The Mystery of Christ

A Great Privilege (1-

The gentiles partake (verse 6) Hidden for ages, the valley between the two great peaks of history (the suffering servant and the reigning King).

A privilege to preach. He was an enemy of the cross, Pharisee, Hebrew of the Hebrews, but now as the least of the saints, but gets to preach the mysteries of Christ.

A privilege to suffer. He is a prisoner for Christ (not of Rome), on behalf of the gentiles. To show God's plan in bringing them into the fellowship of God.

God's Great Purpose

To display the multi-facets of his wisdom.

Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

1 Corinthians 1:18–25 (NKJV) Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

To declare to the world, the angelic hosts, and the principalities and powers His glory, His riches, His grace.

The angel's cannot see the grace of God, but through the church.

When you suffer and praise God, declare His goodness, through a heart of trust in His grand design, you display to the world and the angelic hosts the riches of Christ.

When you praise God in the good times you declare the goodness of God

Paul’s Great Prayer

Strengthened by the Spirit

Strengthened to endure testing and trial.

Ephesians 6:10 (ESV) "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might."

Strengthened to do His will. Used of two other people in Scripture.

John the Baptist, Luke 1:80 (ESV) "And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel."

Jesus, Luke 2:40 (ESV) "And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him."

The Spirit of God will take the Word of God and illuminate your understanding. He will establish and strengthen you.

Grounded in Christ's Love

Christ dwells in your heart by faith. Your heart is to be his home.

Rooted and Grounded in his love (your source of life and your sure foundation).

The dimensions of Christ's love:

The breadth - how wide, it crosses the boundaries of nations and languages.

To be filled with the love of Christ will move your heart toward evangelism and missions.

2 Corinthians 5:14 (ESV) "For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died ... we beseech you, be reconciled."

The length - it endures through time into eternity. His love is just as effective today as it was 2,000 years ago.

The depth - it reaches to the lowest sinner.

The height - it carries us to Glory.

Filled with God's Fullness

That you would think, and love and act like Christ.

The closing, God is able to do more than this big prayer.

Application:

Pray this for yourself. Pray that God would fill you. That you would know Christ's great love and be moved to action. That the Holy Spirit would empower you to do His will.

Pray this for your family.