A Note from Michael Gossett
When the Church Goes Silent: Proclaiming Christ in an Age of Maintenance
On the freezing cold night of April 15, 1912, over 1,500 people died in the icy waters of the North Atlantic as survivors watched the Titanic slip beneath the ocean. The tragedy is well documented, but less known is the haunting failure of the SS Californian. Just twenty miles away, her crew saw distress flares but failed to act. They had turned off the radio. They saw the signs, but they simply didn’t respond.
Today, many churches are docked in the harbor of maintenance. Comfortable. Silent. Close enough to hear the cries of a sinking world, but too distracted or inward focused to respond. We are not called to be passive observers but rather we are called to proclaim Christ.
Ephesians 3:1-13 is the Apostle Paul’s missional heartbeat. In these verses, we see a portrait of a life gripped by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul is a man so tethered to the will of Christ that even chains could not silence him. If you and I listen closely, we will hear the call from Paul. It is the call to rise from comfort and move forward in our calling to proclaim Christ.
Proclaim the Will of Christ: Suffering Will Not Deter from the Mission
Paul begins with these words: “For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles” (Ephesians 3:1). Paul is literally chained to a Roman guard, but he does not call himself a prisoner of Rome. He is, in his own eyes and in reality, a prisoner of Christ Jesus.
This is not just something Paul is saying loosely. This is not just a clever saying from Paul. This is the truth of Paul’s life and is the calling of our lives as well. His imprisonment, far from hindering the mission, had advanced the gospel (See Philippians 1:12-14). Paul saw suffering, not as an interruption to ministry, but as the means by which the gospel would continue to go forward.
Jesus had warned Paul of this path from the very beginning. Acts 9:16 says, “I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.” This is not an anomaly, but rather it is the fertile soil where the seed of faith germinates. The prosperity gospel wouldn’t publish Paul’s prison epistles. Most likely, these letters wouldn’t make it to the top seller list of Christian publishers today. But the real gospel is forged in the fire of life.
I love the story of Martin and Gracia Burnham. Their life is an example of what it means to live for Christ. They were missionaries to the Philippines and were abducted by Islamic militants. They were held hostage for over a year. Through starvation, brutal mistreatment, and chains, Martin continued to serve his captors with joy while explaining the gospel each night. He died in a rescue attempt, chained to the will of Christ until the very end.
What about us? Have we domesticated Christianity into a lifestyle brand? Are we chained to comfort or to Christ? We proclaim the will of Christ most powerfully when we embrace suffering for His name with joy, knowing our lives are not our own.
Proclaim the Mystery of Christ: Unveiling the Incalculable Riches of Grace
The gospel Paul proclaims is repeatedly described as a “mystery,” not because it is mystical but because it was once hidden and has now been revealed. In Ephesians 3, Paul uses the term four times to describe the unveiling of God’s eternal plan that Jews and Gentiles are made one in Christ and form a new humanity, which is the Church.
This mystery is twofold: the riches of Christ and the light of Christ.
The Riches of Christ
Paul calls them “incalculable.” The Greek term used here is so rare it appears nowhere else in the New Testament. It means “untraceable,” “beyond finding out.” Paul borrows the language of Job 5:9 and 9:10 to describe the wonders of God’s providence and applies it to the person and work of Christ.
Modern astrophysics tells us that 95% of the universe is made up of dark matter and dark energy. It is real and it is present and yet it is invisible and unsearchable to human eyes. The riches of Christ are not unlike this: visible in part, but infinitely more vast than we can comprehend. However, in Christ, these riches have been made known to us notthrough a telescope, but through a cross and an empty tomb.
The Light of Christ
Paul continues to tell us that he was called to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God. To “shed light” is not merely to inform but rather to illuminate and to make plain. This is what gospel proclamation does. We don’t invent the message, we simply make it clear for all to see.
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world” in Matthew 5:14. Light does not retreat into corners. Light always pierces darkness. As the Puritan Matthew Henry wrote, “Wherever there is true grace, there will be a desire that others may share in it.” To proclaim Christ is not merely to preach, it is to shine. It is to live in such a way that the beauty of the gospel is visible, radiant, and undeniable.
Proclaim the Purpose of Christ: The Church is God’s Strategy
Now we reach the climax of Paul’s argument: “This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens” (Ephesians 3:10). The manifold wisdom of God is the richly embroidered wisdom which is displayed in and through the Church.
Paul is not speaking metaphorically. He means that the Church is the stage upon which the drama of redemption is acted out before both the world and the heavenly hosts. Angles and demons look on in awe as God unites people from every tribe, tongue, and nation into one body under Christ.
In an age when many are tempted to minimize or marginalize the local church, Paul reminds us that it is essential, not optional. The church is not a weekend option for us to choose. It is the chosen vehicle of the eternal purposes of God. As Edmund Clowney said, “The church is not an incidental part of the gospel. The gospel creates the church.”
Let this sink in: God’s plan to reach the world is not a parachurch ministry, a podcast, or a platform. It is the local church. Weak and messy as the Church may be, she is Christ’s bride and the theater of His glory.
The Boldness of Those Who Proclaim
Paul ends with an exhortation to courage: “In Him we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him” (Ephesians 3:12). The Greek words for boldness and confident carry the idea of outspoken confidence. We don’t whisper the gospel. We proclaim it boldly. We are not bold proclaimers because we are strong, witty, or have it all figured out. We are bold because Christ is strong and He has given us the power and the courage to proclaim His truth.
So, take heart. Don’t be discouraged by affliction, don’t retreat into silence, and don’t remain passive in comfort. Do not turn off the radio like the Californian. Be like the Carpathia who fired–up the engines, navigated difficult waters, and went after the perishing.
We must always be moving away from maintenance mode toward mission mode. Our nature will pull us toward the former but we must resist and keep pressing toward the latter. Oswald J. Smith famously said, “The church that does not evangelize will fossilize.” A silent church is a dying church. We are not called to merely survive but to proclaim. Paul’s life was chained to the will of Christ, shaped by the mystery of Christ, and poured out for the purpose of Christ. May the same be said of you and of me. It is time to rise from maintenance mode if you are there today. The world is sinking. And we, the Church, are God’s chosen rescue ship. Let us proclaim boldly today.
This Sunday at Green Acres:
We cannot wait to continue our series in Luke this Sunday!
Come to worship at Tyler or Flint at 9:30am or 11:00am and Español at 11:00. We also have Connect Groups, which are essential for your growth in Christ, that meet at 8:00am, 9:30am, and 11:00am. Come and join us!
You are loved and prayed for!
Michael Gossett