Lord Enable Me!
Notes
Transcript
Reading:
Romans 7:22 2 Corinthians 4:16
22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
Introduction:
On the coat tails of our consistent and persistent prayer life from last week.
After salvation there is something that drives us to be morally good and holy.
At the moment of salvation we are changed, made different; but even after salvation we still don’t have it all together.
We have not arrived into perfection yet.
We may not have arrived but in Christ we are given some powerful tools for the process of being transformed.
One of those tools is Meditation.
What is meditation?
“Close or continued thought; the turning or revolving of a subject in the mind; serious contemplation.” -Noah Webster
A believer must meditate on things and it can be separate from that spiritual junk the world teaches about meditation?
We may find that we meditate on things more than we realize.
There are many different forms of meditating.
One could be the contemplation of what God is teaching in certain passages we read while doing our devotions.
Another could be evaluating the truths we’re learning in His word and whether or not we believe them, and are obeying them.
Evaluation can also be admitting whether or not our heart and life is pure before the Lord.
We can meditate or think about all that is going on in our lives.
The desires we have and whether or not those desires are godly or selfish.
The scenarios we may find ourselves in can provide a picture to what the Lord is working on in our lives.
The tool of meditation shouldn’t be neglected.
The most important part of meditating is our connection to the source of it’s power.
That connection is utilized through talking with God.
Prayer is that opportunity for us to appeal to the Lord for answers or to remove the things that blind us from what He is doing in our lives.
Every believer should have a desire to grow and that isn’t possible if we don’t talk with Him.
You’ll notice as you pray more often and more specific that your prayers are strong and the things you pray for are reflecting your desires.
Paul recorded this kind of praying 2x in Ephesians, the first was in chapter 1 and the second in our text today Ephesians 3.
Transition:
We can glean a lot of things about someone by hearing their prayers.
Every person prays over what is most important to them and they tend to leave out the things that aren’t big concerns.
An example of a desire of Paul’s is recorded in Romans:
Paul prayed for salvation for the Israelite families and wrote of his hearts desire and prayer to God for them.
1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.
Paul’s desire was for his Israelite brothers and sisters to be saved, accept the salvation in Christ!
God recorded many of His people’s prayers. They reveal a lot and we can read them to see how we might apply the same desires to our prayer lives with similar fervency and detail.
Today we will hear the plea from Paul for the inner man to be strengthened.
A desire for the spiritual man to change it’s host!
Ephesians 3:14 gives a window into the prayer and for us to see his:
Spiritual Posture (14-15)
Spiritual Posture (14-15)
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
Paul began with a detail revealing a physical factor in how we pray.
“I bow my knees”
He got down on his knees to pray!
What is a normal position for prayer?
What does the bible say about it?
There are many who stood while they prayed:
Abraham
22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.
Solomon
22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven,
Some sat:
David
16 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?
Some had their face to the ground:
Jesus
39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
What do these all portray about our posture while in prayer?
Praying can be done in any position!
It was the normal posture for the Jews to pray while standing.
Then what was significant about Paul stating his position of kneeling in prayer?
Since kneeling wasn’t the normal prayer position, Paul was highlighting his earnestness and the hierarchy of the situation.
Paul shows with his posture of how unworthy he felt so he knelt before “the Father”.
Kind of reminds me of the beatitudes.
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Paul understood and mourned over his spiritual position.
Without Christ we are spiritually bankrupt and cannot pay the debt that is owed.
Connection:
We may stand in prayer together, or sit as we pray.
But there is an position which must be present:
We must bow our hearts and spirit in reverence and respect for Jesus.
We are unworthy to be in His perfect presence let alone talking with Him.
Warren Wiersbe says:
“When we trusted Christ, He raised us from the dead and seated us with Christ in the heavenlies. Because we are seated with Christ, we can walk so as to please Him and we can stand against the devil. But the posture that links “sitting” with “walking” an “standing” is “bowing the knee.” - Warren Wiersbe
Through prayer we can find that ability and strength for the battles against everything that isn’t holy.
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
We must set aside our hearts and wills and accept Jesus’ will and heart in each situation.
We are able to find power in prayer, much like:
Illustration:
A man who grew up practicing Palo Mayombe and was a satanist.
Speaking cursings on neighborhoods.
The 3 praying for a community castrated his power, and became as an infant before a man. (powerless).
The people were standing powerfully against satan by praying.
Jesus has all power over evil!
It is through prayer that we can receive God’s riches which enable us to behave like Christians and fight like ones too.
The bowing of the knee isn’t the important thing, bowing our hearts and will to the Lord and asking Him for what we need is!
This prayer Paul was addressing the Father:
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
Paul is addressing the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Since we are all one in Christ then we are all in His family!
In this family we know the source of it all: Him!
