Pray to understand the Great Mystery

Ephesians  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Pray for Spiritual Insight

Ephesians 1:15–19 CSB
This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.
Paul says, “This is why” - what is why? Go back to Ephesians 1:3-14 - “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ as a plan for the right time—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him. In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose …”
That’s the why! Because of how GREAT GOD IS!
You can read it this way: Because of how great our God, YAHWAH is, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers!
Listen you can learn a few things right there
Paul Prays!
The testimony of your faith goes further than you can imagine!
Your love for others travels!
Shared faith covers great differences and distances!
We should remember our fellow believers in our prayers!

What did Paul Pray for?

Paul Prayed:

God would GIVE - such a powerful Greek word! didōmi. (de-domee)
that God would GRANT - to offer - to let experience
This is such a powerful word because it does not just mean to hand something over! It is literally a word that means an offering of experiencing something.
Jesus says Mat 7:7
Matthew 7:7 (CSB)
“Ask, and it will be given ( didōmi) to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.
ask and it will be offered.
ask and you will experience!
They would receive the Spirit of Wisdom
Spirit of Wisdom - pneuma Sophia
Pneuma - Spirit - what spirit? The Holy Spirit!
Greek word for Wisdom: sophia: referring generally to the capacity for sound judgment or the possession of specific skills. Refers to the quality of having knowledge, skill, and experience in the sense of mastery over a particular subject or trade through practice and learning.
The very first deacons chosen in Scripture were men who were full of the Spirit of Wisdom.
Acts 6:3 CSB
Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.
Wisdom originates in God, that God gives it to people such as Joseph and Solomon (Acts 7:10; Matt 12:42), and that he shows it himself (Luke 11:49).
Paul is praying that the people, those in the church, would seek the Lord, would continue to seek the Lord; and that the Lord would give them this Spirit of Wisdom.
Listen what he is saying is this: I have heard about how much you love the Lord, and about how you are loving others in the Lord, and it is so encouraging that I have been praying for you! AND I am praying that the Lord give you Wisdom! The ability to to use knowledge for the GLORY of HIS Kingdom!
Because it is all about HIM and HIS kingdom and HIS glory!
And listen, the Wisdom of the Lord - the pneuma sophia, well it is not of this world and it is different! And you can’t get it without the Lord giving it!
But this is not the end of what Paul prayed for!
He Prayed
They would receive revelation in the Knowledge of Him.
HE prayed they would receive the Pneuma Sophia, the spirit of knowledge AND revelation in the knowlegde of Him.
revelation - apokalypseōs - Something that is made fully known; a full disclosure.
knowledge -this isn’t the standard Greek word used - gnosis - no no, this is not just some word that means knowledge!
Here Paul writes:
epignōsis - Relating to knowledge of transcendent value.
understanding!
In the nt, epignōsis generally refers to knowledge of a spiritual or moral nature such as awareness of one’s sinfulness (Rom 3:20) or knowledge of God (Col 1:10) or his truth (Titus 1:1).
epignōsis indicates spiritual understanding such as knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4; 2 Tim 2:25; Titus 1:1; Heb 10:26), knowledge of God (Eph 1:17; Col 3:10; 2 Pet 1:2–8), or knowledge of God’s will (Phil 1:9; Col 1:9).
Paul is literally praying that the Church as a whole, that everyone who is faithful and following The Way, would receive the same gift He was given!
Ephesians 3:3 CSB
The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above.
That the eyes of their heart would be enlightened.
Eye - not your physical eye! But your inner eye - the ability to perceive something
heart - we are not talking about the muscle that pushes blood through your body! We are talking about something much deeper!
It is the source of the physical life (Acts 14:17) but also the center of the inner life, including perception, volition, and intellect (Rom 1:24; Luke 12:45) - conscience!
enlighten - to give light, to bring to light!
