 3:1-13
INTRODUCTION: The statements that have changed my life the most have tended to be those things that are unrehearsed, unscripted, and often an aside, or a parenthetical statement.
• Rick White Pastor of the People's Church in Nashville said once, "People like the vicarious feeling of being a part of a growing church, but few really like doing Evangelism personally"
• Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC said, "You will be about as good at Evangelism as you are friendship."
That's one of the reasons I like to hang out with older Pastors in settings where they are somewhat off the record. It's when they speak from the overflow that the best stuff comes out.
Well in the passage we come to today Paul takes a sort of Spontaneous Spirit led Digression. He gets off of his main track and writes a moment from the overflow.
TEXT: Notice verse 1 - Ephesians 3 (NASB95)
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-
Do you see the two dashes? Those were inserted by the editor to indicate that the sentence took another course.
Then notice verse 14 -
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father
There Paul seems to pick up the original flow of thought building upon his previous statements. But verse 2-13 contain one of those glorious asides.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Paul chases a major spiritual rabbit.
ILLUSTRATION: Beagle - At times Paul reminds me of an old beagle I had growing up. That dog was good for nothing - until he caught a scent of a rabbit. Then suddenly he was transformed into a hunting machine. Well Paul wasn't good for nothing, but it seems that at times he would catch the mental scent of a thought - then suddenly his attention would be arrested and he would have to develop that thought more fully.
You see in the seventh word of the first verse Paul catches the scent…
...
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