Seeing Things Differently

Set Up:

We have been in our series In Ephesians

We have discussed some very weighty yet beautiful things

We have seen some of the blessings that we have in Christ and because of this it should cause us to praise God for what he has done for us in Christ.

I am so thankful that I am in Christ and that Christ is in me!

Question: Have you ever looked at something from new perspective and saw some amazing things from it?

Ex: Showing the guys at golfing the fish in the pond with my polarized sunglasses

Paul is looking at things from a different perspective putting in the lenses of the Holy Spirit. His heart is Illuminated and Enlightened by the the things of God and the power of God. Pauls desire is for the people of God to see what he sees and knows to be true.

Maybe your here today and you need the Spirit to help you see what Paul sees

May prayer is that he would open you eyes to these things

Title: Seeing Things Differently

Read the Text: Ephesians 1:15-23

Lets look at three things from the text today!

I. Paul’s Thankfulness for the Believers (v.15-16)

Ephesians 1:15–16 “This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.”

Where did Paul hear about their faith? While in Prison (Chained).

Word had gotten to him by the people checking on Him

Paul is giving thanks for them in prayers because of their faith and love

What we need to understand:

The churches at Ephesus' had faith in Jesus and that Faith displayed itself in the Love for the saints.

They were showing the faith they had by the way that they were loving the saints.

The word for love here is agape…Its a thoughtful, purposeful love that wills to love even the unlovely.

This type of love is the love that God has for us.

Question: Does your faith cause you to love the church and people around you?

Faith without works is a dead faith….Our faith should always lead us to love, especially for the Body of Christ.

We live in world that is full of hate for people

We are called to be different, especially to the Saints in the church.

John 13:34–35 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

The second half of the verse shows us Pauls heart of thankfulness for the believers…

Paul see the Grace of the people….He prays for them

Fact: God has been growing me in this area in my life with you all.

Paul has a pastors heart and has a praying heart

Its hard to see grace in people…because many times its easier to see the flaws of people.

Paul is thankful for the churches Faith and their love.

Application:

How is your faith and Love?

Do you need to fix some things?

II. Paul’s Prayer for the Believers (v.17-19)

Paul has that praying heart for his people, but now he is going to transition to telling them what he is specifically praying them for.

Ephesians 1:17 “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.”

He is praying that God would illuminate the Knowledge of God

He is wanting them to see God in a better, bigger, and bolder light

He wants them to see things as Paul is seeing things under the power of the Spirit

Question: You ever know those people who have such a big view of God that you think, man I want to see God like that!

The thing we must understand is that the only way for us to grow in our knowledge of God is for the Spirit to give us this wisdom and revelation.

God through the Spirit of God must open our eyes to see the greatness of God

We need the Holy Spirit

When we approach the Word we should pray like the Psalmist:

Psalm 119:18 “Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction.”

Psalm 119:34 “Help me understand your instruction, and I will obey it and follow it with all my heart.”

Psalm 119:135 “Make your face shine on your servant, and teach me your statutes.”

We need the Spirits help in our life when it comes to Spiritual life…But especially when it comes to the knowledge of God.

We need to have an ever growing Knowledge of God

Exalting Jesus in Ephesians To Know God Better (1:17b)

D. A. Carson says, “What is the greatest need in the church today?… The one thing we need in Western Christendom is a deeper knowledge of God. We need to know God better” (Call, 15).

Knowing God is so important…I pray that you have grown in the knowledge of God

Knowing - Speaks of Intimacy with between people…Especially in the Bible (Adam knew Eve) its a spirtual thing for us

Knowing Christ requires something more than a passing acquaintance. There is mutual knowledge between both parties and lets make one thing very clear. God knows you, but do you know God?

Matthew 7:22–23 “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’”

Question: Do you know Jesus? Does he have a relationship with you?

Notice what Paul says Next....

Ephesians 1:18–19 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.”

“Eyes of your Heart”

Our Heart has eyes….What we feeding our heart matters….Our heart is our whole being

Ex: Your feeding your heart bad things or not anything worth of Christ

I wonder if we want our heart to be enlightened….Do you desire that?

Three things that Paul is praying for God to enlighten within their hearts of his people:

Hope - hope of his calling, - God has called us to Hope….Hope is only found in the Gospel! There is no despair, because we have Hope

Riches - what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints - God has lavished us with anything we could ever need and one day we will have everything we could ever need

Power - what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. - You cant measure God’s Power…He is omnipotent

God is powerful and gives us power!

Ephesians Explanation of the Text

In this passage, Paul is not simply trying to teach these believers about the vastness of God’s power. He is convinced that this truth ultimately needs to be impressed upon their hearts by the Spirit of revelation. He is letting the readers know that he is laboring in unceasing prayer for this to take place.

Application:

I pray that God would help you and me to see God in his Strength and Power

We need the Holy Spirit to help us in this….We need help to see the Power and Strength of God!

III. Paul’s Description of God’s Power to the Believers (v. 20-23)

Paul is now going to describe the Power of God to them

Do you realize the Power that God has?

Ephesians 1:20–23 “20 He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.”

Exalting Jesus in Ephesians To Know the Blessings of the Gospel Better (1:18–20a)

Think about where some of these Ephesians were coming from. Some were formerly caught up in magic, the Artemis cult, astrology, and emperor worship. Their lives were dark and perverted (

Paul describes the Power of God in Three ways:

The Resurrection - He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead

God raised Christ from the dead…Could you have done that?

2. The Authority (Power) - seating him at his right hand in the heavens—21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he subjected everything under his feet

Jesus is seated in a place of authority is greater than anyone and everyone.

Exalting Jesus in Ephesians Christ’s Enthronement (1:20b)

To be at the “right hand” was a position of privilege, honor, favor, victory, and power. This position belongs to Jesus Christ alone.

3. Made Him the Head of the Church - And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.”

Jesus is the head of the Church….The Church is about a person but about a head….Jesus

Conclusion: This same Power resides in us.

The question is do we plug into this power?

Romans 8:11 “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.”

Closing ILL:

You need the power that God has. Because we will talk about the war that is going on around us.

Closing Optical Illusion:

Bottom Line: May we seek to see God in a greater way each day!