The Power of Unity

Introduction:

Have you ever experienced something that was so wonderful that it completely changed your life?

For me, that was Birria Tacos over in New Jersey. I knew what a taco was. I knew there are different types of tacos. But my mouth was NOT prepared for Birria tacos!

The place we went had an outer tortilla, a layer of melted cheese, an inner tortilla and then some of the best meat I’ve ever put in my mouth! PLUS, they served a side of the soup that they stewed the meat in.

It was so tasty, messy, and glorious! Like, I didn’t know I was missing something until Birria taco, mi amor, entered into my life!

That is kind of what Paul is trying to get at here in Ephesians 3:14-21, that God has been up to something, so wonderful, so beautiful, so mouth wateringly delicious that even though he is stuck in a Roman prison, uncertain about the future of his life, he is so consumed with what God has done and is doing in and through the believers at Ephesus that he can’t help but worship and praise God for the amazing plan that he is working out for all of humanities rescue. That, the God of the universe, makes us worthy to live worthy of the call that he has placed on our lives, individually and collectively, as the Church to welcome in and unite everyone into his family.

This is so important to Paul that we get what he is talking about, that he actually prays a second time for the Ephesians. In his first prayer (Eph. 1:15-23), Paul prays for the Ephesians enlightenment, so that they can understand what God’s plan is for them and what he’s up too. But, now, in Paul’s second prayer (Eph. 3:14-21), he prays for their enablement, so that they not only know what God wants for them and from them, but now they know that God will work in and through them in order to make his plan a reality by enabling them through the power of his Holy Spirit working in and through their lives.

Attention: How do we actually live out God’s plan of unifying everyone and everything into his family in a world that is so divided, so polarized, so tribal and cancel happy that we are being further driving deeper into our echo chambers while lobbing hand grenades at people in Facebook wars?

How can we actually live in unity with one another? Is it even possible anymore?

Need: Well, Paul actually answers this question by praying a very long one sentence prayer that stretches from verse 14 all the way to verse 19, where he is inviting God to do three very specific things for the believers at Ephesus, but also for all believers everywhere.

Scripture Statement: Paul writes this second prayer to the Ephesian believers so that they can experience God’s power and be strengthen by Him, rooted and established in Him, and be fully filled by Him so that he can make us worthy to live worthy of the high calling that he has placed on all of our lives by bringing everyone into his family.

Sermon Statement: God wants to give us His power so that he can strengthen us, root and establish us, and ultimately fully fill us so that he can make us worthy to live worthy of the high calling that he has placed on all of our lives by bringing everyone into his family.

This is how Paul starts his prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21.

Read Ephesians 3:14-15

Ephesians 3:14–15 (NIV)

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

Explanation: The reality of what God is doing forced Paul to his knees, which was not a normal posture for Jewish men of his day. But he is dramatically showing us what the proper response is to what God has done and is doing in our lives: humbly honoring him because he is the only one who is actually able to unite us together, since he is the Father of every human-being, no matter their gender, no matter their ethnic background, no matter the language they speak, no matter the party they vote for, or their sexual orientation, no matter how much they’ve messed their life up or successful they are.

God is the Father of us all, especially those who love, worship, and serve him.

I love how one scholar describes God as being our father. He says,

“This is no tribal deity, no local god, not just the god of our ancestors. This God is not just committed to the flourishing of a particular culture, country, or family. This God is the God of “all the families of the earth,” the God of “all things.” And to this God alone the Jews and Gentiles of the Lycus Valley—and we—owe ultimate loyalty.” (Allen Verhey and Joseph S. Harvard, Ephesians, ed. Amy Plantinga Pauw and William C. Placher, Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 124.)

Because of what God has done and is doing and because of who God is, Paul goes on to pray for strength and power to radiant throughout the church because it is united in Christ as one family that is giving glory to God, who alone made all of this possible, and who is responsible for their spiritual growth because of what God is doing in them collectively.

Transition: In this long, one sentence prayer, Paul asks God to do three specific things for the church in Ephesus. The first thing that Paul asks God to do is to strengthen them with his power.

READ Ephesians 3:16-17a

Ephesians 3:16–17 (NIV)

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Point #1: God will Strengthen Us with His Power (Eph. 3:16-17a)

Explanation:

Strength [SPLIT SCREEN]

Paul is asking God to strengthen these believers out of the limitless resources that he has. This strength isn’t something that you can produce in your life, it isn’t something that you can will yourself to have, if it were then Paul would command them to do it. Instead, Paul is asking God to give them the strength that only he can give us.

