Know Him Better: Take Another Look

Introduction

So good to be back with you! God IS doing a new thing!

This morning I want to inspire you to “take another look” and see Jesus in a new way.

We would all agree this has been such a challenging season, and we could get lost in comparing our war stories of isolation, relational setbacks, financial challenges, family tensions and more.

But instead, and in the midst of this season, I want to ask you another question:

Where have you seen the gospel at work ?

Lisa

Elijah

Take another look!

I want to hear from you - we need to hear from you! Let’s flip the script and take another look!

Paul, sitting in jail, wrote a letter challenging the church in Ephesians to take another look and see Jesus in a new way.

Ephesians

City/Culture/Time

Capital city in the Roman Empire, a major metropolitan hub for trade, business, finance, culture, education and more.

It was multi-cultural, secular-minded, full of people worshipping many different gods in many different ways.

It was a lot like Vancouver!

He opens the letter with one of the longest run-on sentences in the bible - from vs. 3-14, reminding me that I’m not the only pastor who can tend to ramble!

We’ll not read them together, but for 11 verses he brags on Jesus! Not his leadership, his situation, the church’s persecution, NOTHING but how awesome Jesus is!

We’re chosen

Predestined

Adopted

Redeemed

Forgiven

Made known his will

Marked

Promised Inehitance guaranteed by the HS

Why? It’s easy to overlook what’s right in front of us.

We tend to do that - lose the wonder of our friends, the jobs we fought for, our kids, our partners

OUR GOD.

Let’s take another look and see Jesus in a new way.

The New International Version (1984) Thanksgiving and Prayer

15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

If Paul can say this to the Ephesians, I can say it to City Life!

I celebrate your faith

I celebrate your love - thank you - personal

The New International Version (1984) Thanksgiving and Prayer

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

I want to “Know Him Better”

I want to help you “Know Him Better”

Moments of reflection - my role, like Paul’s, is to help you “know him better”

By praying

By teaching

KNOW - word is beautiful - two dimensions:

intellectual understanding (possessing accurate information or , facts, knowledge, truth).

relational experience. Personal and intimate, knowing his character and will.

Ephesians 1:17 (The Message) ...I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally,

Ephesians 1:17 (TPT) ...to know him through your deepening intimacy with him.

Are you content with one or the other? TAKE ANOTHER LOOK!

Revelation - church in Ephesus - "you’ve abandoned the love you had at first”

Ephesians 1:18 (NIV84)

18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened i

Eyes of heart enlightened

or iluminated - lit up

Our vision can get obscured over time

We need the eyes of our heart to take another look and see Jesus in a new way.

First Love - journal...

Last year - new car...

It’s easy to become familiar - even indifferent - with something amazing!

Do you need to see Jesus again?

Through my day - drift to my wife, children, close friends - do our thoughts drift toward Jesus?

How often do we talk to him? Listen to him?Even be aware of him?

Paul wrote this to the church because he understood this would always be a point of conflict.

Do you have a deep desire to know him better? To see him better?

Have we become distracted? Covid updates? Gamestop? The Hot Chocolate Festival? La Poutine Week?

Could it be in our apathy, in our lack of intentionality, in our private lives, in our distractions, boredom, wealth, and more - our passion to know him more has grown to a quiet but unsatisfying agreement?

This morning I simply want to inspire you to “take another look” and see Jesus in a new way.

Eyes of heart enlightened

CONCLUSION

Last weekend I was on bathroom cleaning duty at our home.

There are some jobs I just prefer paper towels for: namely, toilets.

We were out and I asked Stephanie if we had any, she said we did, but I looked and couldn’t find them.

Settled on using a cloth that made the job take longer and require way more effort than it should have.

Afterward, while I was putting things away, Stephanie came into the room, looked under the bed, and pulled out a roll of paper towel and gave me THAT look.

If you’re married you know it.

I made some feeble excuse about something being put in front of it, but the truth was I just didn’t look well enough.

What I needed was there all along, I just didn’t see it. I needed to take another look.

Could it that Jesus is nearer than we think in the ordinary ups and downs of our day?

Could it be that life is harder because we don’t see he’s provided everything we need to live boldly, joyfully, and full of faith?

Could other things have got in your way of seeing him?

Today we’re beginning a new chapter where we say “take our breath away again!”

WORSHIP...

Turn your eyes upon Jesus...

Glory

Grace

Pray…this week - new desire to know him better, to see him better, to clear away the distractions...

Take another look...

Work this out in a simple way.

Daily, reflect on the past 24 hours and ask yourself “where have I seen the gospel at work?”

Jesus, ignite my first love!

Read Ephesians 1 this week - a bunch of times, out loud, and mark up what stands out!