Power to Love (Eph 3:14-21) [05/05/2024]

INTRODUCTION (v. 14-15a, 19b)

#Option 1: God’s desire for the prayer - fulfillment. why? we need power!!! to live this life! we have access to this power! but God wants us to live it to the full!!

“Being filled with the fulfillment of God” This prayer is the final, climactic prayer that encapsulates everything that Paul prays for in Chapters1-3.

As a details guy … when someone talks about POWER something is … I want you put a number of it … i want to measure it, so i can comprehend it …

How big was your catch of fish? how heavy was it, and how many did you catch?

How many horsepowers does your car have, what’s the top speed, how long does it take to get from 0-100

FORMULA 1 CAR

1000 horspower

0-100 in 2.6 seconds

100-200 in under 2 seconds …

Top speed 350 Km/H

LAND ROVER DEFENDER 130 P525 V8

BIG BOY - 5L V8 Engine

sending 517 horseys to all 4 wheels

0-100: doesn’t matter

3.5 Tonnes towing capacity

for only $237,900 (excluding on-road costs)

https://www.drive.com.au/news/2024-land-rover-defender-price-and-specs/

what if something is IMMEASURABLE??? You say this …

IT’S OVER 9000!!!

if you’re a millenial - you’d be familiar with this. OVER 9000!!!!

When I want to describe something that is IMMEASURABLY POWERFUL … i sometimes still say … It’s OVER 9000

This is a scene from dragon ball Z (used to come on Cheese TV EVERYDAY before school)

Vegeta (the guy in the picture)

is measuring the power of his opponent with the google-glasses looking thing

His glasses can’t handle the power its detecting and it cracks …

Too much power!!! Amazing …

‘Too much power’ can be a bad thing … … as in … what’s the point of having all the power … and you can’t even enjoy to its fullness …

Try driving that F1 on the roads … it’s not a joyful experience … you’re not even hitting 1% of its capacity … it’s a more a hindrance than a joy..

How about those defenders, and range rovers …

the toughest terrain it’ll ever see in its life is herring road …

the biggest pinch it’s ever been is the woolies car park

YOU CAN HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THIS POWER … but its not being used to its full capacity.

Maybe that’s not so much a case of ‘too much power’ but a misapplicaiton of power …

- If you want to experience the F1 car in its FULLNESS you take it to the track …

- the 4wd - it comes to life when you take it offroad, or on the sandunes!!!

Life is both … normal …. but when we lift our eyes … life is also … wild out there …

IN GOD we have access to an IMMEASURABLE POEWR BEYOND our wildest imaginations … but here’s what our passage tells us …

We’ll need every single bit of that poewr that we can get our hands on …

God wants us to be FILLED WITH THE FULLNESS OF GOD …. to live life FULLL THROTTLE So-to speak. Life isn’t like cruising on these easy roads … laid out for you … it’s more like navigating through the highs and lows of life … we will go through mountain tops … we will go through dark valleys …we will get to terrains where we’ve NEVER been before and we’re not sure whether we’d be able thru it …. that’s what life really is like …

And we’re gonna need every Ounce of God’s power that we can get our hands to propel us through it!!!

How awesome is it that God wants us to living FULFILLING LIVES - TO LIVE LIFE TO THE FULL … if you want that … it is only POSSIBLE in God …

This is God’s desire for the church, and every christian. this climactic, closing prayer that concludes this section -is at the heart of this letter …

In God we have been blessed with EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING

we have experienced the POWER OF GOD

who has made us … formerly dead people … living under the powers of the world….

—————————-

He Tops and tails the ch1-3 section with prayer. he starts with prayer. he then closes with prayer.

Go with Fulfillment - the 4wd example. land cruisers and range rovers living unfulfilled lives.

Context: this is a prayer in response to The glorious mystery, of the church!!!

it’s the manifold wisdom of God!!! to the rival powers of the spiritualities … YOUR TIME OF POWER IS OVER!!!

