Ephesians 3:14-21
God’s Love For Us
As we pick up here in verse 14, Paul says, “For this reason.”
A) Here in v. 14 Paul is coming back to the prayer
that he started in v.1 – but then – took a detour on
to talk about his apostleship –
B) We noted how v. 2-13 are kind of in Parentheses –
Paul is explaining some things about his imprisonment
1) But then in v. 14 he
comes back to this prayer for the Church at Ephesus
C) Love the inspired prayers –
God’s heart for us
1) As
well as Insight on how to pray – this is what God desires
D) So we want to notice several things tonight that
we can glean from this Prayer
1st Notice Paul’s Posture: V.14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
A) This is interesting that we find Paul making
reference to bowing the knee.
B) And of course we don’t think there’s anything
peculiar about that, because that’s a posture that we often take in
prayer.
1) And we do find examples of people bowing their
knee in prayer in the Scripture. But that really wasn’t the ordinary posture for a Jew in
prayer.
C) Ordinarily a Jewish man
would stand and pray.
1) Airplane to Hungary- 30
orthodox Jewish men on that plane – every couple of hours they were
standing up shawls on their heads – Praying !!!!
D) Now there are those occasions, in scripture where
you see someone kneeling in prayer – But usually it was an extraordinary event
1) Or a time where someone was displaying UNUSUAL PASSION
We think back to
the time of the dedication of the temple.
And we read that Solomon knelt down.
And he prayed.
A) And that was an extraordinary event, they were
dedicating the house of God.
B) We find Daniel kneeling down and praying during his
Babylonian captivity - When he was forbidden to pray by the government,
1) it says that he went to
his room, and as his custom was, he knelt down and he prayed.
C) We find that Jesus knelt down and
prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane- night before his death
1) We know this was a very
passionate time of prayer – because we are told that his sweat was, as it were,
great drops of blood.
D) We find that Peter, when he was petitioning the Lord over Tabitha, the young girl that had died, he knelt
down and he prayed, she would be raised
1) So when we find
kneeling in prayer taking place in the scriptures usually it is a very
important event or a time of Great desperation
Kneeling of course,
also indicates utter humility before God.
A) Remember Psalm 95 said,
“Come let us
worship and bow down. Let us kneel
before the Lord our Maker.”
B) And so as we’re
kneeling in prayer we’re sort of expressing with our bodies our utter
nothingness before God.
1) We’re really exalting
the Lord as we kneel in prayer.
C) We are declaring a
surrendered heart as we bow - Sunday night
– 50 people or so kneeling to pray –
1) Expressing a desire to be more passionate & more intimate in this
relationship w/ God .
D) God
honors that type of surrender{ I am sure that for many of those people –
God has met them this week because of their hearts that night!!
S0
first of all we see Paul’s Posture in Prayer – Knelt down / Next lets consider
the Premise of Paul’s Petition v.16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His
glory,
A) That is the premise of Paul’s Petition: that God would grant this prayer according to the riches
of His Glory
B)
That God would work in their lives according to the riches of God’s glory
1)
I want you to
notice that it’s according to the riches of his glory rather
than from the riches of His glory .
C) Now that is a small point, but it’s an important
point.
1) Think of a very wealthy
person. Now a wealthy person can
express some sort of generosity by giving in one of two ways.
D) They can give from their
wealth – or they can give according to their wealth – Millionaire –
from his wealth – gives 100 dollars
1) According to their wealth – He gives $ 100,000
When Paul talks about God granting according to the riches,
the idea is that what God would grant us would reflect His wealth.
A) So what God is going to grant us is to some
extent going to correspond with His greatness and with
His glory.
B) So you can bet that when God
gives according to His riches, whatever it is that He’s going to give,
that it’s going to be an overflow,
1) it’s going to be an
abundance, because it’s a
reflection of what God has. It’s not just a little piece of it, but it’s a reflection
of the totality of it.
C) Now when I look at the current needs of our
Church – that Blesses me that brings comfort to my heart – God supplies according to His Riches
1) When I consider the needs of certain individuals
in our Church – going thru heavy circumstances –
D) Encouraging to know: God is going to meet them
according to the riches of His Glory – AWESOME
THOUGHT
Now
the first thing that Paul prays for them – that God would grant them according
to the riches of His Glory is Supernatural Strength
A) He prays that they would be v. 16 strengthened with
might through His Spirit in the inner man,
B) Oh, how we need to be strengthened don’t we? We need strength.
1) We face difficult
circumstances at times. And we
need that infusion of strength.
C) We need that divine
energy injected into us so we can bear up under the burdens that we sometimes face. Life is full of trouble and difficulty.
1) So we need strength to endure. We need
strength to
persevere. We need
strength to
make it through the troubles.
D) We need strength to stand against our adversary the devil.
1) Blessed today in 2 Kings – Those who are with us are greater than those
who are against us –
E) We need to realize – that greater is He that is
in you than he that is the world
We need strength against the temptation that often comes
our way.
