How to become a rooted Christian / Ephesians 3:14-21

Are you rooted? The bible describes the double minded person as a wave in the sea. Last summer we learned that false teachers are like clouds. Jesus taught that immature spiritual people don’t last because they have no root.

Here is how to become rooted.

Adopt the right perspective God. / 14

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

Though Paul was in prison, he embraced a posture of humility and gratitude. We rarely raise our hands or bow on our knees when life is going well. But Paul, was so overwhelemed by God’s power to reconcile enemies and advance his kingdom, his awe led him to worship.

Have you ever thought about why people raise their hands in worship?

1 Timothy 2:8–9 “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire,”

Let your outward posture reflect what God is doing in your heart.

And remember, he is not your life-coach, home-boy, or bro. He is the Lord over all, every family exists because of him. And he can give your family a new name.

“In the ancient Near East, naming something amounted to bringing it into existence, giving it identity, and exercising authority over it” John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Eph 3:15.

Flaspohler Story

Your heavenly Father can change the meaning of your family name.

Invite Jesus to dwell in your heart. / 16-17

I typically don’t like prayer request time. Here’s why, why spend 90% of our time sharing requests for grandma’s sore ankle and for cousin joe to get a job. Meanwhile, we neglect to pray for our inward hearts and souls.

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, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith

Many teens obsess about their outward appearance, but totally neglect the beauty of their inner person. They’re like a gorgeous mansion that has rooms with broken furniture and moldy walls.

How can we change? Invite Jesus to take up residence.

If you’re not a Christian, your whole life is locked to him. But he stands at the door and knocks.

If you are a Christian, he’s in the home, but do you let him into each room?

Give him the keys.

Let God’s love be your source of stability. / 17-19

—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 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.

“the most important part of this building is the foundation. If you don’t go deep, you can’t go high.”Warren W. Wiersbe

To become a mature Christian, you need to e deeply rooted in God’s love.

It doesn’t say wisdom

It doesn’t say holiness

It doesn’t say self control

If you’re rooted in love, all of those will be the fruit.

And this experience goes beyond knowing about it with your brain. You can be filled with the love of God.

Ephesians 5:18 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,”

Sommelier - they know a lot, but to be drunk is a different type of knowledge.

be filled with the Spirit so there is no more room for sin.

Place your hope in his power. / 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.

People often use this verse to encourage dreams about wealth and accomplishment. God is able to give you wealth and he cares about your dreams. However, he has more important priorities - relationships. Right before this section he talks about how the love of Christ can reconcile two groups that used to hate each other. Right after, he will talk about how the good news makes us one, united family.

Your stuff will fade away. People will forget or be jealous of your accomplishments. But your relationships have an eternal impact. Trust God’s power to restore relationships. How do we know that he can? Because he restored our relationship with himself.