How do we live fulfilled lives?? Paul wants us to be with the fullness of God

God wants us to live lives deep in God’s power … It’s the power that reconciled us to Christ

it is the POWER THAT WILL CONQUER THE RIVAL PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS

SO GOD WANTS US TO LIVE IN THIS POWER TO THE FULL!!! God is satisfied with nothing less than the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. This is what we want as humans … and it is what God wants … We’re not talking about our definition of fulfilment…

God doesn’t want us living under-fulfilled lives, like a formula 1 car getting grocerices, or a land rover navigating the tough terrain of herring road.

we’re not gonna be like the land rovers …FULL OF POWER!!! WOW 300 HORSEPOWER. TOWING CAPACITY. AMAZING … to navigate the tough terrain of herring road

It’s a boring, unfulfiling existence to not live to your potential…it’s not so much as overkill, as a misapplicaiton of power. they were made for the jungle! for OFFROAD

similar to lambos and ferraris … driving a formula 1 car on the road. it is a terrible experience…POWERFUL…but misapplied….

NOt so with the christian life…WE HAVE ACCESS TO AN UNIMAGINABLE power … and we need as much of it as we can to live life to the full….

He wants us to experience GOd’s love, to the FULL!!!

If we truly understand who we are in Christ

who are in the CHurch

But to live this fulfilling, life in the FULLNESS of GOd … requires the glorious riches of God’s power at work in FULL in us. God’s power for us, cannot be any more. we have full access to it - it’s a matter of us praying for it. and God’s love for us cannot be displayed any more than what he did through Jesus - it’s a matter of us continuing to grasp/know it .

If you remember the first prayer in 1:15-23 - that was a prayer of revelation. that we’d KNOW …

This is a prayer of realisation…and we’d REALLY KNOW .. experience the FULLNESS of GOd in all its glory …

we would pray for what Paul prays for!!! God wants us to EXPERIENCE GOD’S LOVE!! IN FULLL Being filled

If we are to navigate the tough terrains of life …

If we are to be the CHURCH,

if we are to function as God’s manifold wisdom to the principalities and powers…

we need every bit of God’s poewr that we can get our hands on.

God wants nothing less than for us to have a full experience of HIS POWER - and the fruit of that experience is an experience of LOVE!!!

To experience the FULLNESS of Christ’s love for you …

The prayer ‘that you may be filled to the measure of all God’s fulness’ is the climactic prayer, that closes this section, and summarises Paul’s hope for the ephesians …

We’ve been blessed with EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN CHRIST

We’ve experienced God’s power

God’s death-conquering power -

God’s king-making power -

God’s reconciling-power -

UNITED US TO HIMSELF …

AS ONE CHURCH!!!

how does this look like though???

look at how God loves is own son Jesus Christ.

look at how GOd loves us THROUGH jesu CHRIST!!!

We were taken from being dead corpses, to being made alive in Christ, and incorporated into this masterpiece, GOd’s glory, the CHURCH!!!!

The existence of the church, is a magnificent display of God’s power …. it is a witness to the powers of this dark world, the spiritual forces in the heavenly realms …

We were once UNDER that power, living our zombie-like lives. we were dead … but living under

But now we’re made ALIVE, called to live LIFE to the full in the FULLNESS of God’s love …

There’s a new POWER in TOWN. and your Rule is going to be OVER … all you can do is count the days until Jesus, and HIS CHURCH are UNITED together in FULL …

———-END Illustration/Intro > Link intro ——

So as Paul comes to dwell on this …

God’s power, gazing at God’s masterpiece - the CHURCH …. he drops to his knees

in AWE

and HUMILITY and prays that we might EXPERIENCE THE FULLNESS OF GOd’s power …!!!!

This is an emphatic prayer … so emphatic that the word ‘prayer’ is not even mentioned here … IT ONLY says … i bow my knees … he has three ‘so that’ statements ….

Power from above for Christ’s love to dwell and fill in our hearts

We might have the power to dwell on Christ’s love.

That involves 2 things …

#1 - POWER for Christ love to dwell in our hearts (v. 16-17)

#2 - POWER for us to dwell on Christ’s love (v. 18-19a)

#1 Prays for POWER from GOd so that Christ might infiltrate our hearts … for Christ to dwell in our hearts … to make his home more and more in us!!

