back to indexEphesians Bible Study Lesson 11
00:00:11.200 |
Welcome to this evening's Bible study through Ephesians. 00:00:15.200 |
Let's take a moment to pray and jump right into the study. 00:00:19.120 |
Our God, we thank you, Lord, so much for your grace. 00:00:23.520 |
And Father, as we've been studying the book of Ephesians, Lord, we recognize that your 00:00:29.400 |
love truly is so deep, so intentional, so methodical. 00:00:35.840 |
What's more, Father God, we recognize that your love is so intimate, that God, you lavish 00:00:43.640 |
And so we want to dive just deeper into understanding to greater degree. 00:00:48.240 |
What's more, we pray, Father God, that that would elicit in us a response of faith, a 00:00:53.680 |
response of trust, and God reciprocating our love to you. 00:01:02.680 |
As we look through the Bible study today, we're not going to be doing a review because 00:01:08.680 |
later on as we walk through the passage, there will be a review built into the study. 00:01:18.680 |
And the scripture says, reading again in Ephesians chapter 3, verses 14 through 21, "For this 00:01:26.280 |
reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives 00:01:30.920 |
its name, that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened 00:01:36.320 |
with power through his Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts 00:01:41.520 |
through faith, and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend 00:01:47.460 |
with all the saints what is the breadth and the length and the height and the depth, and 00:01:52.840 |
to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all 00:01:58.880 |
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according 00:02:04.720 |
to the power that works within us, to him be the glory in the church, and in Christ 00:02:15.240 |
As we look at this passage, there is a strong prayer here for every single believer. 00:02:22.620 |
And so what we wanted to do first is take a look at one of the study questions was, 00:02:30.920 |
Apostle Paul in a couple of occasions said, "For this reason," and so we have to ask, 00:02:39.720 |
And what we notice is actually that this phrase, "For this reason," occurred in verse 1. 00:02:46.880 |
Apostle Paul said, "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus, for the sake 00:02:51.920 |
of you Gentiles," and then he paused in that moment, and when he paused, he paused to ask 00:02:58.080 |
us the question, "Did you really understand the gospel? 00:03:04.360 |
And do you understand why I'm trying to make sure I teach you these things?" 00:03:08.920 |
And then he picks back up his thought in verse 14 and says, "For this reason I bow my knees 00:03:14.240 |
before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name." 00:03:18.760 |
And so, as we take a look at this, we wrestle with Apostle Paul's thought whenever we study 00:03:29.840 |
the Bible because in a very methodical and I would say an intricate way, he strings together 00:03:38.120 |
And what I'm going to say is, Apostle Paul then has been saying that leading up to this, 00:03:44.520 |
there is a rationale, a motive as to why he is praying this for the church, for the people. 00:03:51.120 |
And one of the things I just want to quickly mention is, every single one of us, at some 00:03:57.800 |
Some seasons, because of certain needs, we are fervent in prayer. 00:04:04.120 |
And perhaps it's difficult to pray, namely because prayer in and of itself is a difficult 00:04:09.560 |
discipline, and sometimes it's difficult to pray because maybe we've experienced disappointment. 00:04:15.720 |
But sometimes, it's difficult for us to pray, we struggle with it, because we're not reminded 00:04:25.040 |
I think if we were more encouraged as to the reason why we pray, then perhaps more so we 00:04:31.760 |
Now, as we think about this, I have a couple questions for you. 00:04:36.720 |
What are the possible rationales as to why Apostle Paul is praying? 00:04:42.560 |
Could it be that in verse 13, in our previous section, Apostle Paul mentioned that he wants 00:04:49.480 |
to encourage the church because he doesn't want them to be disheartened by his tribulation, 00:04:57.000 |
So when you think about this, Apostle Paul perhaps could be saying, "I really want you 00:05:00.800 |
to understand that God does love you, and although with your eyes you see persecution 00:05:05.720 |
coming, you see me in jail, although all this horrible stuff is happening, trust me, God 00:05:13.560 |
So there are some people, some commentators, who think that Apostle Paul is pointing to 00:05:21.080 |
And for us, if we received something of an exhortation, like "Follow me as I follow Christ," 00:05:26.400 |
or "Obey what I say, but the person who's speaking to you is in jail," it could be disheartening. 00:05:31.800 |
As a matter of fact, it could lend to a little bit of suspicion, like, "What's actually 00:05:37.520 |
Now, I don't think this is the case, namely because when Apostle Paul states this reason, 00:05:44.000 |
he goes above and beyond that parenthetical section in verses 12 to 13. 00:05:50.200 |
But rather, he says, "For this reason," at the beginning of the chapter, pointing to 00:05:54.880 |
A second potential is Paul's love for the church. 00:05:59.220 |
