Paul's Doxology

Welcome

Announcements

Join us on Sunday Mornings at 9:30 am dor Sunday School, Wednesday evenings at 6pm for our Study on Puritan theology.

December 5th Congregational Meeting

Christmas Decorating this week

Prepare for Worship

Call To Worship

Responsive Reading 43 Psalm 42

Confession

Prayer of Confession

Eternal God, in whom we live and move and have our being, whose face is hidden from us by our sins, and whose mercy we forget in the blindness of our hearts: cleanse us from all our offenses, and deliver us from proud thoughts and vain desires, that with reverent and humble hearts we may draw near to you, confessing our faults, confiding in your grace, and finding in you our refuge and strength; through Jesus Christ your Son.

Assurance of Faith

Hear now, O Church, who stand in the gap for the world as representatives of God. We have been made clean. As the angel of the Lord touched the unclean lips of Isaiah and made the man whole in word and deed, readying him to do his will, he has done the same for us by the cleansing touch of his Son, Jesus Christ. In him, the disparity between our word and deed is made right. In him, our unkindness in action and in word has been forgiven. Go now in the purity of the King to speak the Gospel through actions of justice, mercy, grace, and love.

Confession of Faith

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church*, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Worship

35 O Great God

44 Come Praise and Glorify

154 Oh the Deep, Deep Love

Prayers of the People

Prayer Request

Lords Prayer

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done

in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts,

as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.

Amen.

Paul’s Doxology

What is a doxology

Doxology is an old Greek word meaning “saying glory,” or an “expression of praise to God.”

A series of declarations of praise announcing who God is and what he has done—sometimes in the form of a song.

Biblical Doxologies

Romans 16:25-27 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen

1 Tim 1:17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Rev 4:11 Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Our Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise him, all creatures here below; Praise him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Components of a Doxology

What makes a doxology a doxology? Three components Describes who God Is, What He has Done, and Gives Him praise and honor for both

Paul's Doxology Eph 3: 20-21

English Standard Version Chapter 3

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.

Who He Is

It is the characteristic of a doxology to identify who God is.

Descriptions of God: Father, Son, Holy Ghost, creator of all things, immortal, invisible, the only God.

Assures praise for the one and only God

Directs my praise to the only one worthy

Paul identifies God as the one who can do more than all we ask or think

English Standard Version (Chapter 3)

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,

Able to Do more than we Ask

How much do you think you could ask for? I mean really ask, if there is no limit and no worry of offense.

Remember here Paul is not giving us a directive to ask, but rather is identifying God’s overwhelming power. The God without limit

But, When we do ask, Do we always ask for the right thing? Rarely.

He is able to do more for us than we ask, because we lack the wisdom to always ask for that which we truly need.

Able to do more than we Imagine

Some have vast imaginations, some have very limited imaginations.

God is able to do more for us than we could actually imagine for ourselves

Our Imaginations are limited to our known world. God, as Creator is outside and therefore anything he imagines can be our reality.

Unlikely Means

This can seem very mystical, and other worldly

Everything that God does is miraculous in a sense, but most of how His will is done through regular means

Here Paul describes him as the one who does all these things according to the power that works in us. Not our power, but a foreign power.

People are brought to faith through the regular preaching of the gospel, lives are saved and ended through the work of people.

We are his instruments through which he is bringing about perfectly his will. God working in and through us.

What He Has Done

A doxology praises God for the work he has done.

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow”

We must remember that Paul is not giving this doxology absent of any other writing.

It is a culmination of “3 chapters” of description of all that God has done.

Last week we saw Paul's prayer in closing of this section. Praying for strength for the believer for all God has ans will do in and through us.

But if we look back at all that he has said up to this point we see what it is that God has done.

Chapter 1 - His work in Eternity

Triune God’s work of Salvation before time.

Father’s adopting, Son’s Redeeming, and the Spirit’s sealing of us for our inheritance.

A Perfect Plan for you and for me before we came to being.

Paul Prays that we might see all this, all He has done, and will do for us.

Paul knew that this would be much for us to take in so he had offered a specific prayer to God for our understanding. Knowing that only the working of God within man would produce an understanding of this magnitude.

Assurance of Victory. We learn that God’s perfect plan cannot and will not fail.

Chapter 2 - His work in Us

In chapter 2 we are reminded of our hopeless state. How we are so far removed from our creator.

But he tells us of the great work of change wrought in us that brings us to faith in God.

He reminds us that we were made for the purpose of God to be accomplished.

And he gives us reason for what God is doing with and through us. The building of a dwelling place for God in us as a collective people.

Chapter 3 - His work by Us

God used Paul as his instrument to reveal these great mysteries. Paul is the example of how God can change the very nature of the world through one man.

The Church is the vehicle by which God’s wisdom is revealed to all Creation. We are told that through us, authority’s and principalities in the heavenly places will see Gods manifold wisdom.

For this reason Paul prays for our strength. We are to be unworthy instruments, who need to be prepared and strengthened for what lies ahead.

All Praise to Him

God is worthy and deserving of our praise for who He is and What he has done.

Paul says to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, indicates that He is due glory for the work He has done in Christ and through the church

Glory in the Church

In each preceeding chapter Paul reveals a little more to us what it is that God is doing through our salvation.

He makes it clear that while each of us is individually saved to and for a purpose, it is the collective body of Christ that is the church through which God is bringing about the salvation of the world.

We are his glory. Unbeknownst to us, and probably contradictory to what we would think. We are the glory of God in the world.

Glory in Christ

And why is the church the glory of God in the world.

We are the body of Christ. We are to reflect to the world what it is that Christ came for.

To save a people that can function as a means to show the world the beauty of Christ.

We are to reflect him in all we do. How we live, How we interact with one another, how we function day by day in every single facet of our life.

There is to be no corner of our life that is to not serve as a chance to demonstrate the love and perfection of Christ to others around us.

He is not merely a good friend that we should introduce our friends to.

He is the key principle by which we are to live, so much so that the world comes to us and asks us why are you so different.

Through all Generations

Paul through the Spirits guidance knows that this letter is not merely for the ones living there in Ephesus.

But rather for many generations to come.

Our faith is generational, Gods covenant is meant to be passed from generation to generation. Each of us multiplying the number of followers of Christ, passing on our faith to our children's, children's, children. Growing the body of Christ exponentially through faithful living.

Conclusion

We have now reached the turning point of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. This is the point where he shifts from decriptive text (telling us about something), to the prescriptive text (telling us what to do).

Up till this point we have had to search for application of doctrine, looking to Paul's example to find how we should see and feel about these truths about our God, and about our own salvation.

Like Paul today we look to the text, we see God’s majesty before us, and we should give him all praise. Praise simply for who he is and what he has done in our lives.

That praise should not terminate in simple words, or songs, or even heart felt feelings, but also in action. Knowing all of the depth of what Paul has just told us about God and our relationship to him, should change us.

We are told we are born again, a creature made anew, and if you do not know what that means seek out those around you who do, including myself, because that is the most important part of all of this.

Knowing that God’s work within us creates a new creature, one who’s desires are fully to God. A new creature who seeks to follow the one who saved them. To follow Him in every aspect of their being.

Ask yourself that question today. If you are a professing believer seeking to praise God are you doing it comprehensively. Is all of your life lived to the Glory of God?

Doxology

Closing Prayer

If anyone has any questions or concerns feel free to catch me afterwards. And a quick reminder we do have plates in the back for anyone who desires to worship through giving today. The plate to the right is general giving, and the one to the left is specific for our missions giving.

Join us as we sing the doxology:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below, Praise Him above ye Heavenly Host, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.