Ephesians 1:15-19
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15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints,
16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
-Prayer is a vital part of our spiritual lives
-Paul gives us a model of praying for what is primary:
-Giving thanks to God for salvation
-Praying for the salvation of others
No man can do me a truer kindness in this world than to pray for me.
Spurgeon
-for this reason = the gospel
-heard of the Ephesians faith in the Lord Jesus and their love of the saints, the gospel had impacted their lives
-Paul had spent two years in Ephesus Acts 19-20-
-it could have been seven years since Paul was there
-Two ways Paul prayed for the Ephesians
-to gave thanks, why? for their faith, what he has heard
-to intercede on their behalf
Great talents you may never have, but you will do well enough without them if you abound in intercession.
Charles Spurgeon
The answer to many of the church’s problems is not more seminars, programs, and promotional gimmicks but more intercession on the part of God’s people, both as a group and in the closet.
John F. MacArthur
Prayers are Fruit. There is perhaps no higher fruit than the power of intercession.
Andrew Murray
-Father of glory = splendor, greatness
-Moses = show me your glory
18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”
-Paul several times described the different attributes of God
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
-How did Paul intercede for the Ephesians? Shocker: it was not for their physical healing, it was not for them to have wealth, it was that the Spirit of wisdom would give them revelation of God
-enlightened = to give light to
Paul taught a very valuable lesson here: our primary concern in the intercession for others is that God would open the eyes of their hearts to the gospel.
-Spirit of wisdom = Holy Spirit
4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,
5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.
-The only way we can know God is because God through His Holy Spirit has made Himself known to us through the preaching of the gospel
-Appears that Paul’s desire was that the Ephesians knew that it was the Spirit of God that would continue to make God known to them
-two reasons Paul prayed this:
-those who have yet been saved
-continual prayer that God would make Himself known to the Ephesians
-Why does Paul pray this? What happens when the Spirit of wisdom reveals God to us?
The Hope of the Call (18a)
The Hope of the Call (18a)
-God’s calling, Paul constantly stressed God’s calling on our lives
29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,
11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power,
Three times in Ephesians: v.18, Ephesians 4:1
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—
-we are called to salvation and that is a work of the Holy Spirit
-conviction and enlightenment
-hope = expectation
5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
-Paul prayed the Ephesians would be enlightened to know God so they could know the hope of their calling - that it is God who saves, that our salvation is preserved by God
The Richness of the Inheritance (18b)
The Richness of the Inheritance (18b)
-we have obtained an inheritance in Christ v. 14
-how is the inheritance described?
-glorious = splendor, greatness
-rich
27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
-v.14 was about our inheritance, but here it is his inheritance, and what is his inheritance?
-the saints
7 I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.
-notice all the times in which Paul mentioned the saints
-v.1, 15, 2:19, 3:8, 18, 4:12, 5:3, 6:18
-Notes the great value that God has placed on His people
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
-Paul prayed that the Ephesians would know God so they may know the richness of the inheritance
The Power Given to the Believer (19)
The Power Given to the Believer (19)
-We know God to be God because He is all encompassing, He is Omnipresent - ever present, Omniscient - all knowing, and as we see in this text He is omnipotent - all-powerful
-Paul mentioned how God bestows His power to His children
-Notice how he described the power of God:
-the immeasurable greatness of His power, immeasurable = surpassing, going beyond, excessive, exceeding all bounds - we could say going overboard
-Paul focused on the enormous size of God’s power
-according to the working of His great might
-Paul frequently associated the power of God with the gospel
7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
-Paul prayed that the Ephesians would know the greatness of God’s power and that God’s power is to the advantage of the believer
-power toward us
-God gives strength and power to the believer
-v.20, 22-23 - in Christ, all things under His feet, head of the church, fills all in all
Stuart Holden (1874-1934), the author of "Prevailing Intercessory Prayer", was in Egypt and met a sergeant in a Highland regiment. "How were you brought to Christ?" he asked this bright Christian.
The sergeant responded: "There was a private in the same company as myself who had been converted in Malta , and I gave him a terrible time. I remember one night in particular when it was very rainy and he came in wet and weary from sentry duty. Yet, as usual, he still got down on his knees before going to bed. My boots were covered in mud and I threw them both at him and hit him twice on the head. He kept kneeling and praying.
The next morning when I woke up I found my boots beautifully cleaned and polished at my bedside. This was his reply to me and it broke my heart. That day I was brought to repentance."
-How are you interceding for others? Are you praying that God would make Himself known, are you praying that as we share the gospel the Holy Spirit would convict and lead others to surrender to Him?