IMB Missions Conference: Ephesians 1:15-23: Hope for the Spiritually Dry

Introduction

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/13/1080493253/valentines-day-idaho-potato-french-fry-perfume - 90% of Americans find the smell of French fries irresistible… True statement.

VS sweet tea… Wife smelling like bug spray… Not so irresistible…

What do you find irresistible? What is it in this life that you can’t do without? That first cup of coffee in the morning? Your spouse? Your favorite hobby?

Do you find your Lord irresistible? Paul wants us to find God absolutely irresistible - so irresistible that we would spend our lives pursuing Him.

Philippians 3 - Paul found Christ irresistible - so did the other apostles. They had their failures, but their lives were driven by the pursuit of God and living for Him.

For some of us, we find God quite resistible. We love God, but we love lots of other things too. We want to pursue God, just not as much as we want to pursue other stuff.

Some in this room have been resisting God for all your lives - “What’s the point?”

Ephesians 1:1-14 - “Consider what God has done...” Theologically rich - trinitarian theology. Chosen, predestination, adopted, redeemed, sealed… For Paul, the thoughts of these words elicit praise. Knowing these things about God makes God irresistible. “I have to follow him...”

But, how did this theological richness affect the church at Ephesus? How do these ideas affect you?

Maybe… “That’s nice Paul. Glad you’re excited about that, but it doesn’t really do much for me.”

Paul wants what he believes to stimulate passion and devotion in the lives of the believers of Ephesus. He wants that for you. Paul wants us to find God irresistible.

This passage is for the spiritually dry. Even in ministry you can get spiritually dry. The work of ministry is consuming. A prayer… If you find yourself not moved by what Paul writes in 1:3-14, you need to pray this for yourself. You need others to pray this for you.

Three ways you need to pray if you are spiritually dry.

Pray that you would understand the great intimacy God desires with you.

Paul is thankful for the church at Ephesus. He’s thankful for their faith in Christ. He’s thankful for their love for the saints.

Sidenote: Faith, hope, and love in these verses. Several times in his epistles Paul talks about faith, hope, and love. 1 Thess. and Col. - commended churches for growth in faith, hope, and love. Most famous reference - 1 Cor. 13 - These three remain: faith, hope, and love. For Paul, faith, hope, and love are evidence of God’s work in your life. Faith in Jesus, love for the saints, hope in what’s to come.

Paul’s specific prayer aimed at the HEART. He’s a shepherd who cares for the spiritual growth of his people. (We often read the epistles theologically rather than pastorally.) For Paul, greatest need for Ephesians was that they knew God… He could have prayed a million things for the believers… For good health, persecution to lighten, more comfortable lives, they would get better jobs, be better parents, be better spouses, be better students in school, etc. BUT… what Paul wants is for Ephesians to know God.

“I pray to the glorious Father...” Still thinking about vs. 3-14…

“Would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.”

Revelation = truth about God that He has revealed to us through His Son in His Word. What’s the truth about God - vs. 3-14 - He is holy and just, creator of all, and He loves you so much that He adopted you, redeemed you, and sealed you.

Spirit of wisdom - the Spirit living inside of you enabling you to live in the knowledge of who God is.

Paul doesn’t use the common word for knowledge gnosis. Instead, epignosis. “Really know...”

Paul not talking about knowing ABOUT God. We’re really good at knowing ABOUT God. We gather and we study… Know facts about God… Can explain the Trinity, salvation, cite the books of the Bible… Knowing the right things about God is important - but not just to grow in knowledge like we grow in knowledge of science or history.

God is far more than a subject to be studied. He is a glorious Father to know. Paul talking about KNOWING God. Intimacy with Him. It’s personal - relational. Every truth we learn as we study should lead to greater worship and greater devotion.

Pray for yourself and pray for others that you would understand the great intimacy God desires with you.

Pray that God keeps you humble - spiritual pride… “I know the Christian faith. I know the right thing to say… I know the right thing to do…” Pharisees! Humility: I have never arrived in my relationship with God. More to know… More to experience… More to grow…

Pray that God keeps you hungry - Always wanting to grow in knowledge of Him. For some, that’s the problem… Not really hungry for God… What do I do?

Keep praying. Ask for prayer… “God restore my desire for you.”

Quit feasting at the wrong table. Not hungry for God because you’re feasting at another table.(Table of sin, table of leisure, table of wealth, etc. OR, table of success, table of ministry business, table of family, etc.) A table that will never fill you up… At wrong table asking: “Is there more?” Right table: I know there’s more, and I want it… (feasting at God’s table… always satisfied and always hungry.)