If we're looking at chapter 2, we recall that the church as it's being built, Apostle Paul 00:06:05.700 |
in his description of the gospel in chapter 2 moved from personal salvation, moving from 00:06:09.820 |
death to life, to what that means as a ramification, that we all are made one. 00:06:15.860 |
That the dividing walls of animosity and enmity has been done away with, and so the church 00:06:21.540 |
And we described how God loves that church as its own household, and therefore, Apostle 00:06:26.100 |
Paul, he essentially depicts in many ways his own love for the church. 00:06:29.860 |
So is his love for the church the reason why he's praying? 00:06:34.340 |
Although I think his love for the church is always shown, I think there's more to be said 00:06:40.260 |
I think what Apostle Paul is pointing to is what he's been pointing to the whole time. 00:06:47.060 |
And that is, Apostle Paul has been communicating that his great privilege, his grace to me, 00:06:53.500 |
the "Wow, I cannot believe I am a part of this stewardship, this responsibility," is 00:07:00.860 |
his main point of what God has been doing in his intent and purpose. 00:07:06.900 |
Apostle Paul has been revealing to us God's intention, not just from yesterday, not just 00:07:12.300 |
from a generation ago, and not just from the time of the patriarchs. 00:07:16.620 |
Apostle Paul has been showing to us God's heart and intention since God has created 00:07:24.580 |
And so when you think about that, we have Apostle Paul pointing to the great plan and 00:07:34.260 |
On other portions of the book of Ephesians, he described it as the administration. 00:07:38.380 |
He described it as the unfolding plan, right? 00:07:42.140 |
And so what I'd like to do with you in a brief moment now is to walk through several passages 00:07:45.940 |
together, and you have those passages on your packet, but you can walk through with me on 00:07:50.060 |
your Bibles so that you can highlight those things and just make a note of how often Apostle 00:07:55.660 |
Paul points to this in his thought, in his flow of thought. 00:08:00.420 |
So in the immediate context, in Ephesians chapter 3, verse 11, Apostle Paul talks about 00:08:08.860 |
And in establishing this great mystery, he specifically talks about what God is doing 00:08:14.000 |
to draw individuals to be one underneath Christ, that even Gentiles will be saved through the 00:08:21.820 |
But then what he says is this was in accordance with the eternal purpose which he carried 00:08:29.580 |
So there's our concept, the purpose of the Lord. 00:08:32.260 |
Here's another passage in Ephesians chapter 3, verses 9 through 10. 00:08:37.220 |
Right before that, he says, "And to bring to light what is the administration of the 00:08:40.760 |
mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things," and look at 00:08:45.040 |
this, "so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church 00:08:51.660 |
to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places." 00:08:54.860 |
Piecing it together, we know that God is working to showcase his glory, his great and grand 00:09:02.440 |
The redemptive plan that God is doing, yes, it's massive, it's multifaceted, but all 00:09:07.160 |
that goes to show the grandeur of God's glory and his wisdom to accomplish salvation. 00:09:13.960 |
And prior to that, remember on chapter 2, there was so much that we could glean. 00:09:19.360 |
In chapter 2, verses 1 through 6 at the beginning, Apostle Paul describes our incredible salvation 00:09:27.240 |
We go from those who are absolutely dead in transgressions to those who are made alive 00:09:34.400 |
But look at what he says right after he says that in verses 1 through 6, in verse 7 he 00:09:39.160 |
says, "So that in the ages to come, he might show the surpassing riches of his grace in 00:09:48.840 |
So what God is doing in his intent and plan is to showcase his mercies to the universe. 00:09:57.280 |
And what's more, we go all the way back to chapter 1, and in chapter 1, we saw so much 00:10:05.960 |
For example, verses 4 through 6 of chapter 1 says, "Just as he chose us in him before 00:10:11.720 |
the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before him." 00:10:16.080 |
So one aspect of it, yes, God's intention was to redeem us as his own possession. 00:10:22.000 |
In love he predestined us to adoptions as sons through Jesus Christ to himself, according 00:10:26.600 |
to the kind intention of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace. 00:10:33.120 |
So there you have God's intention and purpose. 00:10:35.720 |
His redemptive plan, which is magnificent, which is a great mystery, which is a showcase 00:10:40.640 |
of grand wisdom and mercy, but all that to praise and glory of his name. 00:10:47.200 |
What's more, in verse 11 through 12 he says, "Also we have obtained an inheritance, having 00:10:52.600 |
been predestined according to his purpose, who works all things after the counsel of 00:10:56.720 |
his will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise 00:11:06.400 |
And then in the next section it says, "In him you also, after listening to the message 00:11:10.360 |
of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed, you were sealed in him with 00:11:15.080 |
