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READ THE BANKBOOK- Ephesians 1:15-23

INTRO:ILLUST; He Believed The Ancient Record. . We were “born rich”, but there is more. We must

grow in our understanding of our riches if we are to bring glory to God. Too many of us have never read the bankbook and are not fully aware of the vast treasures we possess. ILLUST: Look At Home First.

As we look at Paul’s prayers for his spiritual family, we note two things: 1)He never requests material things, and 2) He does not ask God to give them anything new, but prays that God will reveal to them what they already have.

Paul’s prayer for these Ephesians is that they would become aware of what they possessed in Christ. Their “faith in Jesus” and their “love for saints” were obvious. But he knew they must grow in these foundation stones. So, he prays fervently!

Is this how you grow?

I.    HE PRAYS THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW GOD- 1:17b

      A.   This Is The Highest Knowledge Possible

            1.   It is not knowing ABOUT God from the Bible.

            2.   It is as in “Adam knew his wife...conceived...”

            3.   ILLUST: Knowledge of God

      B.   This Is A Result Of God’s Action- “...He may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation...”

            1.   Paul’s prayer was for GOD to do something.

            2.   This seems to be OUTSIDE THE BIBLE!

            3.   “The” Spirit may be “a spirit.”

      C.  This Is To Have Eternal Life- John 17:3

            1.   Do you know God in this way?

            2.   Are you growing in your knowledge?

II.   HE PRAYS THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW GOD’S CALLING- 1:18a

      A.   “Calling” Is An Important Word For the Christian

            1.   Church is a two-word combination= “called out”

            2.   So we read of “”called by God’s grace”; “called out of darkness”;our “holy calling”; and we should “live lives worthy of the calling...”

            3.   Do you believe that you were called out?

      B.   This Is A Calling Of Hope

            1.   Bible “hope” does not mean “hope so” but an expectant desire.

            2.   This carries with it “assurance for the future”

            3.   You went from a state of “no hope”(Eph. 2:12) to one where you should eagerly await the end.

            4.   Do you live in hope like that? Do you pray for it?

      C.  This Knowledge Comes From Enlightened Heart Eyes

            1.   Again, this is not simply more Bible reading.

            2.   God is being called upon to allow them to see.

            3.   ILLUST: Things Of Real Value

                   a.   Ephesus had massive wealth, boasted of temple of Artemis.

                   b.   Today it is an archaeologist’s paradise but all of its wealth and splendor are gone.

                   c.   The few to whom Paul wrote- saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus-have also gone...to heaven.

III.  HE PRAYS THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW GOD’S RICHES-1:18B

      A.   Amazing Truth- We Are God’s Inheritance!?

            1.   We HAVE and inheritance 1:11 but not here.

            2.   Just as man’s wealth brings glory to his name, so God receives glory through us(cf.3:21)

            3.   

                   He Believed The Ancient Record

On January 6, 1822, the wife of a poor German pastor had a son, never dreaming that he would one day achieve world renown and great wealth. When Heinrich Schliemann was seven years old, a picture of ancient Troy in flames captured his imagination. Contrary to what many people believed, Heinrich argued that Homer’’s great poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, were based on historic facts and he set out to prove it. In 1873, he uncovered the ancient site of Troy, along with some fabulous treasure which he smuggled out of the country, much to the anger of the Turkish government. Schliemann became a famous, wealthy man because he dared to believe an ancient record and act on his faith.

LOOK AT HOME FIRST

The late newspaper publisher, Wm. Randolph Hearst, invested a fortune collecting art treasures from around the world. One day Mr. Hearst found a description of some valuable items he felt he needed to own. He sent his agent abroad to find them. After months of searching, the agent reported he had finally found the treasures. They were in Mr. Hearst’s warehouse. He had been searching frantically for treasures he already owned. Had he read the catalog of his treasures, he would have saved himself much money and trouble.

Knowledge Of God

The atheist claims there is not God for us to know. The agnostic states that if there is a God we cannot know him. But Paul, who has met God in the person of Jesus, knows that a man cannot fully understand much of anything else without a knowledge of God.

THINGS OF REAL VALUE

Two Christian men were visiting a new family with the desire of offering them Jesus Christ and his hope. They saw a beautiful home, velvet lawn, gorgeous landscaping, two expensive cars, and, through the window, they saw the man of the house lounging in his lazy Boy watching his big screen TV. Taken aback, one said to the other, “What kind of good news can we offer him?”