#2 Prays for POWER on our behalf … that we might be able infiltrate Christ’s love … that we might have the ability to to grasp on Vastness of Christ’s love to understand …

Together with the Lord’s people

HOW HIGH, HOW DEEP, HOW LONG, HOW WIDE is the love of Christ for you

You can look anywhere, in any direction and see the love of God!!!

look outside

look in your life

look to the church

This is HOW you we can be filled with the fullness of God … this is how we can live life to the FULL!!!

but … i think that final prayer … is THE CLIMACTIc pray to wrap this section. and it is the result of prayer #1 and #2

How do you live life to the FULLEST EXTENT TO THE FULLNESS OF GODD!!!!!

#1 we need God’s power for Christ to dwell in our hearts

#2 we need power for us to dwell on Christ … to understand the vastness of his love

This prayer shows that the realisation of Christ’s life in our lives … is a PROCESS … it won’t happen overnight.

God has already displayed his glorious power in us!!! (summarise all the blessings in eph 1-3).

And whatever goodness of God you’ve experienced so - there is MORE TO COME!

This prayer is a prayer for POWER … rooted in LOVE … evidence that it is working … is more LOVE.

Prayer #1 (v. 16-17) - POWER for Christ to dwell in our hearts

we need the FULL POWER OF THE TRINITY, THE FATHER working with the so that CHRIST may dwell in our hearts

HAVING rooted and established in love.

Let’s have a look at Prayer Request #1 (vv. 16-17)

POWER FOR CHRIST TO DWELL IN OUR HEARTS

First thing to note …

The Power we need comes from GOD!!! NOT from ourselves …

the prayer is…God might give us power … according to his RICHES!!! so that Christ might dwell in our hearts…

When it says ‘according to his riches’ here … it’s describing his generosity…

HE IS POWERFUL!!! but is he GENEROUS with the power he has?

You can be rich, but you can also be stingy with your wealth …

God is not stingy, nor holding back …

If you ask for his POWER … he wants to give it to you, according to riches of his glory!!!!

He gives you blank cheque - waht do you need? i’ll give it you …

Illustration #1 - when my clutch gave way … I’m blocking the M1, AND military road … Oh no lord … not like this … If i could i would’ve dropped to my knees … it’s 5PM, PEAK HOUR … and i’m about to block both the M1 and Military Road … father … the resources ….

My insurance company …. has the resources to help me … i just know they would’ve made my life hard for me, i needed help RIGHT THIS SECOND

my dad …. i knew he would drop everything to help me …

I prayed to the Lord … Lord…i’m done for …

in a miracle …. God gave me enough power … for me to make it off the exit ramp, to the traffice lights …

and thank the LORD the terrain to neutral bay church was downhill, so i coasted all the way to church, and parked my car there …

Thank you LORD …

Thank the LORD … Vic Lorusso helicopter zooming into me and my car …

I remember one time where i got myself in a desperate situation … I was driving to Neutral Bay church, on the M1 - in Peak hour on a thursday afternoon. Took the military Road exit, the Lights were red so i came to a stop.

When the lights turned green, i stepped on the accelerator … my engine was revving, had power … but my car wasn’t moving!!!!

My clutch decided this was the perfect time to DIE (i drive a manual btw).

The clutch helps to transfer the engine power to the wheels. if your clutch dies … RIP…

I. PANICKED … if i could drop to my knees in my car i would’ve!!! I put on my hazard lights to signal … i can’t move …

NOT LIKE THIS LORD!!! I’m gonna the M1 AND military RD??I don’t wanna be on Vic Lorusso’s traffic report please …

In my head - i could call 2 people

#1 My insurance company … they have the resources to help me. They could send a roadside car to help me right that second. But I know it would cause me more stress than relief, be put on hold, ask me too many questions .. They have the resources, but not the love

#2 My dad … he has the love. i knew he would drop everything to help me here … but he won’t have the resources to help me …

In a desperate prayer LORD … please give me just enough power to get this car moving

After 2 minutes of revving … BY GOD’S GRACE I STARTED MOVING!!!!!!! at the blinding speed of 5km/h …

and THANK THE LORd that the terrain to Neutral Bay church was a downward, so i was able to coast my way there …

thank you Lord ….

my insurance company - has the WEALTH of resources to help me … but maybe not the love …

my father …. has the love to help me … but not the resources … dad doesn’t have a tow truck …

OUR HEAVENLY FATHER HAS BOTH!!!!

verse 14 … WE BOW THE KNEE BEFORE THE FATHER through whom every family in heaven and on earth is named

This is to say - We’re praying to the father from whom the idea of fatherhood comes from, and is the father of every family … whether you’re in

the heavenly realms

or here on earth

THIS IS OUR FATHER!!! we can call him ANYTIME, not having to worry he’ll leave us on hold ….