the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to 00:11:19.760 |
the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of his glory." 00:11:25.240 |
So if you look in chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, there was a consistent theme that Apostle 00:11:31.800 |
Paul was looking at, that God has a masterful plan of salvation, but all of that was for 00:11:39.680 |
And what's incredible is he says in verse 15, "So for this reason," this constant thought 00:11:45.920 |
of this "for this reason," why he's writing to the church, why he's praying for the church, 00:11:50.960 |
why he is teaching, and why he is doing his ministry, it has never left his mind. 00:11:58.000 |
And so in thinking about God's grand intention and work from long ago, he sees the faith 00:12:03.680 |
happening or existing within the church, and then he connects the dot essentially and says, 00:12:08.720 |
"I'm praying for you because clearly God has applied and is working in you." 00:12:13.960 |
And so he says, "I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among 00:12:18.500 |
you and your love for all the saints, I do not cease giving thanks to you while making 00:12:24.720 |
And what he prays here is so similar to our passage that we're studying today. 00:12:30.040 |
Essentially he says that "God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give 00:12:34.400 |
you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. 00:12:38.000 |
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know what is 00:12:41.760 |
the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 00:12:46.440 |
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe. 00:12:50.680 |
These are in accordance with the working of the strength of his might." 00:12:55.480 |
So essentially this reason of God's intended purpose of executing his redemption, but all 00:13:13.480 |
And so let's take a moment just to pause and meditate on this a little bit. 00:13:22.320 |
If we pause and meditate, we again at some times, we pray for certain seasons. 00:13:32.560 |
And if we were to really think about our dedication to the glory and purpose of God, I believe 00:13:46.600 |
We would have an ever-present motive to continue to pray. 00:13:50.840 |
And if you think about it, when we are only, if let's say our prayers are lopsided, and 00:13:56.520 |
we are only praying for the things that are temporal, we're only praying for the things 00:14:00.160 |
that are circumstantial, the things that are physical, then no wonder we don't pray often. 00:14:05.680 |
Because if I'm just praying for my class, for example, to go well and finish well, then 00:14:17.760 |
If I'm just praying for relief for circumstances, then what? 00:14:23.560 |
The fact of the matter is some of these things that we work for in terms of working for provision, 00:14:28.560 |
working for grades, working for money, some of those things don't even necessarily require, 00:14:35.760 |
Doesn't necessarily require like a mass miracle to happen. 00:14:43.520 |
And so all I'm trying to point out is this, not that God is not intricately involved in 00:14:47.840 |
the daily provision of our daily necessities, because he is. 00:14:52.180 |
Not that God does not care for our daily bread, because he does. 00:14:56.560 |
But the fact of the matter is if the content of our prayers is not in tune with the grand 00:15:03.760 |
purpose of God, it's going to lose motivation. 00:15:09.600 |
And so there's this question for you, what is it that you typically pray for? 00:15:14.480 |
For Paul, he is seeing the masterful plan of God, and when he sees faith, he realizes 00:15:22.640 |
And so I would hope that you would have your eyes open to see that even more. 00:15:26.680 |
When you see certain things, you should have a framework to put, you know, they kind of 00:15:32.240 |
talk about having some kind of grid or a structure so that you can hang stuff on, which totally 00:15:38.840 |
We see the grand, we've been given the privilege of seeing the grand masterful plan of God 00:15:42.560 |
in redemption, and then that should cause us then to ask ourselves, how does this fit? 00:15:47.600 |
And if we see it fit, we should be praying for those things. 00:15:52.080 |
And so this, I do believe, is why Apostle Paul prays, and I think it was important enough 00:15:59.440 |
What's more, I think because he was thinking about that, that's why Apostle Paul, when 00:16:03.720 |
he says, "For this reason," that is the reason for his prayer, but also that's the reason 00:16:17.560 |
What's really interesting is, as he begins with, "For this reason," and points back multiple 00:16:22.400 |
times to the will, the intention, and the purpose of God, he also concludes this section 00:16:28.600 |
and this first part, the first half, with this amazing doxology. 00:16:34.080 |
And within this doxology, he says, "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly 00:16:39.840 |
beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works within us. 00:16:45.200 |
To him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. 00:16:55.160 |
That first part of it in verse 20, one might be thinking like, "Hmm, we're just supposed 00:17:03.520 |
