Ephesians 3:14-21

Introduction (6 minutes)

Read Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul picks up his prayer // I’ll cut to the chase // no 30 second sermon

Here’s what I think the passage is saying:

Spiritual power is available for all God’s people.

The purpose of spiritual power is to grasp more fully the love of Christ.

The result of spiritual power is the fullness of God.

That fullness leads to God doing among us more than we could ever dream

Rather than looking at what happens, let’s take the other approach and talk about why it doesn’t happen.

Why does it so often seem that only the expected happens?

1st & 2nd Great Awakenings (Cane Ridge), Woodlawn & Explo ’72 (80K), 17 baptisms at Salt Church can’t force revival as far as awakening

God won’t co-opt sinners’ free will

we can prepare ourselves/not quench the Spirit

We quench the power of the Spirit when… (15 minutes)

The church is prayer-less and, therefore, powerless. (v. 14-16)

we cannot exalt Christ in COCs while neglecting the Spirit

confession and ask forgiveness for neglecting prayer for more than we can imagine

The church is not rooted in Christ’s love (v. 17-19, covers both grace and truth)

conservative churches rooted in legalism cut themselves off from God’s power

us missing out on most of the Jesus Movement

progressive churches that desert the truth cut themselves off from God’s power

to be rooted in love we need to be rooted in and humbly submitted to the Word to make sure our traditions (conservative) or cultural definitions of love (progressive) don’t become our foundation

The church does not believe in God’s power. (v. 20a)

heartbreak of churches that assume they must die // lack of Scripture for decline theology // also get personal with personal defeatism in regards to sinful habits

recovery ministries are powerful because of the admission of powerlessness (pt. 1, step 1) and a belief in God’s power (step 2)

look to Scripture and others’ testimonies to trust in God’s power when you doubt his power to free you from sin, revitalize your spiritual walk, make you a light, etc.

The church expects God to bring revival without their participation. (v. 20b, 21a)

commitment to personal holiness

The church brings glory to other gods. (v. 21a)

not much to say, only pray to see what else I’m glorifying

The church is focused on the temporary instead of the eternal. (v. 21b)

you’ve got to know what lasts and what doesn’t 2 things that last forever learning to kick my bucket list

Exhortation (+ communion) (6 minutes)

Paul recognized that all of this flowed from being rooted in Christ’s love.

Yearn to know the depths of Christ’s love.

Evangelistic invitation

“…the love of Christ is wide enough to encompass all humanity…long enough to last for eternity, deep enough to reach the most damaged sinner, and high enough to exalt us to heaven.”

if you believe you’re a sinner and Jesus died for sinners, there’s no reason not to be baptized As the rest of us gather around the table…

the challenge is to know the unknowable

we may never fully comprehend the magnitude of the love of Christ until the resurrection

but we yearn to know the depths of his love more and more + allow it control of our lives

no moment helps us do that more than this one

prayer (+ communion)