He also has the POWER. he is willing to give us that POWER accoridng to his GLORIOUS RICHES to strengthen us …

We know that God wants to work his power with us … Do you see that the TRINITY is at work?

THE FATHER gives the POWER

He does this … by sending his SPIRIT to dwell in our INNER BEING (v. 16)

so that CHRIST may DWELL in OUR HEARTS

Having already been rooted and established in love of Christ …

sidenote - the second ‘so that statement’ actualy starts in v. 18, and the rooted and established in love goes with the first prayer. so the verse divisions is correct.

that’s to explain how i’ve broken it up … different translations do this … but you can read it like this … because Paul’s prayer, yet again is just one big sentence, he is praying with excitement and overwhelming that he is tripping over his words sometimes …

THIS IS GOD GIVING ACCORDING TO HIS GLORIOUS RICHES. HE IS GIVING ALL OF HIMSELF FOR US, TO DWELL IN US!!!

God is not HOLDING back to strengthen us ….

God isn’t sending a B-team to strengthen us … It’s himself … through Jesus …

We’ve already been ROOTED in Christ’s love … ESTABLISHED in Christ’s love …

Two metaphors used here

one of a tree, … with its roots planted firmly in the love of Christ

and one of a building … held together by the foundation of the love of Christ. and Christ himself being the chief-cornerstone through we’re being built to by a temple where God dwells …. This is glorious!!!

Our Foundation is Christ’s Love

The Chief cornerstone, through the whole building is based - Christ

The one who dwells in us, making his home in us, throught he Spirit - is Christ …

Prayer Request #1 a prayer for POWER FROM THE FATHER … FOR Christ to make his home in us, Through the SPIRIT …

———————————————-

The church witnesses to the old powers that be - THERE IS A NEW POWER IN TOWN!! It’s God, and its shown through the church. Paul prays that use the power given to us from Christ, through Jesus, by the Spirit - TO ITS FULLEST EXTENT. the amount of power is OUT OF THIS WORLD …

much more powerful than the principalities and powers

gives us assurance - we will NEVER RUN OUT!!!

Prayer #1 … the only way we can get to ‘live life to the full’ v. 19 - Is by God’s power ONLY. it doesn’t start with our power, or ability to grasp the love of Christ. it starts with God’s power!!! so that Christ may dwell in us!!!

making your dwelling … illustration: I have a home, make it more and more and more my home…somewhere where CHrist dwells PERMANENTLY. somewhere where Christ can call more his home … he makes his home in us … as LORD. not as a friend, or a housemate … but as LORD…

what: God may give us POWER .. to strengthen us through his spirit, so that Christ dwell in our hearts

Paul is asking for DIVINE strength … given out of the RICHES of his glory …

The generous and all-powerful God … whatever your need is, he’ll write the cheque … not simply $10, or $100 … he’ll give out of his glorious riches!!!!

where: strength in our INNER BEING

The result of the strengthening that comes from the HOLY spirit … is Christ’s love dwelling in our hearts!

When God empowers us with his strength. it involves

The Spirit - who dwells in us …

When the spirit dwells in us - Jesus is also with us. The Spirit - is another Jesus!!!

To have the spirit is to have Jesus deep in our hearts by believing.

having already been rooted and established in love … this is God’s love for us through Jesus.

When you became a christian, the holy spirit came and made his home in you!!! in your personality …. I was made a new creation!!! But I’m still Joel Mailei

You were made a new creation. But you are still ____ Names

God has made you new, but he has also made a home in your INNER BEING … he is now the centre of you life, of our personality.

This prayer is that Christ may make his HOME in you - MORE AND MORE!!!!!

Illustration #1 … My home … is my dwelling, but overtime i wanted to make it more and more my home, somewhere that i want to spend time in, and dwell in.