This is a true prayer for growth! That we would have the ability to truly see that which has been hidden by our own sinfulness! By our own ways! Even though we are seeking the Lord, as are these people to whom Paul wrote - He prays that we would be able to truly see, to become mentally aware, so that we can become spiritually aware; and truly experience, to the fullness - the HOPE of the calling of Christ Jesus!
This is an experiential prayer!
not just that we would mentally understand or be aware of something, but that we would also have the ability to FEEL this awareness!
It’s like when going on a mission trip! You can SEE the hurting people. BUT do you really SEE THEM? You can go and work with the Homeless, but do you truly SEE THEM? Do you see lost people and feel obligated to go witness to them? Or do you let them go past? Or do you see them, are you aware that they are going to hell if they die without Jesus, and does that break your heart so deeply that you can’t help but desire to share with them that there is a SAVIOR and HE LOVES THEM! Does it MOVE YOU, not just physically move you - but MOVE YOU - so much so that you can’t sit still - you can’t help but go - you can’t help but have what the world calls RECKLESS ABANDON because you truly see, you truly feel - the eyes of your heart have been opened!
It’s the same when you truly look inside. When you stop and really seek Jesus. That’s what Paul is praying for.
Paul prays that our ability to perceive to the depths of who we truly are would be brought to light! SO THAT we may know the HOPE of His calling!
To know the hope of His calling.
KNOW - understand, recognize, examine!
Hope - Elpis - the spirit of hope!
LN 25.59 hope, a looking forward to in confident expectation (Ac 23:6);
LN 25.61 to anticipate what is hoped for with pleasure (Ro 8:24; Col 1:5);
LN 25.62 basis for hope, that which is the cause or reason for hoping (1Th 2:19) - CONFIDENT EXPECTATION!
Calling - invitation - proclamation -
Those who respond to God’s call in faith are called (klētos; Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:2, 24; Jude 1:1).
The wealth of His glorious inheritance in the saints.
the Wealth - the ABUNDENCE! Abundant possessions, prosperity. - there is no shortage!
glorious (Doxa) - splendor! Greatness - amazing might! the distinction, the honor, the radieance
Refers to the honor which is accorded to, or the splendor which characterizes, a person or thing.
It is most relevant to aesthetic beauty when it is used in connection with the ideas of brightness and majesty. Doxa is often characterized by or used in conjunction with brilliant light (1 Cor 15:40–41; 2 Cor 3:7; Rev 18:1). The divine glory is characterized by such brilliance (e.g., Luke 2:9; Acts 22:11; Heb 1:3). The word is also used to describe the splendor, attire, and domains of royalty (e.g., Matt 4:8; Luke 12:27; Rev 21:24). In this latter sense, the term is applied to God and to Christ as royal figures (e.g., Matt 19:28; Luke 19:38; 1 Thess 2:12; Heb 2:9). The concept of divine glory is thus imbued with a sense of radiance and majestic splendor
Inheritance - Property possessed by a lawful heir.
inalienable possession!
The transfer of something from parent to child!
Oh what Joy to be a child of our heavenly Father that we may receive HIS blessings as our inheritance!
klēronomia refer to the present right of Christians to receive future spiritual blessings (e.g., Acts 20:32; Gal 3:18; Eph 1:14; Heb 9:15; 1 Pet 1:4).
Let us put this into perspective -
Paul prays we may recognize and understand the abundence and prosperity of YAHWAH’s greatness, honor, radience and splendor, and that we are a part of that family! We are those who get a portion! And there is no shortage!
AND ALSO - look at the words - Eph 1:18
Ephesians 1:18 CSB
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
SANITS -
that we are set aside, sanctified - In the world but not OF the world because we are OF THE LORD!
holy, set apart, consecrated, dedicated, saints. Refers to the quality of God who is transcendently distinctive, unique, majestic, perfect, and pure.
I want you to truly grasp the power of this word:it is specific in use and means that we are who we are not because of who we are, BUT BECAUSE OF WHO GOD IS!
The Immeasurable greatness of His power.
Ephesians 1:19 CSB
and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.

What did Paul really pray for?

Brothers and sisters, this thing we have - this Christianity - is not head knowledge. It is not heart knowledge.
You know I enjoy cheesy saying - Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship. Absolutley true.
But it is so much more than just a relationship!
Paul is praying for an intimate understanding, not just of WHO YAHWAH is; but of WHO WE ARE!
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