Paul Prays for Spiritual People
Ephesians: Rooted and Grounded • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Introduction
Introduction
This morning, in our series on Ephesians, we will see a paragraph that is a prayer to God for this church. Paul is careful to pray for many people in many churches daily. How much more should we in these dark days that we live!
Remember, the letter of Paul to the Ephesians, an important epistle in the Bible, has much to say on the subject of what our church should be. Paul will show us the importance of unity, faithful leadership and biblical order in the church. We will see the vital part that their family plays in the life of every Christian. We have seen the blessings of God through His salvation. We will also see the reality of the spiritual warfare around us.
Written by Paul the Apostle, Ephesians is a letter to a group of people that were facing the challenges of compromise and the spiritual warfare of pagan worshipers each day. Paul is not content to leave these Christians without comfort or without weapons to defeat these works of darkness. This morning we will see a paragraph focused on power. God wants us to be powerful in our authority and effective communication of the Gospel.
Remember, the central theme of Ephesians is the unity of believers, in Christ, as part of the local church.
In this passage today, we see the first prayer of Paul in the letter to the church of the Ephesians. Last week, we saw a hymn or doxology of praise to God. This week, we see that God is being petitioned for the effectiveness of the witness of the Ephesian church.
The cross that we saw clearly last week now becomes the empty tomb this week. We often tend to separate the crucifixion from the resurrection in our minds. Instead, we need to realize that they hold a greater value together than they ever could have apart. Christ’s death paid for our sin. Christ’s life makes heaven available.
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
The story is told about a man named Edward Kimball. He was a Sunday School teacher in the 1800s. A young boy had been added to his class the year before but Mr. Kimball had not yet talked to him about salvation.
One day in April 1855, he felt the moving of God on his heart to go to the store where the boy worked to give him the good news of the Gospel. On arriving at the store, he immediately gave an appeal from the love of God for the boy’s soul. The response to the Gospel by the boy was just as immediate. By the obedience of one spiritual man to the burden of the Spirit, D. L. Moody accepted the free gift of salvation. An unknown person was used of God to see a well-known person saved. It has been said that Moody was able to see as many as a million people accept Christ in the years ahead through God’s working in his ministry.
God works through well-known people who are remembered in the history books. God works through unknown people who are faithful in the place that God has established them.
But one requirement is asked of the people God works through. God works through spiritual people.
Are you a spiritual person today? Paul is praying that you will be. We will see that God is the one who blesses the people that are willing to follow Him.
Declaration
Declaration
In our passage today, we will see that Paul is praying for the people in Ephesus who are just like us. His prayer reminds them that God is the source of our spiritual growth and effectiveness by providing the Holy Spirit, the understanding, and the power. Today, accept the opportunity that God has given to you through the resurrection of His Son to live a Spirit-filled life.
1. Paul Prays for Spiritual People
1. Paul Prays for Spiritual People
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
A. These were People of Faith v. 15
A. These were People of Faith v. 15
The people of Ephesus were known outside of their city. Paul indicates that he had heard things about them. What is your character? What would people outside of your immediate circle of influence say about you? The people of Ephesus had faith.
Paul connects the truths of the spiritual blessings to the practical description of the people of Ephesus. The preaching of the Gospel mentioned in verses 13-14 is what brought them to the point of faith in Christ. This is why the word “Wherefore” is used.
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
We see the idea of faith found again here and connected back also to verse one. Paul is writing to the believing people in this city.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Faith is trusting each day that God will come through for you. From the day that you first put your faith in Christ for salvation, we have this belief that transforms our life to a life of victory.
Faith here is not the kind of faith that overwhelms or intimidates. This is the ordinary kind of faith that we show evidence of through our conversion to Christ. We have faith as we believe in the work of Christ.
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
B. These were People of Love v. 15
B. These were People of Love v. 15
Paul also heard that the people of Ephesus had love for all of the holy ones. We see here one of the key words in this book. The Love of Christ is to be shown through the life of the believer. If there was a stranger from another church that came through the city of Ephesus, they would have a place to stay. If there was a brother that needed food or shelter, they would provide for him. The people of Ephesus followed the admonition of Christ in the upper room.
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Too many times our churches are filled with people who have the opposite of love toward even other believers. The church at Ephesus is an example of practical religion in their dealings with other Christians. Jonathan Swift, the writer of Gulliver’s Travels said,
Ephesians—The Mystery of the Body of Christ (Ephesians 1:15)
As Jonathan Swift (himself a clergyman) so rightly observed: “We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.”
C. These were People of Testimony v. 16
C. These were People of Testimony v. 16
Paul tells the Ephesians that he acts on what he knows from of the people. Paul is constantly recalling the names of the believers in Ephesus before the throne of God in prayer. Paul is not relying on someone else to pray. He is doing it himself. We see this action repeated in the letters to the Romans, the Thessalonians, and Philemon.
