Ephesians 1:15-23 // Blessed to Pray

WELCOME

Thank you to team for yesterday’s church work-day beautification out front

40th Anniversary CD-ROM

INTRO

Have you ever had a moment where you’ve known that you needed to pray, but had no idea how to go about it? Perhaps at a meal, gathering with others—put on the spot in a moment. Throughout our groups we have there are often times of open prayer, Sunday mornings we have a 9:15AM prayer meeting and you think—I could never go to that because I wouldn’t even know how or where to start!

In our passage today, Paul instructs us how to pray by his example of a prayer.

A prayer is simply this: speaking to God. What an immense privilage. Don’t feel heard in your relationships with others? God’s ear is always toward his people and he hears you—talk to him!

He speaks to us through his word, we speak with him through prayer. That’s what Paul is doing here and it’s instructive for us today.

READ

Ephesians 1:15–23 (ESV)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

PRAY THROUGH EVIDENCES OF GRACE (V.15-16)

Prayer can b e said to be like breathing, we’re doing so all the time. but for many, they do not feel that way, we need instruction in what to include in our prayers.

v.16 references two ways that Paul seemed to pray for others: ongoing and intentional time.

Ongoing: “I do not cease to give thanks for you…”

Teachers: in giving instruction

Finance: as you’re working through ledgers

Construction: as you’re creating structure

Students: as you’re seeking understanding

Intentional time: “Remembering you in my prayers…”

Paul is most likely still practicing the Jewish rules of life in saying prayers 3x daily

Like Paul, we need intentional time to focus on prayer

What time do you have set aside?

Paul begins with Thanksgiving for something specific: faith in Jesus, love toward all the saints

Note how he is basing the thanksgiving in his heart, expressed toward others in gratitude, in the evidences of grace throughout the life of the church.

ILLUS: Gospel lenses and my progressive lens “journey”

practical example this week: BSF attendee stating: “I’ve never had an interaction with someone from Metro Life Church that wasn’t an encouragement to my faith…”—PRAISE GOD! what a testimony of the grace of God at work through you!

Church, let’s put our gospel lenses on as we look around us in this gathering today, seeing ways to encourage one another. Let’s keep them on as we serve beside one another, as we gather in community groups, when we pray for one another.

PRAY TO KNOW GOD BETTER (V.17-18a)

SPIRIT OF WISDOM, REVELATION, EYES OF OUR HEART ENLIGHTENED—THIS IS DIVINE ILLUMINATION!

We can read the Bible without the Holy Spirit, we cannot—however—understand God’s Word to us or be transformed without the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us.

We’re given the Spirit as a gift at salvation, pray—for ourselves and for others—to experience his illuminating power in our lives on a regular and ongoing basis.

Throughout the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit is referred to as the ‘spirit of wisdom’—Paul here connects this passage to that same spirit and adds the description of the sprit as ‘revelation’

Revelation of what? Christ! “the mystery” referenced in Ch.3

no matter your personal background, the culture that you’re from, your upbringing or education—in the case of the church in Ephesus—Jew or Gentile: anyone can be reconciled to God and to one another through the death of Christ, as a part of God’s eternal plan to unite everything under Christ in the church.

Apart from the Spirit, we’re hopeless, praise God that the spirit opens our eyes

Luke 24:30–32 (ESV)

30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

Here, we read of the Emmaus disciples as they’re discouraged and in hiding, having had a bible study going through the Old Testament.

Why might knowing God better be a struggle for us today?

Might I suggest that we have a low view of God, high view of ourselves.

Lack of understanding of indwelling sin, that which no longer reigns but remains.

Here’s good news for us today: “The Father of Glory” (v.17a) can do this, that’s who we’re praying to—the one who created the heavens, the one who sent his son to fulfill all of his promises and rescue us, the one who gives divine illumination so that he may be known more fully.

PRAY TO KNOW GOD’S RICHES (V.18b)

There’s a difference in knowing a lot about someone, and knowing them.

I can’t recall stats on athletes to save my life. I can be a fan, but don’t ask me to let you know what their points per game are. We can certainly look those up and find out all kinds of information about them, some public, some personal like birthdates and favorite foods, but that doesn’t mean that we know them.

Paul here is drawing our attention to the difference in knowing a lot about God, and knowing God personally.

Where do you fall today?

Do you know that the God of the universe invites you to know him personally, even if you’ve experienced a greater knowledge of him in the past, he invites you to know him all the more!

Often in our life, God doesn’t want to alter the circumstances of our lives, but to alter the way that we see those circumstances, by changing our heart.

Paul here is suffering in prison, but we don’t hear him asking to be released, but for courage.

This is why we must learn to pray for each other that the “eyes of our heart” the way we view the world we live in—would be enlightened with such deep affection for God and the truths of the gospel that our view on our circumstances completely change.

This is the “hope to which he has called you” - an eternal and unshakable hope no matter our circumstances, an inheritance secured through Christ and guaranteed for eternity.

But let’s not miss that this ‘inheritance’ isn’t some extravagant, abundant wealth that we’ll finally have deposited into our accounts. The glorious inheritance that God has prepared for himself to enjoy in eternity is… us!

He has chosen, redeemed, adopted and sealed sinful us for his eternal joy. This hope, the riches and the power are all things that we currently posess, will eternally enjoy and need to grow in our understanding of today.

PRAY TO KNOW GOD’S POWER (V.19-23)

Paul prays that the church would know God better, know his riches and finally his power.

What is the power that we’re operating in? Perhaps that can be best answered by evaluating our lives in light of the things that can cause us to feel defeated. Is it a vice? Addiction, or besetting sin?

Here’s the type of power that’s at work in you today. A power that was demonstrated in raising Jesus from the dead!

Now, that’s POWER! and it’s the power at work in us. It’s transforming us for his glory—not pointing to our own strength or authority, but to Christ’s.

When evil spirits—satan and his demons—try to accuse us under God’s law we can look to Christ’s power to break any claim they try to make over us.

There’s another reason God’s power matters in these moments of spiritual warfare: Christ’s DOMINION

note what Paul says in v.21 - [Christ’s power and dominion] are ‘far above all rule and authority’ and ‘above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come’

Some of those in the church in Ephesus would have been coming rom being caught up in magic, cults throughout the city, astrology, worship of other deities.

Until Christ saved them, their lives would have been dark and perverted, living in fear of hostile spiritual forces. Paul is giving them assurance that God’s power is over all of their enemies!

CLOSE

Ad Christ is the head of this body—not just the gathering of people in Ephesus—here today, Christ is the head of the church!

Ruling, steering, providing for, protecting, empowering, giving us purpose for his glory

Christ, who fills the whole universe with his dominion, fills us with his divine power to bless us, demonstrate his victory over sin through us, defeating Satan, conquering death.

The one who gave his life for the body, now serves this body—present in each believer and every church, blessing us with salvation, as we grow in holiness and empowered for his gifts. Gathering us and keeping us trusting in him until we’re one day reunited around his throne.

Our body cannot be separated from our head, Christ! Let’s continue to pray with thanksgiving, that we would know God better, understand his riches and experience his power.