Ephesians 1:15-23

When is the last time that you gave thanks for your church and for the people whom you worship with from Sunday to Sunday? We pray about a lot of things, but have you prayed for your church lately? Simply put, I want all of us to be thankful for the church that our Lord has given us.

I don’t say this because I think that Hope is the perfect place with the best pastor, the fanciest of facilities, or the most comprehensive list of programs. I don’t say this because I necessarily think that as a congregation we do everything right or even necessarily well.

I want us to give thanks to God for this church simply because by God’s grace, he has chosen to make this a place where he gathers some of his people, provides them with faith, and shows them his love. He loves us so much that it spite of ourselves and our behavior—through Jesus Christ, we gather as sinners, but through Jesus Christ, we are able to call one another “saints.”

Paul says that he was able to pray for this church because he had heard about their faith. You could say that Paul had gotten word that the Word had spread.

Yet Paul wanted to do more than give thanks. He wanted to continue to pray for the church in Ephesus that they would continue to grow. Isn’t that something that we should all desire for God’s church—that we should grow in the faith?

What does it take for us to grow in faith? Not surprisingly, Paul’s prayer focuses not so much on what the Christians have to do, but his hope for growth rests in God’s work.

In vs. 17-19a, Paul outlines the way that people can continue to grow in faith.

We need to

See with our hearts.

Ephesians 1:18 NIV

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,

Ephesians 2:18 NIV

For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

The work begins with, as Paul says, the “Spirit of wisdom and revelation.” This Spirit’s work—the work of the Holy Spirit is to help us know God better. (vs. 17)

We also use our minds.

As Paul writes in , there is a way to accomplish this.

Romans 12:2 NIV

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I am wondering how much trouble we would avoid if we could dedicate our hearts and minds to growing in our knowledge of God? I do believe that many of the problems we have to deal with in life would just go away if we would pray for two things: that God send his Spirit so that we would be given the wisdom AND the revelation to know God better, and secondly, to pray for the courage to act on that wisdom and revelation. What could be better than that prayer? Certainly we believe that we know what is necessary to be saved, but do we know how to thrive, to live grateful, thankful lives by knowing God more and more?

Paul prays not only that we with the Holy Spirit’s help get to know God better, but that we also be constantly be reminded of the hope that we have for the life to come.

Ephesians 1:19 NIV

and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength

We are changed with Resurrection power.

We all want our faith to mean something. Whether or not we think that we have very many answers or not, we gather here in the faith and the hope that there is something more—that even though life has twists and turns that we don’t understand, we have the hope that there is a God who knows what is going on.

Even more than that, we have the hope that while this life seems to leave us with more question marks than it does answers, we have hope that there will something beyond this life—heaven. In heaven, in fellowship with God we will have answers, and the questions that we have will have answers.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s not important to me how big the mansion will be or what the streets are paved with. I have little concern about whether or not the gates of heaven are made of pearls.

The greatest treasure, the greatest value of heaven for me will be that I will be able to be there with my Savior. It will be a treasure of unimaginable worth that I will be able to have answers and understand why some of things had to happen the way they did here in this life.

All the questions marks that created doubt or shook my faith will be given answers and my relationship with God will be cemented forever. Rock solid. That is an inheritance of tremendous riches.

As the text continues, Paul also tells us of the “incomparably greater power for us who believe.”

Ephesians 1:19–20 NIV

and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

Ephesians 1:19-20

As I thought about this text this week, I thought about examples of God’s power. God created the earth—that’s power.

He brought the plagues against the Egyptians and parted the Red Sea—that’s power. He defeated the largest of armies and preserved his chosen people—powerful. Yet the biggest display of power was the work he did through his Son—the weight of sin was put on his shoulders. He took the punishment that I, you, all of us deserved—the sin contained in all of creation. And in the greatest conclusion and expression of that power, he raised Jesus from the dead.

It is that same Resurrection power that God uses in our lives. Let’s just think about this for a moment. There are some of us who might struggle from time to time or maybe a lot of the time that we are somehow beyond hope, or somehow beyond God’s reach.

Paul reminds the Ephesians and reminds us that the effort that God uses to be in relationship with us is the same effort and power that he used to complete his plan. We might rightfully feel remorse for what we have done in our lives, but I think, as strange as it might sound, that there are those who practically take pride in their fallen-ness, saying, “Oh, there’s no way that God could save me.”

This is what it comes to—the power that God uses to be in relationship with us we read about vs. 19b-23—It is the power used to raise Jesus and to seat him at his right hand—far above the rule of any other leader on this earth. Everything—all—has been placed under Jesus’ feet.

Everything for Jesus

Not only does Jesus reign over all nations, but he also rules over his church. Once again we return to the church—the body of believers that we are to give thanks for. This is the same church that might have people who don’t get along or do terrible things to each other or say terrible things about one another. This is the same church which we call the Body of Christ.

Ephesians 1:22–23 NIV

And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Paul says that the church is the “fullness of him (Jesus) who fills everything in every way. What does that mean, that the church is the “fullness of him who fills everything in every way?

John Calvin says this, “This is the highest honor of the church, that, until he is united to us, the Son of God reckons himself in some measure imperfect. What consolation it is for us to learn that, not until we are in his presence, does he possess all his parts, or does he wish to be regarded as complete.”[2]

Do we understand what is being said here? Jesus himself, who is God, is not complete without the church. We know that God doesn’t need us, but yet, as we await the second coming, we know that there is something about us—his church—that he wants. We say the victory has been won on the cross, but we wait for the final judgment—the renewing of all things.

As one commentator says, “the bridegroom is incomplete without the bride.” There is no bridegroom if there is no bride. The power that God is able to display in us is fully realized in the work of Jesus to bring his church—his bride—to himself.

As another wrote, Jesus, exalted over all is now involved in the historical realization of the already accomplished reconciliation of the universe by directing all things to their determined, divinely appointed, end” (op. cit., p. 248).[3]

What does that mean? It means the victory has been won, but it will be completed when Jesus comes again. It means the engagement is sealed, but the wedding day is approaching. It means that while there is still preparation for the wedding—the ceremony is soon and sure to occur.

So, don’t just go through the motions. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that the gathering of his believers in worship isn’t important. An engaged couple loves to spend time with each other. If they didn’t, we would question their commitment. What about us? Jesus, the eternal bridegroom, longs to be with his bride, the gathering of believers, his church.

Today, give thanks for his church. We recognize that from day to day the visible church can have its shortcomings and weaknesses, but that doesn’t keep us from preparing, growing, learning every day what it means to belong to Jesus. Let’s be those individuals, those families, that church who isn’t content to keep things just as they are, but let us always be looking to who we can be and who we should be because we belong to Jesus.

I’ve always been struck by the illustration I heard once. If Hope CRC didn’t exist, would people miss it? If so, what would they miss? What need are we serving in the our community, in our part of the body of Christ? Let us keep preparing ourselves.

As the Day approaches, we are assured that Jesus is bringing every one of his children closer to him—he is bringing the body of believers closer and closer to the Day when we will see the greatest display of God’s power. We will have eternal life. In the meantime, let us always be preparing his church, “the fullness of of him who fills everything in every way” for the glory of Jesus. Amen.

[1]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

[2] Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953-2001). Vol. 7: New Testament commentary : Exposition of Ephesians. New Testament Commentary (104). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

[3] Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953-2001). Vol. 7: New Testament commentary : Exposition of Ephesians. New Testament Commentary (106). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

Everything for Jesus

Changed with Resurrection Power.

Everything for Jesus.