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
Too often we are quick to criticize other people. We focus on the problems that people have. It can be said that “it is so much easier to see a problem than a solution.” Paul spends time here focusing on two foundational fundamentals of a Christians life. In both areas, the Ephesians excelled. Paul was always quick in his ministry to commend and thank God for other people.
Paul acts on the intelligence that he has received about the faith and love of the Ephesians. He thanks God for them. How do you act when you hear that God is blessing someone else and not you? Paul is in prison. He is seeing his ministry restricted by the governmental interference of a pagan Emperor. But, Paul is appreciative of the testimony that they have for Christ in this dark and discouraging city of Ephesus. Paul wants them to know that he gives thanks for them and prays for them without ceasing. In Thessalonians, Paul commanded the reader
Pray without ceasing.
What do we pray for? The blessings of God on other Christians.
One writer observed,
Ephesians Ephesians 1:15–16a
So much of ministering to God’s people is simply being ready to see the good and to envision what will be (rather than what is) in people. People cannot grow in an environment where only their failings are seen and remembered.
2. Paul Prays for Spiritual Perception
2. Paul Prays for Spiritual Perception
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
A. Perception by the Spirit v. 17
A. Perception by the Spirit v. 17
One of the blessings of the previous paragraph was the sealing and gifting of the Holy Spirit to the believer. The Holy Spirit is given by God the Father to allow us to learn more of Him and grow spiritually. Perception is the understanding and comprehending of the reality of God and His actions in history. God knows that there will be times of discouragement or doubt. The Holy Spirit is given for those times when only the truth of Scripture, illuminated by God Himself, can give us the hope of the future fulfillment of the promises of God.
The God of Jesus Christ is the giver of the Holy Spirit. Some commentators connect this title to the one used in the Old Testament for God.
And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
God is called the Father of Glory. He is the originator of the plan of salvation. He is the One who includes of sinful man in the a perfect eternity. He is the guardian of HIs holiness. God is the Father of glory who gives gifts to men. The Father is the provider for His children.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
What does God give us? He gives the Holy Spirit. The specific tasks of the Holy Spirit mentioned here are wisdom and revelation. God is giving us the Holy Spirit so that we can learn more of Him through His Word. In Isaiah, we see the seven-fold aspect of the spirit of God.
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and might,
The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
What is the Holy Spirit teaching you in your life today? A Christian is tasked with a constant contact with the Teacher of all things.
B. Perception of Eternal Hope v. 18
B. Perception of Eternal Hope v. 18
The Spirit is the means of spiritual perception. What is the object acted on? The object is the eyes of our hearts.
Paul uses multiple body parts in these verses. He uses the "eyes" for the understanding in the inner self or the heart. The Holy Spirit opens our hearts to the truths of God. Paul was commanded by God at his commissioning on the road to Damascus,
Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
Paul is going to use "feet", “head" and His "body" referring to the authority of Christ in the world and in the Church. The idea of a body representing the church is being constructed in these next few chapters.
“Being enlightened” shows our inner life and makes things clear. What is the knowledge of in our hearts? It is a knowledge of the “hope of his calling” and “the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.”
Calling is the invitation of Christ into the hope that we have through Him. We have promises of a future complete salvation. We have a promise of seeing the Father and the Son. We have a promise of fellowship with God for all of eternity. The hope is the anticipation that we have in the promises that God has revealed in His word.
The “inheritance” of the Christian is what we receive as the heirs of God with Christ.
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Another way to see this phrase of “in the saints” is that this refers to God. We, as Christians, are the inheritance that is His through Christ’s sacrifice.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
The calling of Christ is the change that we have as a result of the work of Christ on the cross and His resurrection. Think about the greatness of God and what He has done through sending His Son.
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
3. Paul Prays for Spiritual Power
3. Paul Prays for Spiritual Power
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Where do we see the Power of God?
A. Power by the Resurrection v. 19-20
A. Power by the Resurrection v. 19-20
God acts divinely to raise Christ from the dead. “Greatness” is something more than what is normal. This greatness is “exceeding” or is more than other greatness. This is a greatness that is beyond. Paul then uses the word “power. The first word for “power” in this verse is the idea of being able to do something or being capable of action. Paul is praying that they would understand the power of God and His ability to do amazing, supernatural things.
For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.
This dunamis is in the believer. It is according to the working of God’s mighty power. “Working” is the facility of the resurrection. This is activity because of what God did in raising Christ. “Mighty” is the correct usage or ability of the power. This is a power that is greater.
