Deep and Wide

Introdcution

On April 23, 1910, former U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt gave a speech at a university in Paris, France...for an audience of aristocrats, academics, students, and elites. His speech was titled “Citizenship in a Republic”.

He typically was not one to hold back on any aspect of his life...and that was true during this speech. As he spoke about the necessity of resilience and strength from the people in a democratic republic (like the United States)...he famously used the concept of the “man in the arena”...stating in part...“Its not the critic who counts...but the man in the arena...who at least tries great things..and if he fails...at least he fails while daring greatly...unlike the poor timid souls who will never know victory or defeat (referring back to the critics).” His point? Citizens in a republic must be willing to dare greatly and not be dissuaded by the cultural or political critics on the sidelines. An individual who dares greatly benefits himself or herself as well as the republic.

Many in our time reference this speech for all sorts of reasons...and to make all sorts of points. Most recently, Olympian Linsdey Von..., who was injured while daring greatly, 13 seconds into her downhill run, referenced it. Many questioned her for attempting this dangerous sport at 41 years old and after a fresh knee injury. Von responded in part...writing: “Sometimes we don’t achieve the dreams we know we could have. But that is also the beauty of life; we can try. I tried. I dreamt. I jumped. I hope if you take away anything from my journey, it’s that you all have the courage to dare greatly. Life is too short not to take chances on yourself. Because the only failure in life is not trying.”

Inspirational to be sure. We should have courage to face dangers and obstacles in this life. Even though we may fail.

Dr. James Denison writes from a biblical perspective, “...the only failure in life, in a biblical context, is not trying to do God’s will in God’s power for God’s glory.”

He quotes pastor and author Francis Chan, who wrote, “Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” 

The point he was trying to make in his article is that, rightly understood, our greatest fear as Christians shouldn’t be anything other than doing God’s will and being exactly who God created us to be.

Ephesians 3

In our reading this morning...we heard read a prayer of Paul on behalf of the Christians in Ephesus. You can split this prayer into two parts.

vv.14-19 is the prayer / prayer report proper...

vv.20-21 is the typical doxology where Paul praises the one true God as being beyond our comprehension

Today’s reading closes out the first half of the book of Ephesians. The emphasis in the first half has been on God’s eternal plan of salvation...and the power that belongs Christians...and how God’s plan from eternity past...into eternity future...has been a plan of salvation for all of creation...to include every ethnic group...every nation...every tongue...all united in Jesus the Christ...and sanctified to do good works that have been prepared for them to do.

Last week...I told you that Paul...like your pastor...can go off on rabbit trails...and he interrupted himself in Ephesians 3:1-2

Ephesians 3:1–2 ESV

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,

remember he went on and on...and told them of the great grace he had been given to preach the good news to the gentiles. He told them of the mystery of the Revelation of God’s plan of salvation that brought those who were far off...near to God in Christ.

Well today he pick up back at v. 1 and repeats the same wording. Ephesians 3:14-19

Ephesians 3:14–19 ESV

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory... he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being...(that’s the man in the arena; the Linsdey Von attitude of daring greatly)...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints.... what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Paul is praying here...asking God...for Christians to be strengthened...in thier inner being.

That means the place deep inside you and me...our true-self if you will...this is a good point to remind all of us here to pray this for one another and even ourselves. Who among us could not use a strengthening of the “inner being”? Epsically when it comes to keeping new years resolutions...or trying to stick to a difficult diet or some other thing that we need to change in order to grow and remain healthy.

Paul says...we need this conviction...this strengthening...so that… “they may have strength to comprehend...”

To comprehend what?

We need our inner being strengthened...to comprehend our relationship with God!!!

And even then...it’s beyond our full comprehension.

Paul equate this inner being...strengthened by God...as a prerequisite for appreciated the breadth...length...and height...and depth...of Christ’s love that is beyond our understanding. And only then will we be filled with the fullness of God.

Closing

What does that mean practically speaking?

It means that strength comes before comprehension. God must strengthen us (which is why we must pray for that for one another). Then we are able to comprehend.

That means before we read a morning devotion...or any time we read scripture...we should do like we do in church...pray for God to illumine us...and strengthen us in our understanding.

Two more things to notice and apply.

Paul says the love of Christ is multi-deminsional...breadth-length-height-depth

Breadth → Christ’s love includes Jew and Gentile (2:14–16). → Reject tribalism.

Length → His love stretches across time (1:4). → Your past does not disqualify you.

Height → Seated with Christ (2:6). → Live from exaltation, not insecurity.

Depth → Christ descended (4:9). → He meets you in suffering.

And finally the love Christ is understood in community. We’re in this together. It’s want covenant is all about. God makes covenant with his people...not his person. Paul says “with all the saints”

You cannot fully grasp Christ’s love in isolation.

Multi-ethnic, multi-generational community expands comprehension. We see and hear how Christ loves people in all stages of life...

Spiritual isolation shrinks theological vision...if we all studied the Bible alone...without the church or fellow believers...we would be deficient in our understanding.

God teaches us about his love and who he is through our own as well as other’s relationship with him.

Now Paul ends our reading...better than I can end this sermon with these words of praise...which we will close with:

Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV

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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Thanks be to God...AMEN