Praying for One Another

Sermon - June 9, 2019

Title: Prayer for One Another

Text:

Introduction

I’ve been enjoying our study in Ephesians. We’ve entitled the series: “Your place in the Family of God.” The more we explore what Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus, the clearer it becomes the God wants all of his creation to truly grasp who they are as the church and how important it is that they function together as ‘One’ body.

Our study begins in Chapter Three at verse 14. Once again, Paul begins by using the phrase “For this reason.” This is the third time he uses it. The reason is found in chapter 2:13-22. Jews and Gentiles have been brought near by the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus has abolished the barrier between them and they are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. Paul’s desire is that the member of Christ’s church should mature spiritually (together) and experience the ‘fullness’ of God.

When He spoke about the ‘mystery’ he was referring to the fact that something that was once unknown, has been made known. And the mystery is: Gentiles are fellow-heirs, members, and partakers with the Jews concerning the promises of God, giving them all forgiveness of sins and Eternal life through Jesus Christ.

To help us understand the magnitude of this union, one could look at bringing Republicans and Democrats into the same room; more specifically, Nancy Poloski and President Trump, for the purpose of fulfilling imigration status or free trade agreements. Now as hard as this may seem to us, nothing is impossible with God. And what Paul is saying, what Jews once thought is impossible… for them to be together with Gentiles, God has made it possible.

So now he says, “For this reason” I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth drives its name.” He is saying, that God is not just the father of the Jews. he is also Father of the Gentiles.

Another way of saying it is he is father of Swedes and Germans; African American and Native American; White or Hispanic…Mexican or Latino, Korean or Chinese… I think you get the point. He is not the father of paganism or godlessness, But he is the father of righteousness; those who have surrendered their HEART, mind, body, and soul to God.

By way of encouragement… He is praying to God the Father of all. More specifically he is kneeling before God the Father of all.

There are many postures described in the Bible. The most common was standing for the Jewish people. When Paul says “I kneel before the Father’, it reveals deep humility - a deep emotion before God.

Posture in Prayer...

First, it reveals humble gratitude - What is his reason for praying? In the first two chapters he talks about God’s Amazing Grace! The grace of saving sinners individually and the grace of uniting ‘All’ people together.

Grace is God’s “unmerited favor.” Do I deserve his love and forgiveness? Do any of us deserve it? Who of us here have never sinned? Who of us here have never had an evil, lustful, prideful, greedy, envious thoughts? The truth is, we all have had them from time to time. Yet God said, “By ‘Grace’ you have been saved by faith, and that not of yourself, it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Now imagine the Jewish people hearing this about the Gentile, who they call pagans or heathens. And Imagine the Gentiles saying this about the Jews who had just crucified Jesus because they did not like his teachings and the healing of many on the Sabbath.

Each one of us, can reflect on God’s grace for us. He has called us to be holy; he has adopted us into his family with all the benefits of a naturally born child. He has forgiven us all our sins; he has brought us into a right relationship with Himself through Jesus. He has made you and me part of His Church; His body.

So for Paul, he is acknowledging his own salvation through Jesus and by example is reminding others to humble themselves to give thanks for God saving them as well. … Humble gratitude.

Secondly, he kneels in ‘Humble Desperation.’

When we realize we are approaching the only One who can act on our behalf, it gives us a proper sense of helplessness.

In we find several verses where Paul sheds tears for the people in Ephesus, all in the context of him being on his knees in prayer before God. He is on his knees because he knows what the church needs - what any individual needs can only come from God.

Several years ago, one of my sons was let go from his job. He shared with me how he was getting ready one morning and simply fell to his knees and cried out to God for help. God answered.

Without God we are helpless. Sure we can earn a wage, we can purchase things we need and even want, but when it comes to be able to save ourselves, only God can do that. When it comes to truly having the right attitude and spiritual perspective in times of need, only God can do that. When it comes to agreeing to disagree and still get along, only God can do that.

Without God we are helpless and powerless

states, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Paul kneels in Humble gratitude; he kneels in Humble desperation; and …

Thirdly, Humble Confidence… In Paul writes… For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

We can pray with Confidence because of Who we are ‘In Christ’ AND because by the Holy Spirit we have access to the Father.