I think Apostle Paul is looking at God's intention and plan and looking at the people and just 00:17:11.120 |
I want you to know God's amazing plan for you. 00:17:16.760 |
Because lest you forget, God is not just trying to make you a winner in Orange County. 00:17:23.000 |
That would be an incredibly, incredibly small plan if it was God's plan. 00:17:28.560 |
God says, "I'm going to make you holy and blameless and present you before me in all 00:17:41.720 |
And so, Apostle Paul, when he says, "God is able to do far more than what you're thinking," 00:17:47.400 |
I think he has a lot more in his mind than what we're thinking. 00:17:51.200 |
I think Apostle Paul is thinking to great grandeur. 00:17:55.240 |
The thing about it is other gospel writers and other apostles speak the same way. 00:18:00.880 |
"Man, if you only knew what God has in store." 00:18:04.280 |
This is kind of like the 1 Peter, I think it's 2 Peter chapter 3 passage where a lot 00:18:08.720 |
of people, he was like, "Some will say, 'What gives? 00:18:12.760 |
Since our father's past, it's been the same thing.'" 00:18:15.080 |
And Apostle Peter is like, "Oh man, only if you knew what God counts as brevity and time. 00:18:25.040 |
Only if you knew what was in store of what God is going to do." 00:18:28.840 |
In the same way, that to Apostle Paul is his doxology. 00:18:33.080 |
If you actually knew and thought about all that God is intending and planning, praise. 00:18:45.880 |
I'm going to just briefly mention it because it's a little confusing. 00:18:49.920 |
So Apostle Paul in the beginning of this prayer, he says, "For this reason I bow my knees before 00:18:54.680 |
the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name." 00:19:00.600 |
Now, because of for the sake of time, there is an appendix. 00:19:05.160 |
There is an appendix of why I think it means what I'm about to say. 00:19:11.480 |
I believe when he says, "From whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name," he's 00:19:15.960 |
not talking about every single family in existence. 00:19:19.640 |
I think he's talking about every saint across time. 00:19:23.440 |
Those who are in heaven already and those who are on earth. 00:19:27.960 |
And what I'm thinking is when Apostle Paul is thinking about the Father, ones who have 00:19:33.040 |
a relationship like that, what is he thinking about? 00:19:37.600 |
He is thinking about how God has already worked. 00:19:42.400 |
When you think about the church, you're thinking about, "Wow. 00:19:49.780 |
Because that's what the church is supposed to show. 00:19:55.760 |
When you think about saved individuals, you're looking at spiritually transformed people 00:20:02.640 |
And so again, I believe Apostle Paul's mind is just wrapped up in God's incredible intention, 00:20:13.600 |
If your mind also is not aware of God's glory, God's plan, God's purposes, you will always 00:20:24.720 |
What's more, you're going to have a very hard time making sense of your life. 00:20:32.880 |
What's more, you're going to be devastated and despair. 00:20:37.560 |
If our hearts as believers are not wowed, not only wowed, but then submissive to, not 00:20:44.600 |
only submissive to, but devoted to the great cause of the glory of God, we are losing track 00:20:50.680 |
of what our God, our Father is doing in this time. 00:21:01.640 |
And so again, maybe we're talking a bit too overly philosophical or theoretical, but as 00:21:08.400 |
we see the example of Apostle Paul, this he points to as a reason why he prays and what's 00:21:18.720 |
This has an exhortation for us if we're struggling with how to pray more in line with God's will, 00:21:25.520 |
Okay, moving to number two, which we're going to take a little bit of less time on because 00:21:33.920 |
So what I mean by that is let's take a look at this passage and what I'm going to do is 00:21:37.120 |
just a quick pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, comment on each of the different points of prayer 00:21:45.440 |
And just as a quick tip, remember it's so important to look at the repetitions and see 00:21:49.960 |
how he uses certain phrases to introduce his prayers. 00:21:53.380 |
So I noticed he uses the term that and then he introduces a prayer. 00:21:57.760 |
So there is that he would grant you to be strengthened with power and the next phrase 00:22:03.560 |
is I moved according to his riches, according to the riches of his glory because it modifies 00:22:08.960 |
or describes the strengthening that it would be in accordance with the riches of God. 00:22:13.960 |
Through his spirit in the inner man so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith 00:22:25.560 |
You're supposed to comprehend with the rest of the saints. 00:22:36.640 |
And he says and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, being rooted and 00:22:41.160 |
grounded in love that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. 00:22:46.400 |
By way of summary for you, here are the terms just as a quick summary. 00:22:51.600 |
The number one thing that he says is that God would grant strength with power. 00:22:56.000 |
And then it moves to so that Christ may dwell in your heart and that you may know Christ's 00:23:03.440 |
I set this apart as a separate prayer because being rooted and grounded in love is a participle 00:23:09.600 |