If i can invite you into my home for a second … my study room, is where i spend most of my time, i want it to be HOMELY, and it takes time.

I have a 1.5metre standing desk, with pre-configured heights - depending on how i’m feeling

I’ve mounted my studio speakers on it - music is playing on that 24/7 - mandatory

I turn to my right .. my keyboard … feeling stressed … start playing my keys

behind me - all my guitars are on a rack, at arms length, can grab one … plug it in and play

next to my desk is bookshelves for all my books and on top of that is a TV so i can have sports going on in the background

I’ve got a thick, comfortable rug that i can sit down, lay down, do my stretches on ….

Fun fact - i was gifted this rug from James Kennedy, we used to be housemates … and when i moved out, he gifted it to me - thank you brother it’s still being put to good use!!!

For me … that’s my home, it feels homely. but i’ve got plans to continue making it my home …

that’s my study/chill space. i could spend hours there. it feels homely … but I want to continue transforming it to make it more homely …

When Christ comes to make his home in us … he is making it more and more his home!!!

Not as another housemate … but as our LORD!!!!

He takes our personality, takes us

transforms it for his glory

you have a short-fuse, so easily angry - transforms that … reigns it in, gives you self-control

maybe you lean towards crude humour - transforms that - that humour is actually disgusting to me now

maybe you’re prone to gossip - transforms that … only speaking the truth in love

When jesus makes your home in you, he coems as LORd …

takes the things make you, you … but he’ll transform it so that you’ll become more like Jesus … changing us from the inside

To have Jesus dwell in us, is to have him central to our personaliy, our thinking, our priorities … and eventually the inside reality bears fruit in our outer lives.

This is all rooted and ESTABLISHED in the LOVE of Christ!!!

having already been rooted and grounded in the love of Christ - Paul prays for MORE OF THIS!!!! we have a solid foundation already in Christ … the way that he brought us from dead to life #ZombiesMuch … progressively the spirit makes us more and more and more like Jesus.

If we’re rooted and established by love … we will be a people of love!!! Rooted and established by the LOVE OF CHRIST, and CHRIST IS DWELLING IN US … THE FRUIT … from the root can only be love … the building … built can only be more love!!!

It’s the power of God transforming us to be people of love

how much? Given without measure - according to the riches of God’s glorious grace!!!

000 illustration: the resources available to you!!! unimaginable … we have even more resources available to us. and because he’s our father, we can approach him daily, with confidence and prayer … you can call 000 50 times a day if you want …

Do we long for more of Jesus in our lives? do we long more to have jesus make his home in us more and more??

Christ to move in … and to move through!!!! (#SimonManchester)

+ Prayer #2 (v. 18-19a) - Power for us to dwell on Christ’s Love

IOW - for us to grasp, to know! notice the link between knowledge and experience…. we’re not emptying our minds to experience, but FILLING it with knowledge …

“And I pray that you … may have power (together with all the Lord’s people) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” Eph 3:17-18

Ephesians 3:17–18 (NIV)

17 …And I pray that you … 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, … [19] and to know this love that surpasses knowledge

Paul wants us to … with the best of our human ability, to grasp, to get a measure of how IMMEASURABLE Christ’s love is for us!!! It is far greater than 9000, 1000,11000 …

to the best of our ability that we grasp

HOW HIGH

HOW DEEP

HOW LONG

HOW WIDE

Just because it is a love, that surpasses knowledge, doesn’t mean we can’t know it …

we can enjoy the pacific ocean … we won’t ever be able to fully grasp its vastness

but we won’t ever be able to count the sand or to comprehend how large it is. we can experience its power, its might … but we’d never be able to fully comprehend it…like a bottle in the pacific ocean.

We can read God’s word, experience Christ’s love but we’ll never be able to fully Grasp it in its entirety…

It is to speak at how BIG IT IS - It bigger than we can ever imagine …

—————

Paul’s prayer for us … involves knowledge …

‘to grasp’ how wide/long/high/deep

‘to know’ this love that surpasses knowledge

Experience is INTRICATELY linked to knowledge. you can’t experience God’s love if you don’t know it??

we understand the multi-facted love of Christ

HEIGHT, BREADTh, DEPTH, LENGTH

WITH ALL THE SAINTS … WITH THE CHURCHH

- depth - he's brought us from death to life! …

- height - Jesus is now lifted above ALL principalities and powers!!!

