Watch God
Notes
Transcript
Prayer
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 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—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
You may have noticed if you have looked around the church today that there were a whole bunch of little Jesus’ placed everywhere, AND SOMETIMES IN EXTREMELY UNEXPECTED PLACES! Now I have to be honest with you this was not an origional idea, but rather one that has been making its way around social media and when the TrentTribe (check them out on your favorite social media) posted a video a few months ago, my family thought, yep we need to do this sometime. And we’ve just been waiting for the right time to share a little Jesus with you. Because…
We all need a little Jesus.
A little Jesus goes a long way
You might find him in unexpected places.
There are so many sermon illustrations we could use because of these little Jesus’… because not only does a little Jesus go a long way, and we all need a little Jesus, we can all carry Jesus with us. We are all called to share a little Jesus with those that we come into contact with. So before you leave today, be sure to find a little Jesus and take him home with you. And if you feel the need, because there are enough around, and you want to grab a second little Jesus because you know someone who would be encouraged by you sharing your little Jesus with them, then grab a second one so you can share a little Jesus with someone else.
But as I was thinking about “a little Jesus” it got me wondering if we believe that it’s enough just to carry “a little Jesus”. If we all need a little Jesus and a little Jesus goes a long way, then is a little jesus enough?
It it enough to have a little Jesus in our week?
Is it enough to have a little Jesus in our homes?
Is it enough to have a little Jesus in our church?
Is it enough to have a little Jesus in lives?
Is it enough to have a little Jesus in our hearts?
See I don’t think it’s enough just to have a little Jesus, and I don’t think Paul did either. But finding Jesus in those unexpected places. Paul knew all about that.
Ephesians 3:14 starts off by saying…For this reason I kneel before the Father…
For what reason Paul.
We have to back up a little bit to find out.
Remember back to last week we looked at the end of Ephesians 2 & the beginning of Ephesians 3 and we talked about the Church. Our Collective Identity in Christ. That we are
Citizens of Heaven
Siblings in God’s House
Stone’s in God’s Temple
10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
That’s the reason…That we all would know our collective identity in Christ, and In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with confidence. That we are a united people, though we may have different earthly citizenships or ethnicities, thought we may have different earthly families, and though may have various spiritual experiences in the past, we now have all these things in common. We share a new citizenship, we share a new family and we share a new temple and that from this place we will make God’s wisdom known throughout the heavenly realms.
That is the reason that Paul is where he is…but he also finds himself in an interesting predicament as he is writing this letter.
Paul’s Predicament
Paul’s Predicament
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
24
If this is were our current situation what would our prayer look like?
Paul in Acts
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
Paul’s attitude was that his chains, his predicament was given to him for the glory of God. That God was allowing him to go through the trials and sufferings so that Christ may be glorified.
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear. 15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.
Paul was finding a little Jesus everywhere. He saw Jesus even in his chains. Even in his bondage.
And so he turns to prayer and here in this passage of scripture we find one of the most beautiful and powerful prayers.
Paul’s Prayer
Paul’s Prayer
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 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—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
What’s the right posture in prayer?
What’s the right posture in prayer?
Bowing?
Hands Raised
8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.
Marching (like Jericho
I would argue it’s the posture of your heart that matters most.
Inner Man (Spiritual Health) is what Matters
Who do I pray to?
Who do I pray to?
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Here we see an amazing example of the doctrine of the trinity explained in their various persons.
Is Jesus at home in your heart?
Is Jesus at home in your heart?
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
Is it enough to have Jesus in your heart?
Another question or way to pose this question would be…is a little Jesus enough?
No I don’t think so.
I don’t think that we were ever meant to just have a little Jesus and be satisfied.
A little Jesus does go a long way, but we were meant to have access to all of Jesus.
All of Jesus for all the world is our calling as an Alliance family.
Paul’s prayer is not just is Jesus welcome in your heart. Paul’s prayer isn’t that Christ would come over for weekend visits. No Paul’s prayer is that Christ would make your heart his dwelling place. That he would be at home in your heart.
That you would know the fullness of Jesus through the power of the Spirit.
That from a place where you are rooted, grounded, established in love you may have power to grasp the breadth, length, height and depth of God’s perfect love fore you. So that you are full, lacking nothing.
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 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—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
If Jesus were all you have, would he be enough?
If Jesus were all you have, would he be enough?
See a little Jesus is a great start. Finding Jesus in unexpected places is a beautiful picture of how He is always with us, but we are meant to have so much more than just a little Jesus.
But we were meant to have All of Jesus.
And we never graduate from the gospel. We can only grow deeper in the gospel.
The good news that God loves us so much that he gave himself for me. The good news that allows Jesus into our hearts but it doesn’t stop there.
To know this love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.
So that we can say things like
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Once we
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!
8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
We can experience all that the gospel has to offer.
But we need to experience it. By faith. And faith is action. It’s feet put to belief.
Paul’s prayer is that believers would know Jesus, to be filled to the full measure of all the Jesus has to offer.
The gospel gives us access to all of Jesus. All of Jesus as our Savior. All of Jesus as our Sanctifier- the one who separates us from our sin and gives us strength to live in the fullness of the Spirit. All of Jesus as our healer. Praise the Lord oh my soul who heals all your diseases. All of Jesus as our Coming King.
So what do you need this morning? Because I know you need more than a little Jesus.
Come…place your faith in him.
I am going to sing a song this morning from Mountain People Worship. But this song is an altar call.
What do you need Jesus for this morning?
Is it forgiveness? Come and seek the love of the Father through the sacrifice of his Son who forgivess all of your sins. Come…allow your heart to want more of Him
Is it encouragement?
It is healing?
It it purpose?
Whatever you need, come in faith. Come in expectation that you can have all that he wants for you and that you can be filled the the full measure of faith.
Mountain People Worship- My Heart Wants You.
Paul’s Praise
Paul’s Praise
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