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
This presents a special point to those hearing this letter read aloud.
Paul brings up that there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile when both have accepted Christ as savior.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
We are part of the same family, under our Father.
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
This also specifies the lack of separation between those whom have died and are in heaven and those whom are alive hoping for the rapture or awaiting death.
Our Father is all mighty, all powerful, all knowing, and everywhere at once.
Thankfully He possesses all these attributes, because without them He wouldn’t be trustworthy or the one you want your faith in!
Transition:
Knowing these truths aren’t going to change our spiritual strength.
Guess what is.
Believing it and trusting it enough to let it dictate your choices based on that faith!
It will provide what Paul was asking for:
Spiritual Hope (16-19)
Spiritual Hope (16-19)
16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
Our Father is wants to strengthen you with power!
This word “Power” is something that you may have heard before.
It is Dynamis.
This is the word where we get our English word for Dynamite!
I’m sure you could guesstimate the power Paul is speaking of.
Dynamis is:
Lexham Theological Wordbook δύναμις
Literally, it describes the ability to perform an activity; by extension, it refers to someone in a position of power or the force of a person’s action.
We should know that the presence of the Holy Spirit in a life is evidence of their salvation.
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
The power of the Spirit is enables us for Christian living.
Connection:
Paul is asking the Father for the ability to have the strength needed for those in Ephesus to live out their faith boldly.
Have you asked the Father for something like this?
Often times our prayers are centrally focused on things, needs, and desires; but how often doe we ask for the power to be used for His will?
Maybe: I didn’t know I needed to.
The inner man needs to be stronger than our flesh and it’s desires.
? You may ask: Why is he asking for this power?
The next few verses seem to branch off from the strengthening of the inner man.
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
When Zac was little I wanted him to grow up faster so I could play with him outside.
I would try and play catch with him, soccer, basketball, etc...
Do you know what I noticed?
He wasn’t good at it.
Why?
He didn’t have that kind of skill level.
His muscles needed to mature and to get stronger.
As he grows he is getting more and more skills, getting stronger, and maturing into a young man.
Each year there is more depth to who he is!
In 17 Paul’s reason for people to have the dynamis power inside was for their spiritual growth.
He desired for their maturing as believers, that they would grow in their spiritual depth.
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,
As we progress in our spiritual lives, we should eventually be weaned off the milk of the word and be able to digest the meat!
The milk would be something like: understanding and being able to explain salvation to someone.
Explaining and express what sin is.
Explaining why you believe Jesus is the only way and with conviction ask them about their salvation.
That’s the side of knowledge.
Those same truths should be reflected by our attitudes and actions.
When we believe we are saved our choices should reflect what a saved person does and thinks and how they carry themselves.
We should have lines drawn in our lives that we don’t cross, those lines directly correlating with what God calls sin!
We avoid sin and don’t take part when others do it.
Paul is asking that the Ephesian believers grow in their spiritual depth.
Spiritual depth will provide the stability that every believer desires.
18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
To have the wisdom and to trust the love of Christ, not wavering at all we will find ourselves:
“rooted and grounded”
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
We don’t have to be as we once were:
14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
We can, in the strength of the Spirit, deny our fleshly desires and defend ourselves from Satan’s schemes!
Making full proof of our calling!
Transition:
Our calling is to reflect Jesus in every way possible.
Paul in his wisdom is telling the church of Ephesus that his prayer is for them to deepen their faith by having the power of the Spirit inside of them.
Strengthening their inner man.
The ability to receive this is possible because of the:
Spiritual Source (20-21)
Spiritual Source (20-21)
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Paul pleads with the source for his request to be given.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
God can do it!
Don’t doubt; trust and believe.
Jesus is actively working on our spiritual growth.
He hears and answers our prayers.
He reads our thoughts.
His expectations are higher than ours.
His grace isn’t given in a calculated measure, it’s all or nothing.
Thankfully He has an great reservoir to give from!
Paul finishes his prayer through praising God for who He is and for all He has given us!
Conclusion
Many Christians don’t seem to have the spiritual depth they desire or think they have, despite being a believer for a long time.
? What happened?
They have been hindered from the connection with the source of power.
How can that happen?
Unbelief, unconfessed sin, careless living, worldliness in action or attitude; all of which can rob us of that power!
It get’s dulled, or the light isn’t as bright.
Without that power we can’t be used.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Why does God give us this power?
To glorify Jesus.
The church exists to do the same thing: Glorify the Jesus.
The power of the spirit isn’t a luxury it is a necessity!
*Get the spiritual wealth by opening your heart to the Holy Spirit, and pray for:
The strength of your inner man to be firm.
A new depth of love.
For Spiritual fullness.
? why don’t you have those things now?
2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
Go and ask Him!
- Pray!
