Untitled Sermon (4)

Beyond Knowledge

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: Get Your Hands on Your Wealth (Ephesians 3:14–21)

The presence of the Holy Spirit in the life is evidence of salvation (Rom. 8:9); but the power of the Spirit is enablement for Christian living, and it is this power that Paul desires for his readers.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: Get Your Hands on Your Wealth (Ephesians 3:14–21)

The power has to be sent down. How marvelous that God does not give the Spirit’s power to us “out of His riches” but “according to”—which is a far greater thing. If I am a billionaire and I give you ten dollars, I have given you out of my riches; but if I give you a million dollars, I have given to you according to my riches. The first is a portion; the second is a proportion.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: Get Your Hands on Your Wealth (Ephesians 3:14–21)

This power is available for “the inner man.” This means the spiritual part of man where God dwells and works.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: Get Your Hands on Your Wealth (Ephesians 3:14–21)

The outer man is perishing, but the inner man can be renewed spiritually in spite of outward physical decay (2 Cor. 4:16–18). It is this inner power that makes him succeed.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: Get Your Hands on Your Wealth (Ephesians 3:14–21)

It is only when we yield to the Spirit and let Him control the inner man that we succeed in living to the glory of God. This means feeding the inner man the Word of God, praying and worshiping, keeping clean, and exercising the senses by loving obedience.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: Get Your Hands on Your Wealth (Ephesians 3:14–21)

He yearns for Christ to settle down and feel at home in their hearts—not a surface relationship, but an ever-deepening fellowship.

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Eph 3:14–18). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Deep roots = big tree

Deep foundation = big building

Deep faith = fullness of God

Our faith is nurtured by the love of Christ. If faith is the root the soil is the love of Christ. The more we surround our faith in that love the stronger we become so that when storms come we persevere.

It’s only when we encounter storms that the health and strength of the tree is revealed.

Ephesians 3:14–19 (ESV)

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know (comprehend) the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

How do you know something that surpasses knowledge?

Paul isn’t praying this as some kind of lofty aspiration. He is writing this letter while he is in prison likely chained to a Roman guard. He knows the storms Christ can get you through and yet He is unaware of the storms (yet to come) that Christ can get you through.

Paul is basically saying, “I want you to comprehend the fact that you will never exhaust the resources that Christ has given to you. You will never come to the end of His love.”

We can read a book about marriage and the trials people face and we can know them. We can read stories about the challenges of climbing Mount Everest and we can know them, but there is a more profound way of knowing that only experience can impart. So, the one who is married knows the trials. The one who has climbed Mount Everest knows the trials. As a child hopefully you knew the love your parents had for you, but as a parent you know the love you have for your child.

But there is a third kind of knowing and that is what Paul is talking about here. It is a comprehension that something is completely unknowable. Because of the sheer size of it, the enormous magnitude of it, the intangible profoundness of it you remain in awe of it. You settle into this reality that while what you have experienced in Jesus is entirely satisfying it still goes beyond it. It is indescribable. So, you come to terms with the fact that the love of Jesus is so deep, so broad, so high, and so long that it cannot be fully explored, understood, or even imagined.

Paul is praying that for the Church…for Christians…to come to grips with the unfathomable love that Jesus has for you.

If you can grasp that reality…that Jesus loves you indescribably…you can climb any mountain…face any giant…endure any loss.

Ephesians 3:14–21 (ESV)

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

The result of coming to terms with the inexhaustible love of Jesus is that we experience the fullness of God. We enjoy the abundant life ( 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jn 10:10). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)

Note that everyone’s fullness is not the same. v.20 reinforces that God can give us far more abundance than we ask or think and that the fullness that we experience is “according to the power at work within us.”

This circles back to this idea that there are some of you where there isn’t a lot going on. Your inner life has never grown. It is starving for attention. It is thirsty for life giving water. It is hungry for His Word.

If you life with Christ started and stopped with going to Church your fullness is different than

if your life with Christ stopped at baptism or confirmation which will likely result in another level of fullness but it is different than

if you life with Christ has had seasons where you did things disciples do like pray, read the Bible, engage in fellowship with other believers there is another level of fullness but that is different than

if you have been faithful in the study of God’s word and in the participation in the life of the Church for decades and the list can go on.

The level of fullness that we experience is in proportion to the power at work within us. And the power at work within us is dictated by our willingness to pursue a knowledge of the Love of Jesus.

When I was in school in Southern California I had the opportunity to go to Venice Beach where I intentionally wanted to put my foot in the Pacific. I wanted to say I experienced it, and yet my experience is not the same as someone who had surfed at that beach for decades.

Some of you need to just simply put a foot in the ocean. You need to trust that the love of Jesus is limitless. You need to proclaim that He is the resurrected Son of God and trust that the fate of your eternal life is bound up in His death. Either God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice for you or not. I believe He did. I want you to experience that level of fullness. I want you to hear God say, “There is more.” But you can’t hear it if you refuse to trust Him.

Some of you are stuck. You got your feet wet…maybe a long time ago…and the sensation is but a fleeting memory. Life got hard. You got distracted. You went the wrong direction. God is calling you to try again, “There is more.” Paul wrote to the Cornthians, 2 Corinthians 12:9–10 (ESV)

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Engage in the life of the Church, explore His word, engage in a conversation with Him, find contentment in your struggle. Now is the time.

Some of you are complacent. You are doing enough. You ignore the Spirit as He whispers, “There is more.” You don’t want to evaluate because you know if you do it’s going to cost you something. Oh that you would comprehend the love that Christ has for you that surpasses understanding.

Regardless of which one you are…my prayer for you right now is that you hear the Spirit of God deep inside of you whisper, “there is more.”

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.