II. Prayer for Power

Through the Holy Spirit, Personally… in the ‘Inner’ being (vs. 16) Paul is Praying on his knees that the church … ‘You’ may be strengthened in your ‘Inner’ being.

This is how we fight sin, proclaim the gospel with courage, and love people the way Christ has loved us.

In the book of it says that “each one is tempted when, by his own evil desires, he is dragged away and enticed.” At this point we may not have sinned, but we are tempted to. It is when we take steps; put action to our evil desires that we have sinned and that sin gives birth to death… separation from God.

That’s what happened when Adam and Eve sinned. That is what happened when David, in the O.T. saw Bathsheba on the rooftop bathing. He had her brought to his home, slept with her, she conceived. This led him to try to cover up his sin by calling her husband Uriah home from the battle field, trying to get him to go to his wife and make love to her. When this did not happen, he sent him back to the battle field carrying a message of his own death sentence which was given to Joab the Commander of David Army to carry out.

We are to pray for inner strength through the Holy Spirit to fight temptation. In we read, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Our Culture places primary importance on the outer person, but the inner person is far more important. In But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Make sure you give attention to your inner being. Paul writes in “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 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.”

B. Pray for power, to be rooted and established in love, together… (vs. 17-18)

Take a step back, looking at the words “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” The word dwell could mean ‘to Inhabit’ but most likely means more than that. It means ‘to settle down.’ It carries the idea of a permanent residence, not short lived. In other words, Christ is living in each one of you.

Theologian D. A. Carson writes “When Christ, by his Spirit takes up residence within us, he finds a moral equivalent to trash, black and silver wall paper and a leaking roof. He sets about turning this residence into a place appropriate for him, a home for which He is comfortable…. When a person takes up long-term residence somewhere, there presence eventually characterizes that dwelling… when Christ first moves into our lives, he finds us in bad repair. It takes a great deal of power to change us; and that is why Paul prays for power…. Jesus is transforming us into a house that pervasively reflects His own character.” (Spiritual reformation, 186-87)

III. Paul prays that “together” you may know the greatness of God’s love… How wide and long, high and deep.”

Paul wants all people to know how much God loves them! When we begin to understand the depth of God’s love for us, we will begin to say as Paul did, “I am crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Know you are secure in God’s love. “Being rooted and firmly established.” (vs. 17) “Love is to be the soil in which our life is rooted; love is to be the foundation on which our life is built.” We are to build our life on the love of Christ

Know the limitless dimensions of God’s love. (vs. 18) His love is for you! His love is for all ethnic groups. His love is everlasting. Jeremiah writes (31:3) “God loves us with an everlasting love.” In Higher than the heavens. In terms of its depth in that God casts our sins into the bottom of the sea (Micha 7:19) “You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”

Know that his love surpasses knowledge (vs. 19) Even though we may not have full knowledge of his love, we must stop and revel in that love. His grace as Paul talks about in chapter 2 and the forgiveness of sin which he addresses in 4:32) ‘Forgive one another, just as Christ forgave you.”

Know God’s love that you may be mature (vs. 19) “That you would be filled with the fullness of God.” Be all that God intended you to be.

Humble yourself before God with gratitude. He loves you the same as the person sitting next to you.

Humble yourself with dependence on God. Life is tough. Many times when we get through one thing, there often comes something else. But God is able to do the seemingly impossible every time. It doesn’t matter if it is a broken relationship; a state of immorality; a mindself of pride and envy. He is able to take care of anything. Your role is to humbly come to him and say, God, I can’t, but you can. I need you.

Humble yourself with confidence. He has given you the inner presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In we can approach his throne with confidence. Sometimes we need to ask for that confidence. He will always give it to you.

Pray for inner strength for yourself and for the church as a whole. Pray that together we may know the width and length of his love, the depth and height of his love.

Join me in praying this prayer as our worship team comes forward.

Lord Jesus, today, may we be strengthened with the power through the Holy Spirit in our inner being, to be the person you created us to be and to do things things you created us for. Lord, may the presence of Jesus dwell permanently in our hearts. May we be firmly rooted and planted in your love for us, and our love for you and one another. May we have the power within and all around us to be the people you want us to be and to do the work that you created us to do. May we grasp the width and length, depth and height of your love for each of us personally and together as a church. From this day forward may we know your love that surpasses all knowledge and be filled to the measure of your fullness. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.