Sermon Tone Analysis

*Thomas S. Myers*

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*Plugging INTO THE POWER OF GOD*

*Part 2*

*Ephesians 3:17-21*

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*            **This passage of Scripture is a very powerful section of Scripture.

It is very rich and abundant in spiritual truth.

It is a prayer of Paul that must not be avoided.

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*Ephesians 3:14-21 *

*14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 **/(in order)/ That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17/ /That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;/ /that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18  /(in order that you)/ May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, /(in order)/ that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.  20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.

Amen.

(KJV)*

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*            As I read Paul's prayer I added the phrase "in order that."

Because in the Greek language there is a key word that is repeated 3 different times.

You find it at the beginning of verse 16, at the beginning of verse 18, and in the middle of verse 19.    *

*            That should tell you something about Paul's prayer.

Paul's prayer is a sequence of progression.

That is something is being built which leads to something else being built, which leads to something else being built.

There is a sequence, a progression that is being built.

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*            I like to think of Paul's prayer like electricity.

In order to use electricity the electricity must be flowing.

But also in order to use electricity you must plug into the electricity.

But in order to use electricity you must turn on the appliance.

There are a series of steps to using electricity.

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*            Paul's prayer is like that.

There are a series of steps to utilizing the power of God.

Actually there are 5 steps.

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*            You might be thinking, "Pastor are there any other places in Scripture that have a sequence to them?"  Yes there are.

There is another sequence that the Apostle Paul gives.

You find it in Ephesians 4:31.*

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*SECOND -- CHRIST IS AT HOME IN YOUR LIFE.*

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*"so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith...; (3:17a)*

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*      The result of our being "strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man" is that Christ may dwell in [our] hearts through faith.*

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*            The Greek word for "dwell" is a compound Greek word, formed from **/kata/** (down) and **/oikeo/** (to dwell in a house).

The point is this.

Jesus Christ is not just to be a guest in our heart.

He is to be at home in our hearts.

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*            What Paul is saying then is that when your inner man is strengthened the result is that Jesus Christ is going to be a home in your heart.

Now if you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, Jesus Christ is in your heart.

But just because Jesus Christ in your life, that does not mean that Jesus is at home in your heart.

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*            The question for the Christian is not is Jesus Christ in our hearts,  the question for the Christian is Jesus Christ at home in our hearts.

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*            Jesus Christ cannot be "at home" in our hearts until our inner man is strengthened.

Unless the Spirit controls our lives, Jesus Christ will not be comfortable there.

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*            Let me illustrate this way.

If you spend a weekend in someone's else home, you will not feel totally at home.

There are some rooms that you can not enter.

There are some things that you can not do because it is not your home.

Well imagine Jesus Christ being in your life but being treated like a visitor.

Jesus Christ will not be at home.

He will be there, but He will not be a home there.

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*            And that is exactly what Paul is talking about.

Jesus Christ is to be at home in our life not treated like a visitor.

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*            If you want to plug into the power of God, Jesus Christ must be a home in our life.

In some believers life Jesus Christ is treated like a visitor.*

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*            Remember in Genesis 18, when the Lord came with two angels to visit Abraham.

Sarah immediately began to prepare a meal.

From the rest of the passage it is evident that Abraham and Sarah knew they were hosting the Lord Himself.

And it is also evident that the Lord felt at home with Abraham and Sarah.

Otherwise God would not have been comfortable thee.

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*            Then, a short time later, the Lord wanted to warn Lot to flee Sodom and Gomorrah.

But does God go to Lot's house?

No.

So what is interesting God did not go Himself to Lot's house, so instead God sent the two angels (19:1).

The whole point is this; God did not feel at home in Lot's house as He did in Abraham's house.

Even though God had a relationship with Abraham and Lot.*

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*      Now the same thing is true for you and me.

You and I, we have a relationship with Jesus Christ but that does not mean that Jesus Christ is at comfortable in our lives.

But when you are strengthened by in the inner man, then God feels like he is at home in our life.

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*      Jesus enters the house of our hearts the moment He saves us, but He cannot live there in comfort and satisfaction until it is cleansed of sin and filled with His will.

God is gracious beyond comprehension and infinitely patient.

He continues to love those of His children who insist on spurning His will.

But He cannot be happy or satisfied in a home that is full of garbage and sin.

He cannot be fully at home until He is allowed to dwell in our hearts through the continuing faith that trusts Him to exercise His lordship over every aspect of our lives.

We practice as well as receive His presence by faith.*

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*      Image that your best friend spent an entire day with you.

All 24 hours of the day.

And during that entire day your best friend encouraged you and helped you.

But all day long you never even acknowledge their presence.

You don't every say hello, you just go about your own business.

You completely ignore them.

How long do you think your best friend will be your friend?

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*            **Jesus is the same kind of friend but only in a greater way.

And Jesus was with you every day and not once have you even acknowledged Him.

Not one time.

And yet He is your best friend.

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*            How awesome and wonderful that the almighty and holy God wants to live in our hearts, be at home there, and rule there!

Yet Jesus said, *

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*John 14:23*

*"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him" *

*            As long as your inner man is not strengthened, Jesus Christ will never be at home in your life.

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*            There is also a third step to plug into the power of God.

First, you strengthen your inner man, that results in Christ dwelling in your heart.

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*Ephesians 3:17-19 *