My stomach got me at the wrong table… (Ikea… Staci wanted to shop… She lured me in…)

Stay in community. Spiritually dry is when I most need spiritually mature people encouraging me.

Pray that you would understand the great worth God has placed on you.

Eyes of your heart enlightened - not the eyes of your brain… Not about knowing intellectually but knowing internally - (Memorizing a song vs. sheet music - deep down inside…)

Heart = the totality of who you are - mind and will… I want you to see God with the essence of who you are.

That you may know hope. Much more than wishful thinking - a settled, eternal reality. I know what’s coming beyond this life. (1 Peter 1 - Living hope…)

Hope of His calling - called out to something - to be His inheritance. Note: Paul not talking about our inheritance. When we think of inheritance we think of what we get from God. (1:11) Paul saying we are God’s inheritance. (Psalm 33:12)

Inheritance = something of great value.

Zephaniah 3:17 - God delights over you - a sinful people. Why? He knows the work He’s doing in your life. He’s sanctifying you and bringing you into His glorious presence to enjoy a relationship with you forever.

The glorious God and Father of all creation has given Himself the gift of you. Paul wants you to know that as a child of God, adopted by the Father, you are of great value to Him.

If you ever doubt your value, go back to the cross. Consider the price that was paid for your sins so you could be brought into a relationship with the Father. (redemption)

THIS would have been HUGE for the church at Ephesus. “Look at us! How could we be God’s inheritance! We were pagans!” (Ephesians 2) The answer: Jesus. What does this mean for you?

Stop pressuring yourself to be somebody. Enormous pressure to conform to the standard of this world - to be successful, wealthy, etc. Then, the constant comparison. Trying to make yourself into someone God has not called you to be. Pressure on people we love: “I just want the best for them.” You want YOUR best for them, not God’s best.

You don’t have to “be” somebody because you already “are” somebody. If that’s true:

Let God’s value of you shape what you value and how you value others. Does what you value demonstrates whether or not you believe you are valued by God? (New Creation…) Do you devalue your value? Do you care that you devalue your value? When you know God values you, you value His mission, His character, holiness, etc.

In the church: when you do someone wrong, gossip, abuse, etc. you are devaluing God’s inheritance. Husbands, when you talk down to your wife, devaluing God’s inheritance. Etc. (Big for church at Ephesus - they were valuable - Jewish believers needed to know that.)

https://futurism.com/the-byte/650000-nft-yacht-metaverse - An unwise investment! You might look at yourself and say, “Unwise investment!” Not true… God will never look at you and say, “I wasted my investment.”

Pray that you would understand the great power that God has available for you.

Eyes of heart may see His glorious inheritance and His power.

Note: Exercised this power by raising Christ from the dead and seating Him at His right hand - above every ruler and authority. Paganism and spiritual warfare - wrestling against devil, demonic forces - Jesus above it all! He has defeated every stronghold. Everything under the feet of Christ. He is the Head of the church! (Colossians 1)

God has demonstrated His power in many ways - miracles of the Bible. Creation - Spoke all things into existence!

BUT… No greater demonstration of the power of God than the resurrection. Why? Death is our greatest enemy - nothing more powerful than death in our eyes - Death seems like the demonic wins. Satan doesn’t want us to have life.

However, Jesus redeemed you from the penalty of your sin by dying the death you deserve and then by rising from the dead to defeat death itself! For you, death paves the way to life in the presence of God. It’s not to be feared. It’s why we celebrate at funerals of Christians! Why Paul said… “To live is Christ, to die is gain!”

This resurrection power is yours! Because the One who has resurrection power lives in you, giving life to every area of your life.

Power to put your marriage back together.

Power to keep our church unified.

Power to empower you to overcome sin and live a different kind of life.

Power to help you live on mission - share the Gospel with boldness.

Stop giving the enemy power. Every time you side with the enemy, you’re taking life. Sin takes life. To stay in the sin that God has saved you from is to reject the power of God and give power to the enemy. When you sin, you’re saying, “Satan, have your way...” (Ephesians 4:27: Do not give Satan a foothold.)

Refuse to live powerless! If you consider what God wants for you and from you, yet you say, “I can never...” Never overcome, never live on mission, etc. You are choosing to live powerless. What you are really saying is “I will never...” You are refusing to let God powerfully work in your life. Why? You don’t know the God you serve… This is what Paul’s getting to! You have to KNOW this God!

This morning: know God for the first time - know Jesus who rules and reigns. Turn to Christ by faith. Believe He died and rose again for you.

Believer: a renewed commitment to know Christ. Confess your sinfulness. Come and pray Paul’s prayer over your life. Pray it over the life of someone else.