Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

No right answers

When it comes to our faith, sometimes it seems like there are no wrong answers

Is it sinful?

Is it commanded/prohibited for the church?

(i.e. the Lord’s Supper, tongues)

There’s millions of applications of our purpose in Christ (Should I be a missionary oversees?

Should I lead a normal life here at home?

Do I have liberty to move across the country if I want?).

As a church we are in a unique position to start making some of these types of, ‘no wrong answer’ decisions.

God’s providence that we are in this passage this week — family meeting next Sunday.

Body

(15-16) This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.

THIS IS WHY: Reflects back on the 6 spiritual blessings in the church.

PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL INSIGHT

election

adoption

redemption

revelation

inheritance

15 This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.

17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit, of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.

security

Faith and love are evidence of the presence of the 6 spiritual blessings.

Faith (in Jesus) and love (for the saints) are a NT dichotomy (sometimes hope added) that exemplify the Christian life.

Paul never stops giving thanks to God for them in His prayers.

We ought to expect to be thankful when we see our love for others produce fruit in their lives.

ILL: (K)

(17) I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit, of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

Paul prays for wisdom & knowledge — the need for both — Compare

wisdom vs. knowledge — the need for both

What if no knowledge?

Paul now prays that he would not be the only one with a spirit of wisdom and revelation, but that the whole church would receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ.

What if no wisdom?

Spirit’s role in wisdom and revelation (Can you understand the Bible without the Spirit?)

ILL: Know it all (KIA’s usually tell, but never do)

It’s the spiritual implications, not the text itself, which are incomprehensible without the Spirit of God.

It’s the difference between awareness and understanding.

In the heart (habits and beliefs) not just the mind (rationalle).

wisdom vs. knowledge — the need for both

: KIA’s — know the right thing, but don’t do it, it is sin.

(18-19) I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know

1) what is the hope of his calling

1) you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.

2) what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and

3) what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.

This is a spiritual enlightening that happens because of the presence of the Spirit of God in an individual.

ILL: Hiking.

Eyes.

Looking at the ground (at yourself) when you walk vs. looking forward (at everything/one around you).

cf.

, “…the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel...”

election -> calling

John 10:27

Calling speaks to the human perspective; whether one responds or not, the hope of calling is that God has condescended to us as humans in order for us to ascend to Him.

We already talked about the hope of calling in the election episode # … .

2) Already talked about the wealth of our inheritance in ep # … .

3) This is where to spend time.

Notice: Paul wants us to know the great power that is in those who believe.

The power is there if you believe, but Paul prays that you would know that power.

The immeasurable greatness of God’s power is the power that raised Christ from the dead—according to the mighty working of His strength (Jesus’s resurrection) (cf. )

What is the power?

Why do we care?

In context: The power is the illuminated (Spirit) wisdom and knowledge of God (Scripture).

The power is the illuminated (Spirit) wisdom and knowledge of God (Scripture).

When you fill your mind with the scriptures through reading and hearing, the Spirit writes these spiritual realities on your heart so you can live and speak according to the wisdom and knowledge of God.

— this is a foreshadowing of deification.

Why do we care?

We should have a desire for wisdom and knowledge.

We should have a desire for wisdom and knowledge.

(Wisdom)

(Knowledge)

We can receive wisdom and knowledge through prayer (spiritually discerned)—reading and hearing is not all of it.

We can receive wisdom and knowledge through prayer (spiritually discerned)—reading and hearing is not all of it.

What do we do?

Sermon: A time for us to pray and to fast like Paul prayed for us.

Prayer

Lord’s prayer

(CSB)

THE LORD’S PRAYER

9 “Therefore, you should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,

your name be honored as holy.

10 Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And do not bring us into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.,

Pray to honor God

Pray for the presence of God (Kingdom)

Pray for God’s purposes to be done (Works alongside Paul’s prayer that the eyes of our hearts would be open.)

Pray for God’s daily provision

Pray for forgiveness of sins

Pray for deliverance from sin and evil

What does God desire for Sonrise Church in the upcoming months?

How can we accomplish God’s purposes?