Belonging

Christian… Bible tells us who God is… who we are… EASY to forget sometimes when we close our Bibles...

Soldiers… Sailor… Airmen… Marines… involved in something MORE...

We are involved in something MORE as Christians… call it what you want… People of God… Body of Christ… Family of God… you name it… lots of terms

We’re in the CHURCH...

Ephesians 3:14–21 NIV84

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians

What does this tell us about our IDENTITY and our CHARACTERISTICS now?

Our IDENTITY is in God

Whose logo do you wear?

New Testament VIII: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians Human Fatherhood Understood by Analogy to Divine Fatherhood

Before any discussion we must note that he did not say “from whom every fatherhood in heaven and earth is born” but “from whom every fatherhood in heaven and earth is named.” For it is one thing to merit the name of father, another to have a natural relation [as eternal Father to all creatures]

Refers to all who call on the name of Christ...

For those who believe in Jesus… there is a “mystical union”… intensified when you die as you are still enjoined with Him

Our POWER is in God

New Testament VIII: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians Strengthened in the Inner Man

But how are persons strengthened and made firm through the Spirit of God? By “Christ’s dwelling in the inner man,” he says. For when Christ begins to dwell in the inner citadel of the soul, persons are made strong by might through the Spirit.

God will give us STRENGTH… in all areas of our lives

Ephesians: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition 2. Paul’s Second Prayer 3:14–21

The Greek word for power (dunamei) is the same word from which the word dynamite is derived. Paul is not asking for a minor influence in the reader’s life, but one of awesome power. He is praying that God would make the people dynamic. Connected with this request are a number of specifics about how this prayer is answered.

Our FULLNESS is in God

Christ wants to dwell in our hearts… be FULL of Him...

ONLY THEN can we understand all God has for us… the full measure of his grace

This happens INTERNALLY… we CHANGE

THIS is God’s goal for us… to be filled with HIS fullness

Our HEART… our INTELLECT… our EMOTIONS… all fully given to Jesus

Our POTENTIAL is in God

Our goal… to become more like Christ...

Is it our GOAL to understand this?

we need to pray for it… THIS is what Paul prayed for the early church… THIS is what we need to pray for