Love Needing Divine Strength

Love Needing Divine Strength Ephesians 3:14-21; Pg. 977 02/24/2019 Gallup Christian Church, Bill Emmerling Introduction John Stott shares in his commentary on Ephesians, “One of the best ways to discover a Christian’s chief anxieties and ambitions is to study the content of his prayers and the intensity with which he prays them. We all pray about what concerns us, and are evidently not concerned about the matters we do not include in our prayers.” (Stott, 131) This week we return to Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians which began in Ephesians 3:1, though it seems that it really started in Ephesians 1:3. He began in chapter 1 praying that we would receive wisdom and revelation, being enlightened to truly understand the tremendous hope, the riches of our eternal inheritance and the power beyond comparison which God works in us who believe. Paul’s prayer doesn’t end with this, though this would be enough. Return to Prayer (14-15) 14 15 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, Authorized vs. Un-Authorized Prayer We would do well to pay attention to Paul’s prayers. Jesus shared that He will answer prayers in HIS name, that we can pray directly to the Father in HIS name (1 John 5:14; Matt 18:20; John 14-16). Yet this is not a blank check given by Jesus; He is stating that prayers prayed according to HIS WILL will be answered. We are not authorized to pray with authority for what is not revealed in God’s word. God’s Word and prayer should always be companions in our Christian walk (Stott, 132). It All Starts in Heaven While the word “family” is an adequate translation of the Greek, in English we miss the word play present, as the word for “family” is very similar to the word for “Father.” He has been writing at length about the Jews and Gentiles and the separation of the two that Jesus has joined together. Paul seems to be saying, “I beseech the Father of ALL fatherhoods, the Father of ALL families, the source of ALL peoples.” He is the Father of those who have triumphed and are in Heaven. He is the Father of all who remain until He returns. As Paul addresses the Father in Heaven, he reminds us that Fatherhood was conceived of in Heaven first. God defines what fathers are to look like. Earthly fatherhood is to reflect God’s Fatherhood, not vice versa! From Strength to Fullness (16-19) 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith— that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Here is the meat of Paul’s prayer. And again, Paul does not pray for small details, but for big-picture vision. He prays for four items and each in turn seems to be built upon the previous, like a stair case: strength, love, knowledge and fullness. He prays for these things from the RICHES of the Father’s glory. These RICHS are a huge theme for Paul as this is at least the fourth time Paul has referred to the RICHES of God (Eph 1:7,18; 2:4; 3:8). God has supply beyond all we can imagine!!! Needed Strength Paul first asks that we be strengthened, in our heart, our source of will and personality. Paul also prays for strength in Colossians 1:10-11 (983) 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; It is possible that we can become so sick that we are hospitalized and must receive our nourishment through an IV. We become so weak that we cannot eat for ourselves and must be strengthen to each for ourselves. In a sense, we need to be strengthened for what is soon to follow. Rooted & Grounded In writing of Christ’s love, Paul uses the words rooted and grounded. “Rooted” in both Greek and English carries meaning from farming, that we are to find our sustenance and security in the love of Christ, just as plants find this from the soil. We must depend on the love of Christ for our source of strength. Likewise, “grounded” carries the sense of “foundation,” that which provides strength of firmness and stability. It is also important to notice that this love cannot be found alone, as individuals, we must find, comprehend, understand it with ALL the saints. Just as Paul started the prayer with a joined people, our strength comes from being together in Christ. Knowing Christ’s Love So, what is the purpose for this strength Paul is praying to the Father to give us? This strength is that we might fully comprehend and know (experience) the LOVE of Christ. We might wonder at first why we need strength to do this; however, we need to understand the paradox of KNOWING an UNKNOWNABLE love. Secondly, consider the vastness of this love. Paul shares in Romans 8:37-39 (945): 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. This love is great enough to over come our deep racial, cultural and even doctrinal differences (Stott, 136). John Stott states it this way: “…the love of Christ is ‘broad’ enough to encompass all mankind…, ‘long’ enough to last for eternity, ‘deep’ enough to reach the most degraded sinner, and ‘high’ enough to exalt him to heaven.” (Stott, 137) Is it any wonder that our hearts need to be divinely strengthened to comprehend the love of Christ? Filled with God’s Fullness Why is it that we are called to be strengthened to understand the love of Christ? That we might be filled. That we might be filled UNTO the fullness of God. Wait, how can this be, that we, frail, finite, humans are to be filled UNTO the fullness of the infinite, glorious God in whose presence sinful humans die without divine intervention (Isaiah 6)? Remember in verse 17, “…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts in faith…” The word “dwell” speaks not of a sojourner staying at the Motel 6, or even at the Hilton. It speaks of one who resides. Jesus resides in our hearts, our person, with NO intention of moving out. Christ is here, and He is here to stay. Because of this, we are daily being sanctified, make more like Jesus, being filled to become more like Jesus (the fullness of God). Paul shares in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (966) 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. This is where we are to find our completeness, when Jesus returns. Doxology / Exceeding Abundance of God (20-21) 20 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, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations [lit. of the age of ages], forever and ever [eternity]. Amen [truly, so be it, let it be so]. Paul concludes his prayer, and this first half of his letter, with a doxology, a formal express of Praise of God Almighty. Thinking on all of this, Paul is moved to worship of his mighty God. “…far more abundantly…” could be expressed as “super abundantly” or “exceeding abundance.” In other words, God’s abilities defy our imaginations. And that power and ability is working in us as followers of Jesus. And doing so in the past, present and future. All of this lays the foundation of what Paul has to share and instruct in chapters 4-6. Theology Moves Us to Worship & Prayer Theology is one of those words which intimidates us, and it shouldn’t. It is simply that label for everything related to God. Each of us things about God, and therefore, like breathing, we each practice theology, whether we know it or not. We need to respond as Paul has, in wonder of the true awesomeness of our God. It should move us to contemplate and mediate on who God is and what He done for us, focusing on His character, focusing on the Chosen One, pointing to eternity (Snodgrass, 183,184). Christ’s Love is Central We need to recognize, and live our lives, with the understanding that the love of Christ is central to EVERYTHING. Christ’s sacrificial love defines what it means to be a CHRISTIAN. God receives glory when we sacrificially love others. Notice that he receives glory “…in the CHURCH,” not individuals. God receives glory from those who are “…in Christ Jesus.” There are NO “lone ranger” Christians. We are called to live and LOVE in community. TGBTG—To God Be The Glory TGBTG, an acronym you may find in my texts and emails, a short hand for “To God Be The Glory,” a reminder that whoever we are with, whatever we are doing, wherever we are doing it, however we are doing it, it is all for the Glory of God. How are we to respond/apply? How are we to respond? I believe the most appropriate way to respond is in utter awe and worship of our God, of His overwhelming, sacrificial Love and the lengths to which He has gone to redeem, to save us from our sins. For some of us, that may mean coming to the point of submitting ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus and believing, repenting and identifying with Him through baptism. For others this may mean repenting of trying to do this Christian life on our own, without other believers, perhaps even without Christ in our heart. Perhaps for yet others, we may need to recognize that even in the midst of other Christians, we have not allowed the barriers to come down, barriers for which Christ died to remove. We must be willing to love even those who have hurt us, just as Christ loved us when we were unlovable. Yet, for all of us, let us worship our God and let our rally cry be: “TO GOD BE THE GLORY” Please stand as we sing our hymn of decision Hymn: 598—Day by Day (vs 1,2,3)