meaning this is what you're supposed to be as you know the love of God. 00:23:14.040 |
But I think what he's thinking, he's thinking progression, right? 00:23:17.880 |
That as you know the depth of Christ's love, you are going to be rooted and grounded, unshakable 00:23:25.520 |
And what's more, it's going to culminate to being filled with the fullness of God. 00:23:32.120 |
Now one of the things that I asked you was not only do we see the points of the prayer, 00:23:41.920 |
Now I've only done a couple of these things because again, every single one of these points 00:23:46.440 |
of the strength, the dwelling, the know, rooted and filled, they could each take essentially 00:23:53.200 |
Or an explanation and kind of observation that we could look at other passages and all 00:23:59.200 |
But one of the important things I wanted to highlight is there definitely seemed to be 00:24:03.360 |
a sequence for Apostle Paul as he's thinking about this. 00:24:06.840 |
And what's interesting is that in this sequence, it's not necessarily the way that perhaps 00:24:11.600 |
we might originally think about it or naturally think about it. 00:24:15.060 |
Which is, doesn't it always start with you be in Christ? 00:24:23.120 |
But I think Apostle Paul has the other aspect of our Christian life in mind here. 00:24:30.600 |
He begins with being strengthened in the inner person, right? 00:24:36.180 |
He begins with being strengthened by the spirit in the inner man. 00:24:40.520 |
And so, what he's praying for when you think about that strength of the inner person is 00:24:48.480 |
That faith is going to cause us so that in every aspect of our life, Christ is going 00:24:56.360 |
And as Christ dwells in our hearts in every experience, in every aspect of our lives, 00:25:00.840 |
we are going to experientially know because guess what? 00:25:04.320 |
That know therefore may know Christ, it's gnosco. 00:25:08.400 |
You're supposed to have a personal, interactive, experiential knowledge. 00:25:12.680 |
Not a conceptual one, not just intellect, but a knowledge of the love of God. 00:25:18.200 |
And what that causes you to do is be all the more firmly rooted and therefore as you are 00:25:24.280 |
more and more firmly rooted in Christ's love, you're going to be filled over and over and 00:25:30.400 |
So as we think about that, I just want to make mention of this. 00:25:36.020 |
What he's thinking of here then is not so much just the salvation move, although again, 00:25:43.440 |
as significant as that is, I think what he has in mind is the growth and sanctification 00:25:49.440 |
of every believer who is supposed to experientially grow in the depth of knowledge of Christ having 00:25:57.440 |
I'm just going to use this one specific thing as an example why. 00:26:03.760 |
Because even when you look at that term dwell, there are different Greek terms for staying 00:26:12.000 |
So just like in English we have those terms, in Greek there are many terms as well for 00:26:15.560 |
the concept of someone being in someone's home. 00:26:18.320 |
But here, if you look up this definition of this word, dwelling means to not just visit, 00:26:28.880 |
The idea of make a dwelling as to mean that in terms of Christ filling our minds or filling 00:26:35.680 |
those experiences, the way I like to think about it is for us, as we move through certain 00:26:39.760 |
experiences, what's going to happen is you're going to be tested. 00:26:43.820 |
And different parts of your heart are going to be exposed. 00:26:46.740 |
And when that happens, you're going to realize, you know what, certain areas of my life I've 00:26:53.840 |
Certain areas of my life I never thought how does God impact or what's the ramification? 00:26:58.840 |
What's the implication of Him being Lord here? 00:27:03.320 |
And so a lot of the commentators make much of this and say, "Is God somebody who is a 00:27:07.680 |
visitor who you've invited to the living room or is He living with you, having access to 00:27:18.760 |
The idea is we are to be growing in our faith, in our experience. 00:27:23.600 |
We are to be growing in every measure of what we are thinking, our heart and our desires, 00:27:31.960 |
our will and our intentions, the devotions, the clarity of our conscience, the trust that 00:27:37.000 |
we exercise, all of these things that are internal. 00:27:40.840 |
Those are the inner man faith concepts and exercises that we are supposed to be growing 00:27:47.640 |
And so in that way, there is a sequence that we're supposed to be growing in. 00:27:51.240 |
And I believe as we do this, what's going to happen is this is going to allow us to 00:27:55.240 |
take every single experience that we have, every hurdle, every success, whatever experience 00:28:02.600 |
we have, we're going to be able to walk through those experiences with Christ and come out 00:28:08.040 |
stronger in our faith, come out more refined, come out more biblical, more real in our thinking. 00:28:16.560 |
And that's what essentially happens to Apostle Paul. 00:28:20.120 |
One of the passages I want to highlight to you is Apostle Paul saying that he has this 00:28:25.320 |
treasure in earthen vessels so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and 00:28:32.640 |
