Thanksgiving & Prayer

{2019-01-27 AM} {GCC, Gallup, NM} {Thanksgiving & Prayer }/ 1- Thanksgiving & Prayer (Ephesians 1:15-23; pg. 976) Introduction As we return to Ephesians, we need to remember that God is not interested in behavior modification but wants to see ‘soul transformation’ in the lives of His people.1 Additionally, we need to revisit Paul’s doxology as defines everything else in this letter. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. 2 1 Greear, J.D. Ephesians. RightNow Media. 2 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 1:3–14. {2019-01-27 AM} {GCC, Gallup, NM} {Thanksgiving & Prayer }/ 2- In the prayer that follows in today’s text Paul’s intent is that “people will know in their own lives the benefits mentioned in the doxology” we just read.3 In verses 15 through 23 of chapter one we find Paul giving thanksgiving and praying. As with his worship of our God, we have much to learn from Paul’s prayer for us. Thanksgiving (1:15-16) 15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, This is a reoccurring theme with Paul, as in multiple letters4 he gives thanks for believers because of their faith, because of their love for believers in Jesus. Over and over, Paul’s heart turns to God in gratitude when he learns of those who love Jesus and His people. This challenges me as I consider my own prayers, which too often seem like a laundry or grocery list of health concerns or financial needs or relational conflicts. Paul steps it up a notch, finding gratitude for spiritual relationships. What is more Paul is emphasizing the relationships we have in Jesus, reminding us that we are community, our faith is not simply about our salvation, but we are called to care for one another. Galatians 6:9-10 (975) comes to mind: 3 4 Snodgrass, Klyne. The NIV Application Commentary: Ephesians. 71 Col 1:4; Philemon 5; Romans 1:8; 1 Cor 1.4; Phil 1.3; 1 Thess 1:2; 2 Thess 1:3 {2019-01-27 AM} {GCC, Gallup, NM} {Thanksgiving & Prayer }/ 3- 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. While we individually experience salvation, we are not intended to live out our new lives in isolation. We are intended to live our salvation experience out in community, as family. Prayer (1:17-19) 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him [FATHER], 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he [FATHER] has called you, what are the riches of his [FATHER] glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his [FATHER] power toward us who believe, Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation While Paul is thankful for their love of the saints, he is not content to leave them where they are. Paul now prays for the spiritual maturity of the Ephesians, seeking to prepare them for the rest of his letter to them. And what is it he prays for? Again, it is not health, wealth and relationships. No, Paul is asking that they be made knowledgeable, that they be given wisdom by the Spirit and that the same Spirit would reveal this knowledge to them. Paul seems to make a connection between knowledge and spiritual {2019-01-27 AM} {GCC, Gallup, NM} {Thanksgiving & Prayer }/ 4- enlightenment, encouraging us to “ponder what God has in Christ that the Spirit will open our eyes to grasp its implications.” (Stott, 67) It is the Spirit who helps us to understand God. There are three things Paul prays would be revealed to his readers: Hope, Riches, and Power. 3 Part Knowledge of God Hope of His Calling The Father has called us, predestined us for adoption, for salvation, giving us hope for eternity. You see, we live in a world of hopelessness, a fallen world where sin, all sin, leads to death. Living in this world without hope leads to apathy and despair, the opposite of hope. Yet, we live with hope. Not the kind of wishful thinking hope, but a hope of surety. Consider Hebrews 11:1 (1007) Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.5 The surety of our hope comes from God raising Jesus from the dead and overcoming our hopelessness of death. Riches of His Inheritance “The riches of the His Father’s glorious inheritance in the saints,” just what are these riches. The saints. We are the riches, the inheritance. You see, before Jesus died on for us, we did not belong to God, but instead were slaves to sin. Yet after the cross, 5 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 11:1. {2019-01-27 AM} {GCC, Gallup, NM} {Thanksgiving & Prayer }/ 5- having been redeemed by Jesus, we have come the Father’s inheritance. We have come the Father’s glorious inheritance. Incomparably Great Power This immeasurably great power of God is not a show of force, but a life-giving force (Snodgrass, 75). Further, the greatness of God’s power, by its very nature, demonstrates our weakness. By this power, God gives us the power to live in an evil world, not to escape the difficulties we encounter (Snodgrass, 92). Paul shares two aspects of this power associated with Jesus: Resurrection and Enthronement. Jesus’ Resurrection It is the same power that the Father used to raise Jesus from the dead is at work in us. Paul also tells us in Philippians 3:21 that the Father will use this power to transform our current bodies to be like Jesus’ glorious resurrection body. Jesus’ Enthronement The Father also uses this same power to elevate Jesus from being simply a man to being seated at the Father’s important position, at His right hand. The one seated at the right hand of a monarch is second in command. Paul goes further to state this seat is in the heavenly places, indicating its further elevated position Finality of Jesus’ Dominion (1:20-23) according to the working of his great might 20 that he [FATHER] worked in Christ when he [FATHER] raised him [JESUS] from the dead and seated him [JESUS] at his [FATHER] right hand in the heavenly places, {2019-01-27 AM} {GCC, Gallup, NM} {Thanksgiving & Prayer }/ 6- 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he [FATHER] put all things under his [JESUS] feet and gave him [JESUS] as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his [JESUS] body, the fullness of him [JESUS] who fills all in all. 6 Finally, Paul wraps up his pray for the Spirit’s increase of our wisdom and understanding of what God has done for us with a statement about what God has done in elevating Jesus. With the same power He raised Jesus from the dead, He placed Jesus over all things. The emphasis here is not about the powers or authorities that Jesus is over, but it is about the authority Jesus is given over all, whether on the earth or in the heavenlies, Jesus is over all. Including the church. Paul restates these same thoughts in Philippians 2:5-11 (980) 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and 6 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 1:19–23. {2019-01-27 AM} {GCC, Gallup, NM} {Thanksgiving & Prayer }/ 7- under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. And in 1 Corinthians 15:23-26 (961) 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. Because Jesus, the Son, was obedient to the Father, willingly went to cross to redeem and restore sinful, rebellious mankind, the Father then gave Jesus ALL authority. How are we to respond/apply Paul has shared with the Ephesians the wonders of God, the Father, the Son and Spirit, the work that He/They have done on our behalf. He has given thanks to the Father for their faith and love. And now he is beseeching the Father, to make even more clear the HOPE we have, the INHERITANCE we have and are for the Father, and the awesome POWER which the Father has at work in our lives, if we but let Him. This is the bottom line: we must recognize that He has made it all possible for us to be reconciled with Him. He has given us Jesus, even before the foundation of the world. Yet we are still left with the choice: Will we accept the sacrifice Jesus has made for our sins, or will we reject it? Will we accept the Lordship of Jesus in our lives, or will we insist on living our own lives {2019-01-27 AM} {GCC, Gallup, NM} {Thanksgiving & Prayer }/ 8- our own way, in rebellion? Will we choose life, or will we choose death? Today can be that day that we choose life. We can hear the message that Jesus died for our sins, believe the message, repent of our sins and identify with Him in His death, burial and resurrection by baptism. Some of us have already made that decision. Today, our response needs be that of simply a more complete surrender to Jesus. To allow the Spirit to more fully reveal to use the HOPE we have, the INHERITANCE we are and the POWER that God is using to transform us. Please stand, as we sing our song of decision/invitation: Hymn: 662—All to Jesus I Surrender (vs 1,2,3)