- breadth - all nations all people … Jew and Gentile joined together to make one new body - in the church …. #SolomonIslands …

- length - goes on FOREVER from eternity past to eternity future …. There is NO EXPIRY date…

The knowledge of Christ’s love is NEVER ENDING. we can never fully know Christ’s love for us … but we can still know it, the best of our abilities, to the extent that our minds can comprehend.

I FIND THIS SO EXCITING ….

Once you’ve experience something so wonderful, we wish we could go back to when we didn’t experience so we can experience anew! it’s not the same …

A friend once told me … Joel, i wish i could be you … so i can experience watching ‘THE OFFICE’ for the first time again … why haven’t you seen it?????

Christ’s love is not like that…

… I love seeing people come to Christ for the first time - the JOY THEY HAVE IS … pure … they are on FIRE for God … they are enthusiastic

For those of us, who’ve been Christian for a number of years … you don’t have to worry … you haven’t even plumbed the depths of Christ’s yet!

YOUR DAYS OF EXPERIENCING THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST’s love ARE AHEAD OF YOU !!!

THIS LOVE WE ARE DWELLING ON, GETTING TO KNOW MORE AND MORE … surpasses all knowledge!! so that means, we can go FULL THROTTLE in our pursuit of Christ. We will be spending an ETERNITY dwelling on Christ’s love

Again and again, we’ll be amazed. taken aback. overwhelemd. brought to our knees because of HOW MUCH CHRIST LOVES YOU

Christ’s love is so DEEP - he’ll take the worst of sinners. he’ll grab the worst of sinners and lift them up …. he has the power to bring you out of the depths of depravity, depression, pain, suffering and give a joy that no one can take away.

SO HIGH he’ll take us to heaven with him…

SO WIDE - he’ll take people from all tribes or nations

SO LONG - it goes on FOREVEr

Illustration: Epicurean buffet. $155 a head … best buffet i’ve been too … My sister graciously treated us…. For $155 you’d better hope

Every cuisine under the sun!

There was seafood station, sushi station, sub-continental section, asian section, european section,

as well as separate cheese and dessert stations.

each station had dishes for days!!! i was determined to try every dish in the house…

WHY NOT! i’m in one of the best buffets in sydney imma fill my belly to as much as i can take ….

In the end i couldn’t fit in the cheese section, but oh Lord - it was magnificent …

Imagine you came to the epicurean like this - top of the line everything,

and you only had toast …

or … i’m happy with just an apple thanks …

Christ’s love is so wide, and rich that he wants us to feast on it, to EXPERIENCE IT!!!! to Go all in!!!

Many of us, have felt God’s love in Jesus … so little. maybe satisfy with only a little bit, when there’s so much more to be experience!!! so much more to ENJOY!!!

Martin Lloyd Jones has 206 pages written on these verses (3:14-21). 206!!!!!! 25 sermons, just on these 7 verses. He tells the story, people in the revival, who would be suddenly overwhelmed by an experiential knowledge of the love of Christ and fell to the ground. it was not uncommon for people in the revival to be so conscious of God’s love for them that they collapse, or asked him … STOP SHOWING his love for them. because its so overwhelming …

Have you been feeling sorry for yourself, somewhat lethargic in a spiritual sense. have you been regarding worship and prayer as tasks? have you allowed the world, flesh, devil to defeat, depress you. the one antidote is the love of Christ. ahve you realised its breadth, depth, height, … have you realised who you are, what you are as a christian? haev you realised that Jesus is lover of your soul …and that he has fixed his affection on you …..

We will NOT ever get to the end of exploring God’s love. and UNFOLD for eternity.

APPLICATION

A fresh grasp of Christ’s love for you does more to refresh you than a thousand rules, than your spouse, than your hope to own a property….

I pray that you grasp more of Christ’s love, explore it, permeate it, DWELL ON IT day by day by bday …. !!!!!

________ with all the saints __________

We can’t get the full-vastness of Christ’s love by ourselves … it is with ALL THE SAINTS … Christ’s love stretches far more than the individual!!!