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed, but not despairing, persecuted, 00:28:36.880 |
but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed, always caring about in the body the dying 00:28:42.020 |
of Jesus so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 00:28:46.920 |
Four, all things are for your sake so that the grace which is spreading to more and more 00:28:51.080 |
people may cause the giving of thanks to bound to the glory of God. 00:28:57.120 |
But though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 00:29:03.080 |
I'm going to stop for the sake of time, but you see what he's saying? 00:29:06.400 |
We're going to go through these hurdles, we're going to be persecuted, beaten, struck down, 00:29:10.720 |
but our inner man is being strengthened daily. 00:29:15.080 |
Okay, so we've looked at the overview and the sequence of the prayers, but there is 00:29:25.000 |
The focal point is that there should be incredible strength in God's incredible power for every 00:29:32.000 |
The way I want to put it is, let's pray for that. 00:29:36.840 |
Let's devote ourselves to pray regularly for powerful faith. 00:29:42.720 |
Let's pray to experience God's power through that faith. 00:29:47.640 |
And the way I would like to do this is I want to go through the passage again with the thematic 00:29:55.640 |
How do all those elements that we see within this prayer contribute to an individual who 00:30:00.520 |
is in Christ being strong in the power of God? 00:30:05.280 |
Pray for, first, he talks about again the main idea, says that he, God, would grant 00:30:11.440 |
you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power. 00:30:17.440 |
Now again, I'm not going to talk about dynamite or whatever, but that is ability, that is 00:30:21.840 |
capacity, that is the capacity to exercise a will and accomplish it. 00:30:29.160 |
There is an enablement that God desires in us to actually be strong. 00:30:35.400 |
Is it more and more godly for people to have this, "I'm totally depraved, worthless am 00:30:45.400 |
Without Christ, worthless you are, totally depraved you were, but now as you are in Christ, 00:30:51.280 |
you're living by the Spirit, sealed, empowered, the Spirit is with you and in you and so is 00:30:58.680 |
Let's be a little bit more precise with our wording. 00:31:03.980 |
And what's more, this power, let's pray for rich, glorious strength. 00:31:08.880 |
This power, he says, is according to the riches of his glory. 00:31:12.280 |
Okay, we can go on doing like one of those cross-reference studies and think about riches. 00:31:17.920 |
The richness of his mercy, the richness of his grace, the richness of this and that. 00:31:26.960 |
If God is to bless us, this is one incredible blessing. 00:31:32.700 |
To have the power of God according to the riches of his glory, that's like limitless. 00:31:42.380 |
That would be, because there's no parameters to the riches of God's glory. 00:31:52.180 |
Moving forward, not only are we supposed to have this rich and glorious strength, let's 00:32:03.140 |
Strong in our thought, in truth, in our understanding, in knowledge, in faith. 00:32:09.300 |
So many times we wish, we just wish so much that we were strong in so many other ways. 00:32:14.420 |
We wish that, "Oh, you know, I have a test coming up." 00:32:17.100 |
As you can tell, I'm talking about tests a lot because I'm studying. 00:32:21.300 |
"We have a test coming up and oh, I have anxiety. 00:32:30.580 |
It could be all I'm praying for is make me smarter, make me smarter. 00:32:42.400 |
We're talking about having the inner strength as the halls of faith would say, the faith 00:32:48.580 |
Now, I'm going to come to that later, so let's move forward. 00:32:51.700 |
Let's request and pray for residing strength. 00:32:54.740 |
Again, when we think about Christ dwelling within us, really, like think about that. 00:33:00.420 |
I mean, we want to have not a temporary God is our physician who is a visiting doctor. 00:33:07.420 |
No, we want Christ to be residing with us, daily abiding with us, walking with him step 00:33:18.340 |
You know how that passage described being rooted and grounded in love? 00:33:27.300 |
How many of you now, especially in these uncertain times, actually feel like you are rooted, 00:33:35.900 |
The tides of the day, the news, it's not causing you to shift left and right, but rather you 00:33:43.140 |
What's more, that term, the next term of grounded is talking about established on a firm foundation. 00:33:48.660 |
Again, very descriptive ways to describe being the strength that we're supposed to have and 00:33:53.780 |
lastly, he prays that we would be filled with the fullness of God. 00:34:07.140 |
What we are praying for is not temporary success. 00:34:11.180 |
I mean, let me ask this question in this way. 00:34:14.980 |
Sometimes we're just sitting there thinking, "Oh my gosh, it would be so sweet. 00:34:21.740 |
And then we have these thoughts about what could happen if all our bills were paid, if 00:34:25.900 |
our student loans were gone, if our X, Y, and Z happened. 00:34:31.940 |
I think here and now when we think about being filled with God over and over again, this 00:34:42.260 |
