"I've Heard of Your Faith and Love"
/To the saints who are in WRC,
As you know, we’re studying the book of Ephesians this fall. While I’ve preached sermons here and there in this book, somehow in 13 years we’ve never walked through the entire letter together. I’ve been finding it rich and beautiful, and there is often too much in any given passage for just the one sermon. I hope you’ve been feeling something of the depth of this well.
I especially love this line from Paul back in chapter 1: “I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers” (Eph. 1:15-16).
Paul barely finishes his effusive praise of God at the beginning of this letter before bursting out in praise of these saints in Ephesus. It wasn’t easy to be a Christian in the first century, especially in a city like Ephesus, but in the news Paul gathered he had heard that these Christians continued to believe in Jesus and love each other. And it was those two simple things that caused Paul to resound in gratitude whenever he prayed for them.
I love this line because I’m feeling what Paul was feeling. Having spent a little bit of time away from you this summer and returning now this fall, I’ve heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks when I remember you in my prayers!
In even just these few weeks since I’ve been back, I’ve heard about some of you reaching out under the radar to bring meals to someone having surgery. I’ve seen more than a few of you continue to visit members of the church who are homebound in order to offer them your love and care. I’ve seen you enter into worship wholeheartedly and give your attention to God’s Word because you believe Jesus is alive and active and can’t wait to experience it. I’ve noticed again how long the Passing of the Peace takes during worship because you’re busy loving one another. And I’ve felt your warm embrace and the joy with which you’ve welcomed me and my family back into your midst.
I’ve heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. I’ve seen the way in which you inhabit the faith, the way in which you follow Jesus, and I’m so grateful that God allows me to be a witness to it!
In Christ,
Pastor Andy
P.S. – If you’re interested in diving deeper into Ephesians, there are a couple recommendations I can make! First, the Bible Project video summary is always a great place to start for an overview of any of the books of the Bible. If you want a book, I have two recommendations. The first is Sit, Walk, Stand by Watchman Nee. It’s 67 pages book by a Chinese Christian about 100 years ago and a great resource for understanding and applying Ephesians. The second is Practice Resurrection by Eugene Peterson. Eugene uses Ephesians as a guide to talk about what it means to grow up in Christ. If you read one of these, let me know what you think!