Sermon Tone Analysis

*February 5, 2006—Evening Worship*

* *

*“The Glorious Grace of God” Series – Part 8*

*The Power in Praise*

*Instructions for Intercession on Behalf of Others*

*Ephesians 3:14-21*

* *

*Intro:*  God is a miraculous God!

He is still working wonders today!

He still heals today!

He still has all power & is the only One worthy of praise!

Did you know that when you pray to God you are praising Him? Did you know that when you pray to God you honor Him? Do you realize that God is able to do exceedingly & abundantly above all that we ask or think?

Do you understand that there is power in praise as we intercede on behalf of others?

Just this week, I heard the story of a woman who happens to be the Aunt of one of my daughter’s friends.

She had been diagnosed w~/cancer on 2 other occasions.

She had had the surgeries, the chemo & radiation treatments.

& she had been cancer free for some time.

However, right before Christmas of last year, she was having an examination & her Dr. discovered that she had cancer in her lymph nodes.

Further tests were done & the cancer was said to have been in all her lymph nodes & there was nothing they could do.

Naturally, she asked people to pray & she began searching for a Dr. willing to operate.

She finally found one who said he would, but she would need to come in for initial testing.

When she did, the Dr. told her that there was no cancer.

He proceeded to do a P.E.T. scan of her entire body, only to discover that there was no sign of any cancer in her body at all!

          Her Dr. could not explain why or how the cancer had disappeared, but she knew & so do you!

God miraculously healed her!

This woman was naturally thankful to her Lord, but also to the many people who had prayed for her.

God has the power & God does choose to heal those through whom He will receive the most glory!

I don’t know why some are healed & some are not, but I do know that God uses the prayers of His people to accomplish what seems impossible!

In our text tonight, the Apostle Paul talks about that very thing.

Let’s read Ephesians 3:14-21 & learn from instructions for intercession on behalf of others.

*Ephesians 3 /14/*/ For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, *15* from whom the whole family in heaven & earth is named, *16* that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened w~/might through His Spirit in the inner man, *17* that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted & grounded in love, *18* may be able to comprehend w~/all the saints what is the width & length & depth & height-- *19* to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled w~/all the fullness of God.

*20* Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, *21* to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever & ever.

Amen./

* *

- By Paul’s example we learn…

*1.

How to pray for others.

*(vv.

14-16b)

- The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us that we may come boldly to the throne of grace & there find help in time of need.

- & from our text tonight, Paul says we are to pray for others…

*    A.

With Confidence.* (v.

14) */14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ/*

- When we come to the throne of grace, we can come w~/confidence b~/c we are not only praying to God, */the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ/*, but we are praying to our heavenly Father.

- We have a personal relationship w~/God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

- Therefore, we have His eye; His ear; His heart; His attention; His affection.

- When your child comes to you w~/a request, you listen w~/heart-felt affection.

- You want to be able to meet that need or fulfill that request.

- & God is listening to His children as we come before Him w~/bowed knees & hearts seeking help!

- Think of it this way, if God was willing to send His Son Jesus to die in your place, don’t you think that He’s interested in you; in every aspect of your life?

- So come to the Lord’s throne of grace & make your petitions known.

- & do it w~/the confidence that they will be heard & that God will answer according to His perfect will!

 

- Not only can we pray for others w~/confidence, but Paul says we are to pray for others…

*    B.

In Comfort.*

(v.

15) */15 from whom the whole family in heaven & earth is named/*

- You can take comfort in the truth that God is the Father of all who are in His family.

- He is not just the God & the Father of the living, but of the dead.

By that I mean that all who are in heaven, those dear departed saints of God & all who are on earth who, love Him & are attempting to walk w~/Him through His power.

- These are the ones whom God calls family.

- & notice that we are named after Him.

- Just as you are descendants of your fathers, we all are spiritual descendants of our heavenly Father.

- In the original the words tell us that every kind or sort of family in the heavenly places & on earth have One origin, one Maker, one Father.

- So not only are we to pray for others w~/confidence, but in the comfort of the fact that we are all family & that God cares for each & for all w~/the same level of concern.

- Therefore, we learn from the text that we are to pray for others…

*    C.

With Compassion.

*(v.

16a-b) */16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory/*

- There is nothing that God does not have!

There is nothing God will ever lack!

- He has all things b~/c He created all things & in Him all things consist!

- Now Paul begins to get personal in his prayers for the Ephesian believers.

- He is asking God to */grant/* them those things which follow, */according to the riches of His glory./*

- The word translated ‘grant’ literally means “to supply, furnish, deliver, permit or to reward.”

- Paul is asking something for the Ephesians which he knows cannot be obtained by man.

It’s not in man’s power to deliver these things.

- Therefore, they must be sought from God alone.

- & notice how Paul asks that God grant these items, */according to the riches of His glory./*

- IOW Paul says, “As You are mighty, grant them might; as You faithful, grant them faith; as You are love, grant them love; as You are gracious, grant them grace.

- IOW in proportion to the riches of Your character & glory, grant them these requests.

- This is your heavenly Father’s response to your earthly need.

This is your heavenly Father’s actions toward your distress.

This is your heavenly Father’s expression of love for you.

- IOW Paul asks God to give His best for His people for their good & His glory!

 

- But not only does Paul give us an example of how to pray for others but also…

*2.

What to pray for others.

*(vv.

16c-19)

- This is practical prayer instruction that anyone of us can & should us as we pray for others.

- This is what we need more than anything else.

We need…

    *A.

His Power.

*(v.

16c) */“…to be strengthened w~/might through His Spirit in the inner man….”/*

- We have what is called “Intercessory Prayer” at the beginning of each service.

- During those times we do pray of specific problems which people face.

- & there’s nothing wrong w~/that, in fact, if you’re not already doing so in your personal prayer time, let me encourage you to begin to pray specifically for others needs.

- But Paul is more concerned w~/the spiritual ability of others, than he is their physical needs.

- By example, he teaches us to pray 1st for their spiritual strength.

- The word ‘strengthened’ literally means, “to make strong, to cause to grow in strength or to increase in strength.”