This strength is a holistic fortification that includes internal strength, development of moral character, and a fierce resolve to trust in God.

We see this word describing two very special young men. One was named John the Baptist and the other as named Jesus. In Luke 1:80, we see John becoming strong in spirit and in Luke 2:40, Jesus became strong and filled with wisdom and God’s grace.

READ Lk. 2:40

Luke 2:40 (NIV)

40

This is the kind of strength that Paul wants God to give believers. A strength that wells up inside of you. A strength that that can sustain you, equip you, grow you, and transform you to be more like him in everything you do, say, and think! A strength that will enable you to function the way God has designed you to function and how he designed, His bride, the Church to function.

Power [SPLIT SCREEN]

That term that Paul uses, power, is a really interesting word. It is where we get our word dynamite from. But Paul is talking about something that is explosive or creates chaos. Instead, he is praying that God will give us the ability to function the way he designed us to function

Purpose for this strengthen power is for Christ to continually resident inside of us radiant out of us.

ILLUSTRATION: Lamp was designed to shine; so were you.

Jesus put it this way to His followers:

READ Matthew 5:14-16

Matthew 5:14–16 (NIV)

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Transition: Paul is praying that God will strengthen us with his power so that we can properly function the way we were designed to function. But Paul also prays that God will root and establish us in His love.

Point #2: God will Root and Establish Us in His Love (Eph. 3:17b-19a)

READ Eph. 3:17b-19a

Ephesians 3:17–19 (NIV)

17b And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —

Explanation:

Rooted and Established in love

Paul uses two metaphors to describe how God can secure us in His love.

The first is a biological metaphor where our roots run deep into the soil of God’s love.

READ Col. 2:6-7

Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

The second is an architectural metaphor where a building has been established with a strong foundation that is laid on the rock of God’s love.

READ 1 Peter 5:10

1 Peter 5:10–11 (NLT)

10 In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11 All power to him forever! Amen.

Power

Paul uses another word to describe the type of power needed by these believers and that is an ability to be strong enough to fully comprehend the incomprehensible love of God.

Grasp God’s unmeasurable love

“‘To grasp’ is literally ‘to hold as one’s own.’ In the form found here it is ‘to perceive’ or ‘comprehend.’”

“The apostle is simply telling us that the love of Christ, exemplified in his magnanimity to the Gentiles, is too large to be confined by any geometrical measurements. It is wide enough to reach the whole world and beyond (1:9, 10, 20). It is long enough to stretch from eternity to eternity (1:4–6, 18; 3:9). It is high enough to raise both Gentiles and Jews to heavenly places in Christ Jesus (1:13; 2:6). It is deep enough to rescue people from sin’s degradation and even from the grip of Satan himself (2:1–5; 6:11, 12). The love of Christ is the love he has for the church as a united body (5:25, 29, 30) and for those who trust in him as individuals (3:17).”

(A. Skevington Wood, “Ephesians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 52.)

Transition: Paul is praying that God will strengthen us with his power so that we can properly function the way we were designed to function. He also prays that God will root and establish us in His love and help us grasp how vast his love for us actually is. But, finally, Paul prays that God will fully fill us with himself.

Point #3: God will Fully Fill Us with Himself (Eph. 3:19b-21)

READ Eph. 3:19b

Ephesians 3:19 (NIV)

19b — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

How can finite, limited, fallen human-beings be filled with the fullness of our infinite, limitless, glorious God?

It’s a mystery that only God fully understands, because he is the only one able to accomplish this in our lives! And he did it in and through Jesus.

READ Colossians 2:9-10

Colossians 2:9–10 (NLT)

9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Filled

“This ‘fullness’ means that there is nothing lacking in our relationship to the Father. God pours his love and power into believers, making us complete for this life and readying us for the life to come. … The ultimate goal is for believers to become Christlike individuals, filled so totally with Christ that he is seen in us.” (Bruce Barton et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001), 817.)

Illustration: Water Beads (not fulfilling it’s potential until fully filled with water)

Conclusion

A lot of us are living our lives like this little unfilled, unfulfilled water bead. We are living lives that are uninspiring, unproductive, and seemingly insignificant.

But, if you allow God to strengthen you with his power, root and establish you in his love, and fully fill you with himself then, and only then, will you be able to fully live the life that he died for you to live! A life that wi worthy of the important mission that he is inviting us to join him in: unifying others, no matter who they are, to the family of God called the Church.

Call to Action: Allow God to fill you. Allow God to empower you. Allow God to establish you. Let him have his way in your life and join Paul in worshipping God who alone is able to do more than you could ever dream possible!

Prayer: Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)

20 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, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.