We grasp Christ’s love … TOGETHER … as God’s church!!!

Imagine a community, where Christ dwells in and through them …

The church is God’s

illustration:

Fulfills Prayer #3 (19b) - FILLED with the FULLNESS of GOD!

joy

fullness of life

being filled with God’s fullness. Experiencing God’s presence. Temple connotations. God has come back to fill his temple! to live with us!! God is in us!!!

Prayer to experience FULLNESS of God’s fullness!

APPLICATION (v. 14, v. 20-21)

if you’re thinking … this is all too much … overwhelming …

Let us find STRENGTH from Verse 20-21 of what Kind of God he is …

He’s a God who

“who is able to do what we ask …” that’s a good God … but he’s greater than

Now to HIM

“who is able to do MORE than we ask” … yes … but greater

Now to him

“who is able to do more than ALL we ask “… no greater

Now to him

“who is able to do more than all we ASK or THINK” …

even the prayers we haven’t thought of yet, he can do more … That’s great, but we’re still NOT THERE

NOW TO HIM

WHO IS ABLE TO DO

IMMEASURABLY

MORE

than ALL

we ASK

or IMAGINE

ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT IS AT WORK WITHIN US!!!!!

be Glory, in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever AMEN!!!!

that’s the God we’re praying to

and when you put it like that … i can’t help but PRAY ONLY BIG PRAYERS

God oeprates on a scae that is bigger than your imagination ….

Why are we sometimes hestitant to pray, or pray big? I know why i do it…i’m afraid God won’t answer … to protect me being heartbroken, or disappointed …

I don’t want my prayers to be too extreme …

Why not this week … spare some time and have a list of ‘10 impossible prayers’

Evangelism prayers … i want 10 people. ..no 30 PEOPLE to come to alpha

Character prayers… Lord i’ve known you for 25 years and i still struggle with anger … i find it impossible to reign it in, help me god

Personal goals: Job, singleness or your desire to be married

healing goals: father I want you to HEAL my sister or brother in Christ from Cancer i know you are powerful enough to do it!

Gifting prayers: Lord … i don’t know how to cook, but i’d love to learn so that i can host people over for bible study…Or maybe - father i’m gifted in this, guide me how i can use it …

Seasonal goals … father, this season ahead of me … How am i meant to carry this pain, … give me the strength to

WE’RE PRAYING TO A BIG GOD - SO LETS PRAY BIG PRAYERS TO him. With boldness and confidence … he will answer

illustration: i dropped to my knees when i almost caused traffice jam in peak hour on military road…

We can be confient he’ll answer our prayers

HE IS OUR RICH, RESOURCEFUL father - we can come to Him Anytime!!!

HE IS ABUNDANTLY POEWRFUL MORE THAN ABLE TO DO WHAT WE ASK OR DARE TO ASK

Let’s be BOLD, COURAGEOUS with our Prayers … But a pre-curser … if we’ve followed thru step #1, and Step #2 … our prayers will be BIG - but also Christ-centred …

the things we pray for will be the same … as go thru life … we still our daily bread …lifitng up our daily needs

Since Christ is dwelling is us, and we’re dwelling in Christ - our prayers will be christ-centred

and We pray BOLDLY - expectantly and confidently

But let’s not get too far from the passage, we can pray those big prayers…before you make your impossible prayer list …

you need this prayer first!!!

A fresh grasp of Christ’s love for you does more to refresh you than a thousand rules, than your spouse, than your hope to own a property….

Pray POWER so that Christ’s love may dwell in our hearts

and secondly for POWER for us to dwell on Christ’s love …

so that we might be FILLED with all the FULLNESS of God …

CLOSING PRAYER

Gracious Lord …

Help us to have a holy discontent when it comes to becoming more like Jesus …

Please forgive us, that we've desired for too litle. where we do the 'minimum' … thinking those 'better days' are behind us.

LET OUR BETTER DAYS ALWAYS BE INFRONT OF US…

let us feel your love this week a real, tangible way.

Overwhelm us with your love

In Jesus name we pray, Amen

trace akankunda wedding - something beautiful about it being embodied worship … like staring out the grand canyon of scriptures … QUEENSTOWN … WOW … how can you say there is no God …