This would be to us something that pervades every single part of our lives. 00:34:53.860 |
And I pray that this is the kind of prayer that we're praying for the people that we 00:34:58.500 |
And more importantly, this is the kind of prayer that we're praying for ourselves. 00:35:02.900 |
Apostle Paul says this is what he is praying for. 00:35:08.060 |
And you know that later on, Apostle Paul is going to command us, "Finally, be strong. 00:35:17.260 |
And essentially what Apostle Paul has been trying to do is to show us God is absolutely 00:35:23.020 |
transforming us from that depraved sinner who was dead in transgression so far from 00:35:35.060 |
The whole time he's been trying to show us the richness of what we have. 00:35:38.300 |
He's been saying from the very beginning, "Look how you've been so incredibly blessed. 00:35:49.540 |
Please do not walk around with your head down, acting as though you have nothing." 00:35:58.860 |
God wants to transform us, but for us, do we live our Christian lives as though we've 00:36:11.700 |
I think for a lot of times, people, they feel this need for the internal strength, especially 00:36:22.420 |
They've experienced what it feels like when you're unhealthy. 00:36:24.420 |
You're all sluggish and groggy and unmotivated and tired and fatigued every day. 00:36:33.220 |
They know they need to be on a health regimen of exercise and good food. 00:36:41.740 |
When that donut's there, it's just so soft and fluffy. 00:36:47.580 |
You just want to eat it, and your willpower is so weak. 00:36:52.660 |
Especially if, let's say, you previously were in a habit already of not eating well. 00:37:04.860 |
One of the examples that I was thinking of was even something stronger than food, which 00:37:10.200 |
You think about all these programs the government tries to put on, whether it was, in my day, 00:37:19.700 |
It's not cool to do drugs or something like that. 00:37:22.780 |
But after evaluation, it's been shown it's just not that effective. 00:37:28.340 |
You could try to have a cop come by your school and just be like, "Yeah, man." 00:37:33.620 |
It may really help to show graphic videos of what happens when you do drugs or something 00:37:40.640 |
Sometimes a kid who's tempted by his friends just doesn't have the willpower to say no. 00:37:53.480 |
I know what happens when you don't practice faithfulness to God and obedience to the Lord." 00:37:58.340 |
But the willpower to say no, it's just not there, right? 00:38:03.960 |
Now partially, I'm part doing this as an example and metaphor. 00:38:10.900 |
But obviously, we've all probably felt the devastating feeling of being defeated and 00:38:17.520 |
not having what it feels like, the strength in you to say no to sin and then to say yes 00:38:23.440 |
to righteousness and then to do the high calling of God, to love people that are difficult 00:38:28.720 |
to love, to swallow your pride, to surrender, to be godly, to be Christ-like. 00:38:33.960 |
I mean, we've all experienced what it feels like to have that kind of weakness. 00:38:39.240 |
But Apostle Paul is challenging every single one of us. 00:38:45.700 |
Let's pray for the strength because the strength is available to us in Christ. 00:38:56.660 |
We need to make sure that we are trying to live this life not with these rationales. 00:39:02.220 |
Sometimes people come to me when they have sufferings and they're just like, "But 00:39:05.820 |
dude, Pastor Mark, you don't know the things that I've been through, right? 00:39:10.380 |
People don't know the things that I've been through. 00:39:19.860 |
I may not have suffered to the extent you have, okay? 00:39:24.860 |
But this does not apply to our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:39:34.660 |
He will empathize in every way that we are tempted. 00:39:38.780 |
And God is going to show us his great power, his great strength in us through Christ. 00:39:44.700 |
A kind of strength where we're not just overcoming a test, right? 00:39:48.780 |
We're overcoming the demons and the Satans of this world and all the evil forces of schemes 00:40:08.540 |
I want to encourage you, every single one of you. 00:40:14.820 |
And Christ himself, even this past week, I was reminded, he is the one who said, "Through 00:40:19.820 |
faith, you could tell this mountain to jump into the ocean." 00:40:33.100 |
And even from beginning in this life, you're going to experience that newness. 00:40:42.460 |
And so you guys recall, that's from Mark 11, verse 23, that with faith, even just a 00:40:48.260 |
mustard seed, everything we thought impossible without God is absolutely possible with the 00:40:54.660 |
Hebrews 11, just think about how powerful faith is. 00:40:58.140 |
The strength that God gives to us through faith. 00:41:04.740 |
Individuals who are deathly afraid of doing something. 00:41:08.500 |
I could never talk to that person through faith. 00:41:11.860 |
I could never speak in front of the church, give their testimony, and everybody in the 00:41:18.100 |
But beyond that, the halls of faith, through faith, they left their home. 00:41:23.300 |
Through faith, they fought nations and mighty kingdoms. 00:41:28.700 |
Through faith, they were stoned, tortured, and some sawn in half. 00:41:37.180 |