The second word for “power” in this verse is different than the first. It is the strength or control that is in Christ. He is the only one that has this power. Talking about this verse, one dictionary exclaims
how surpassingly great (God’s) power Eph 1:19
Realize the importance of this power. It is the demonstration of the power of God to raise not only Christ from the grave but also, in the process, all of mankind who believe. The resurrection is the salvation of sinful man. Christ is the source of our resurrection and the power of God is the means of its accomplishment.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
B. Power by the Ascension v. 20-21
B. Power by the Ascension v. 20-21
God acts divinely to set Christ at His right hand in heaven. The Ascension of Christ is not just a physical change of location but is also a political conferring of authority. The phrase “set him at his own right hand” is an idiom that gives us the idea of instillation by God of Christ in His rightful, important place.
Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
God has placed Christ as the authority in the heavens. We saw that we are blessed in Christ in the heavens and now we see the reality of Christ’s position in heaven.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
God has elevated Christ to a position of spiritual authority.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Principalities are the organized spiritual powers that control the destinies of mankind and are opposed to God. Powers are the spiritual powers that are in relationship with the seen world. The word “might” is the same as the power above; Paul is talking about capability. Dominions are the angels that exercise authority though they are unseen. Names are the terms used to call certain things or people. In essence, Christ is ascended above all of the other authorities that are both seen and unseen.
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
The “world” is the church age and the messianic age to come. Whether those authorities are present now or will be present in the Millennium, Christ is still the one who has the authority over them. Nothing can change our salvation which is founded upon the resurrection of Christ and His authority in Heaven.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
One commentator summed it up this way,
The Epistles to the Ephesians and the Colossians Ephesians 1:20b–22a
Not the mailed fist but the pierced hand holds the rod of empire. The stone rejected by blind builders is made the chief Cornerstone of the preordained edifice projected by the Divine Architect.
C. Power by the Decision v. 22-23
C. Power by the Decision v. 22-23
God has raised up Christ. God has given Him authority through His Ascension. Now God acts divinely to put all things under the feet of Christ. This is the fulfillment of Psalm 8:6 “Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet…” and Psalm 110:1 “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”
God has chosen to elevate Chris as the Head of all things. This is the primary person in authority and in power. The position of Head is found in several times in the writings of Paul.
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
Besides all of the world which He has authority over, Christ is the Head of the Church. This carries on the body metaphor that Paul is constructing in this letter.
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
God acts divinely to make Christ the Head of the church through all things. The “head” is something that is superior to others. This is leadership and preeminence. Christ is the one who is both positionally and practically the leader of the church. Universally and locally, Christ is the One who is to be honored and served in the church.
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
One ancient Jewish writer said something similar to Paul here,
The head of all actions is their goal.
Philo as quoted on pg. 375 of Dictionary of Paul and His Letters
Practically, Christ is both the Head and is our goal in the church.
Christ is the Head of the Body and His fulness is what connects the entire union together. The word “fulness” gives us the idea of completion. When Christ is the Head of all things, there is a complete whole. The longing in the heart and the aching of the whole that we each have is filled with Christ. When we are spiritual people through our salvation in Christ, there is completeness. Christ is the one who makes us full.
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:
The “body” is the unified whole of the Christian group. We are part of the Body of Christ by the faith that we have in His finished work on the cross. The fullness of God is found in the grace of Christ. Grace is the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and the Resurrection on the third day.
And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Conclusion
Conclusion
In our passage today, we have seen that Paul is constantly praying for the people in Ephesus who are just like us. His prayer reminds them that God is the source of our spiritual growth and effectiveness by providing the Holy Spirit, the understanding, and the power. This is a prayer that covers the formula for victory in the world in which we live. Victory comes through the power and perception of God. Victory is the result of the victory that Christ’s Resurrection has accomplished over death.
Remember Mr. Kimball and his obedience to give the Gospel to Moody. He is an unknown. We don’t see countless biographies of his life. But God uses those who are spiritual. God uses those who are powerful, not with what they can do, but with what God can do!
Are you defeated or doubtful? Are you feeling impatient or directionless in you life? Are you blind to the good of the people around you? Today, accept the opportunity that God has given to you through the resurrection of His Son to live a Spirit-filled life.
Are you a spiritual person? What have people heard about your faith? What is the character of your love for other Christians? Have other people ever told you that they thank God for you constantly?
Are you a person that lives in the hope of the future? How is your confidence in God? Is it growing or waining?
What is the nature of your power inside? Do you feel like you are on the winning side? Do you feel that you are connected to the church and through the church to Christ as Head?
King William needs Christians that are spiritual, perceptive, and powerful. Paul prays that the Ephesians would accept the opportunity to live in this new life available through the Resurrection of Christ.
We have spiritual blessings through the cross as we saw last week.
We have spiritual opportunity through the resurrection as we see this week.
Thank God for the one and live for God through the other!