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Ephesians 1:15-23
Stephen Caswell ©1999
Looking For Something More
The late newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst invested a fortune in collecting works of art.
One day he read of an extremely valuable work that he determined to add to his collection.
His agent searched the galleries of the world but to no avail.
Finally, after many months of effort and at great expense, the agent found the prized artwork.
It had been stored in one of Heart's own warehouses all along!
Had he read the catalogue of his treasures he would have saved himself a great deal of money and trouble.
This story parallels Christians who are always searching for something more because they don't understand what they already have in Christ.
They should look at the bank balance.
We receive God's wealth by faith and invest it by works.
Introduction
Last Sunday morning we saw the work of the Holy Spirit in our salvation.
Verses 13 and 14 speak of the */Spirit's seal/* and */guarantee/*.
After Paul glorifies God for His gracious salvation, he prays for the Ephesian believers.
He doesn't pray for their daily needs, physical or spiritual.
He doesn't pray for grace in trials.
He prays that they might comprehend the riches God had already given them.
Like the newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, they didn't realize the great wealth they already owned.
I believe that we too are like the Ephesians.
We don't understand just how rich we are.
Paul's prayer can be divided into 2 parts.
I.
Thanksgiving
II.
Petition
/Firstly/ Thanksgiving
*Ephesians 1:15-16* /Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:/
*/a.
For Their Faith In The Lord Jesus/*
Paul heard of the faith of these Ephesian saints.
Verse 13 tells us that they heard the Gospel and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit had given them new life and sealed them as God's children.
Paul was always thankful to God, and especially so when people believed in Christ.
Paul continually gave thanks to God for His work of grace in their lives.
He knew that their faith was founded in God's grace toward them.
They had testified to it and Paul had heard.
*/b.
For Their Love For All The Saints /*
But their faith didn't remain alone.
It showed itself in love for all the saints.
This is commendable.
James tells us that faith without works is dead.
Right faith that produces nothing is dead orthodoxy.
*1 John 3:16-18* /By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.
And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth./
/Do you love people in general but not individually where you might have to do something?/
The Ephesians didn't do this.
They followed the Lord's command to love one another.
Love can only reveal itself through actions.
It is not a warm fuzzy feeling.
Love sees a need and meets it if it can.
Inactive love is useless.
*Galatians 5:13-14* /For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, *but through love serve one another*.
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
/The Ephesians are to be commended for their love for all the saints.
They put their faith into action.
Love is Everywhere
After eighteen months in the ministry, a pastor went to his file cabinet to pull out the "Love" file.
He discovered he didn't have one.
Impossible!
It must be misfiled.
He searched among Faith and Fasting, between Healing and Heaven.
Perhaps it was sandwiched by Christology and Christian Ed.
After all, these have to do with Love don't they?
But it wasn't there, nor was it found after Money or ahead of Missions.
When he stopped to reflect, the Holy Spirit solved the mystery.
The Love file was scattered, yet not misfiled.
Parts of it were found under Patience, Kindness, Humility, Trust, Hope, Loyalty, and Perseverance.
But the pastor found the greatest part of the Love file, squarely-centered and deeply-seated, in Forgiveness.
* *
Application
*1 Corinthians 13:4-8* speaks of the most excellent way to serve God, through love.
/Do you love the saints?
How do you show it?/
Recently Partners International came here and shared how they serve in many countries.
Some here decided to support a child.
That is love in action.
We can give to missions too.
We can cook a meal for someone who is unwell or mow our neighbors yard when they're away.
A word of encouragement, or prayer.
Really it is just a matter of being sensitive to the opportunities that God gives us.
But love is not real unless it costs us something.
Love must be active.
*/After thanking God for the Ephesian believers, Paul prayed for them.
/*
II.
Petition
That God Might Give You The Spirit of Wisdom And Revelation
*Ephesians 1:16-17*/ making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,/
Paul was satisfied with the Ephesians faith and Love.
But he knew they needed to grow more.
So he Paul prayed that God might enable them to know all that they possessed.
Paul realized that this required God's help.
So he prayed that God might give them a spirit of wisdom.
This of course would come through the Holy Spirit's illumination of the Scripture.
Unless God reveals spiritual truth* *to us then we will remain in the dark.
This is one of the Spirit's ministries.
*John 16:13* /“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
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