And remember, because we just exited, came out of the Easter week, scripture says that 00:41:45.180 |
the power of Christ's resurrection is in you. 00:41:48.780 |
The incredible power of Christ's resurrection is in you. 00:41:53.080 |
To persevere through suffering, to fight against every temptation, if you are struggling and 00:41:58.100 |
trying to decide what's right to do, and you know what's right to do, but you feel that 00:42:01.820 |
weakness, like, "I don't know if I can do it." 00:42:04.700 |
The spirit of Christ's resurrection is in you to make those decisions. 00:42:09.580 |
The spirit of Christ's resurrection is in you to make bold statements for Christ. 00:42:15.820 |
I will say, like, again, I've confessed so many times, the fear of man sometimes is in 00:42:22.500 |
And when I'm talking to somebody, I felt just the jitters, the butterflies in my stomach, 00:42:27.020 |
and my voice quivering like I'm crying or something. 00:42:30.820 |
And when I'm focused and I know this is my Lord, I can speak. 00:42:37.020 |
Because that truth of God is absolutely powerful to save. 00:42:49.820 |
And sometimes when I see people and they're in the midst of the sin, we get it. 00:42:56.620 |
Here and now is particularly, especially a time for you to exercise this faith. 00:43:02.780 |
There is an incredible spiritual power for you in the name of Christ. 00:43:07.220 |
And so Apostle Paul is going to command us later in Ephesians 6.10, "Finally, be strong 00:43:12.540 |
in the Lord and in the strength of his might." 00:43:16.460 |
You know, I want to conclude with this last point, point number four, which is to say 00:43:28.100 |
Sometimes I listen to prosperity gospel teachers because it kind of gets your blood boiling 00:43:34.500 |
and then also gets your mind going like, "Ugh!" 00:43:36.980 |
You know, "How do you convince these people?" 00:43:39.860 |
Well, what's funny is that some of the prosperity gospel preachers say the exact same statements 00:43:51.580 |
Now, why am I then not a prosperity gospel preacher? 00:43:55.780 |
It's because although they may say similar things, we know that they end at, and that 00:44:07.180 |
That power now is going to translate to you, my car, my house, my wife, my life, and maybe 00:44:16.220 |
Because when we take a look at Ephesians chapter 3, verse 20-21, the ending of this 00:44:21.340 |
passage, Apostle Paul says, "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all 00:44:26.460 |
that we ask or think according to the power that works within us, you can stop there and 00:44:32.220 |
God can do a lot more than what I even have asked.'" 00:44:37.780 |
Gospel preachers have used that and said, "Oh, God's going to do wonderful things for 00:44:45.900 |
It says, "To him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus in all generations forever 00:44:53.900 |
The prosperity gospel preachers will use that and turn and twist and pervert everything 00:45:06.140 |
And as a matter of fact, that is such a blasphemous diminishing of the power of God. 00:45:13.060 |
You're bringing God's power down to this when you think that God's power is relegated to 00:45:23.260 |
Because again, honestly speaking, all that is is actually the power of man. 00:45:28.780 |
The vast majority of people in America, if they work hard and save, at least in the next 00:45:33.700 |
five to ten years, they're going to be able to afford a vehicle. 00:45:39.220 |
And to say that you're going to exercise this faith and you're going to exercise your disciplines 00:45:43.740 |
and you're going to seek the Lord in praise so that he can get you that car, that is such 00:45:54.260 |
We believe that God is going to strengthen us, to absolutely transform us into the image 00:46:01.460 |
He is going to move us through faith to transcend this world. 00:46:06.140 |
And through faith, he is going to bring us home to his kingdom and eternally cause us 00:46:16.300 |
And so I pray that when you have that insight, realize that when our minds and our faith 00:46:23.000 |
is so sober unto the eternal, when our minds and faith are so sober into the plan of God 00:46:28.840 |
and his redemption and the glory of the Lord, we actually find so much more solid ground. 00:46:37.040 |
We know what we're doing and why we're doing it. 00:46:43.860 |
Lord, I pray, God, that truly we would understand, but what's more, there would be conviction 00:46:53.900 |
God, you know, right now I'm trying to teach and wrap up an incredible three-chapter section 00:47:02.060 |
where you've described your incredible grace, the working of your might and power, all directed 00:47:14.220 |
And so, God, we want to thank you and praise you, Lord, for revealing all of that to us. 00:47:21.460 |
We receive with grateful hands all the mercies that you give. 00:47:29.780 |
I do pray that for every single person at our church, Lord, God, we would not simply 00:47:36.260 |
God, that we would not simply have strength of ingenuity and good problem solving. 00:47:43.100 |
I pray, Father God, that we would have the truth, strength of Christ and the faith that 00:47:48.900 |
Lord, help us to live in such a fashion where it is so wise in your eyes and not the eyes 00:47:55.780 |
And I pray, Father God, that we would live in such a fashion that is so empowered and