A) We need supernatural power to resist the
temptation as it comes our way.
B)We need strength to be witnesses for the Lord
don’t we? Brain dead sometimes – forget everything I know - other times I feel so
powerless
1) oh how I need
strength to be a witness.
C) God knowing that we would face difficulty in all
of those things – inspires Paul here to pray – example / reminder pray for
strength
The
Word Strengthened = fortified / braced / invigorated .
A) That is what God
wants for US ! That we would be Fortified & invigorated
B) With Might – the word Might is Dunamis – used in
Acts 1:8 Promise to ….
" You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea
........earth
D)
IN other words the strength that we need for our Lives comes from being Filled
to over flowing with the HS
Notice
also where he prays that they would be strengthened – in the INNER MAN
A) This is something that I find
interesting – this strength was not something that you could see necessarily –
visibly – looking outward
B) Wow that guy
is buff ! – Wasn’t noticeable from the outside – although it could
manifest itself outwardly
1) This is a strength that came from within – this was a strengthening of
the Inner man of the Spirit man –
C)
Consider the manifestation in Peter’s life – Coward to
Proclaimer
1)
Resulted in a Boldness to Preach – boldness to stand up against opposition
We will obey God rather
than man
D)
Resulted in a confidence to say to a crippled man – Silver and gold ….. in the name of Jesus
rise up and walk
1)
Listen Peter had no power in & of himself to make that man well – but Peter
was strengthened with Power in his inner man to believe in the Power of Jesus
to heal that Man – IN THE NAME OF JESUS
E) This strength is that which often manifest itself
in a quiet
confidence & boldness that has nothing to do w/ your talents & abilities
1)
But
is there because of WHO is living inside of you The H.S.
You know the problem with too many Christians today is that
they are seeking to be strong in their own Strength – Some Formula Program
So 1st request is that they would be strengthen.w/ might
......in the inner man / Stronger, more focused
more effective lives for the Lord!
A) 2nd Request V17a
That Christ may dwell in your hearts thru faith!
B) Wait doesn't Christ already dwell in our hearts ...faith? Yes at Salvation / You are indwelt with the
HS
1) But this word dwell means to be at home in our hearts / to be at home settled down as a family member!
C) Paul is praying that
Jesus would be at home in our hearts
Ever gone to a persons house where you just didn't feel at
home? don't touch
A)Can't get to comfortable –
always uneasy – sit here – don’t go there …..
B) Paul’s prayer is that
Jesus would feel at home in our hearts- that our Hearts would be his home –
free to go where he wants to in our lives
1) See a lot of people treat Jesus more
like a guest than a family member Here
is living room……….. stay here –
C) Jesus I will listen to
you as it relates to this area of my life – but not in these
1) Bible study yes / Business no / Help with unsaved friends yes / Sensitivity to my spouse no.
D) Jesus I will give you
that place of ownership as it relates to my
ministry but not my singleness –
1) Now we would rarely ever
phrase it that way but we are living that way by our actions –
Listen our Lord’s desire is that our
hearts would be His home!
A) That he would move freely
in our lives / unhindered !!!
B) That our lives would be
so surrendered to Him – we would be looking to Him in every area – leaning on
Him – not our own understanding
1) Proverbs 3:5,6 is a good
test –
Prov 3:5 Trust
in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own
understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall
direct your paths.
C) The degree to which we do
that with the varies areas of our lives will indicate to us how much of our
hearts the Lord has !!!!
A)People w/ that gift amaze
me ! Take plaids/ florals/ solids
various colors / some how it goes together!
I think that doesn't match !/ come back later
Wow!
B) My wife is pretty good in
this area – I have shared how my apartment was decorated before we were married
– MJ / Endless Summer
1) Nothing matched - All got to go - She
had something Diff. in mind!
C) Now I just couldn't picture what she had in mind / but when she
was done it looked great ! Awesome
Jesus wants our heart to be His home He wants to move
freely in our lives / He wants to redecorate
A)Listen you might not always understand what He is
doing / it might not make any sense / But
wait until finished! / World 6 days / do w/ your life !!!
B)
Now in some ways I think that the order of these first two petitions could be
reversed – Because – the Power & Strength we need really only comes after
we have truly surrendered { Our heart His Home
C) Think of
Joshua – Joshua was in a place where He needed strength He needed wisdom
– How to defeat Jericho
1)
When did the Strength & wisdom come ? Only after Joshua placed himself in
that Position of Submission to the Lord
B)That’s
when the Lord gave Him instruction on
how the city was to be taken
1) That is when the Lord showed His
strength in leveling the mighty walls of Jericho – Started
w/ Vision / then submission
Listen God wants to do so much in our
lives – to bless our lives in so many ways – bless our Church in so many ways –
all according
to the Riches of His Glory
Rejoice in that tonight
!!!!!
Prayer for Baptism of the
HS