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Ephesians: Prayers of the Righteous (1:15-23)
The Prayers of the Righteous Ephesians 1:15-23
Introduction:
Have you ever had to cross a frozen pond?
If you are some place you are unfamiliar with and you do not fully understand their freeze patterns, it can be a bit unnerving.
I read an account of a man who was attempting to cross the frozen St. Lawrence River in Canada.
Unsure whether the ice would hold, the man first tested it by laying one hand on it.
Then he got down on his knees and gingerly began making his way across.
When he got to the middle of the frozen river trembling with fear, he heard a noise behind him.
Looking back, to his horror he saw a team of horses pulling a carriage down the road toward the river.
And upon reaching the river they didn’t stop, but bolted right onto the ice and past him, while he crouched there on all fours, turning a deep crimson.
If only he had known how firm the ice really was that day.
It is kind of like that in the church.
There are some Christians that live like this man.
They are tentative and constantly fearful that life will crumble under them.
They are constantly trying to protect themselves seeking better paying jobs, trying to put as much in the savings as they can, and not accomplishing much for God’s kingdom, while others are charging by boldly.
In today’s passage, we find that Paul’s prayer for the church is that they will know and understand enough about God, to boldly accomplish the work God has called us to.
Please stand with me as we read Ephesians 1:15-23.
The Word of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
Pray
How strong is your faith?
Sermon Intro
How do you pray for people?
Do you ask God to fix this or that for them?
God give healing…God provide finances…God heal relationships...
These are not bad prayers.
We are called to lift up the needs of each other.
However, I believe in this passage, Paul gives us the best prayer that we can pray for others.
His prayer in this passage should be our first, and foremost prayer for other believers.
But before we dive into the prayer, we need to take a moment to understand what has lead Paul to this prayer.
Paul began this letter by setting down some foundational blessings that we has believers all have in common.
The works of God in His various forms; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Paul is worshiping and praising God for His marvelous works on our behalf.
Then Paul comes to the reason he is writing this letter.
You see, he is passionate about all those things he has just shared in vv 3-14 (the things we discussed last week) and it excites him when he hears of others who are accomplishing the things God has called them to do.
It is natural when you are passionate about something to see other being passionate about it too.
Our world is no different, but the things our culture are passionate about are not things that please God or even things that are healthy for us.
It amazes me how many conversations I hear about drinking wine or beer.
People will go on and on about it.
Last 4th of July, I was in my yard and some of my neighbors were having a picnic and later that night they all did their fireworks together.
I over heard them as they were drinking, laughing and talking quite loudly, and all they talked about was drinking…the fun of drinking, how much they liked to drink, the excitement to get together to drink.
I began to think they had very boring lives since they evidently didn’t have anything more to talk about.
In fact, if you are not a drinker and you are with people passionate about drinking, they will plague you to death to just drink one.
Another such subject is that of sex and sexual-orientation.
We live in a culture that is trying to make everything about that and get us all to appreciate it in all forms.
However, Paul understood that real life comes when we are serving our purpose and living under the blessings of God.
So, Paul is delighted to hear such stories.
Look with me at...
A. What is Paul’s reaction to the good reports about the church?
1. Paul give thanks for them.
The Christian faith is rooted in love.
Paul loves these people and so he is thrilled to see them loving others also.
Now, this love that I am talking about is not the kind of love we understand.
The Greek word for love in v 15 is “Agape.”
It is the love of God that loves beyond what we understand.
It sees through the hardest exteriors to the very heart of another and lovely or not, loves anyway.
This is the love that Paul has for these people and this is the love these people are demonstrating that Paul is so excited about.
It is not a common love and is not found in us except through the work of the Holy Spirit within us.
Paul’s response to their actions is that of thanks, but just what is Paul thankful for?
a. Their Saving Faith
In thanking God for their faith in Jesus, Paul is, of course, praising God for their saving faith.
They had been saved by grace through faith and not by their own hand.
Their boast was in Christ alone (2:8, 9), and that was something to thank God for!
But Paul was also thankful for...
b.
Their Practical Faith
The Ephesian church not only rested in its salvation but also its everyday life on Christ.
They were living it out in “love for God’s people.”
Not only is Paul thankful for what he is witnessing in him, but we see this same kind of love demonstrated in him.
We live in a competitive world.
One of the greatest difficulties I faced working in the corporate world was this nature of competition.
There were always people seeking to better you, or trying to rob the credit for something you had done.
It was as they say, “a dog eat dog” environment.
However, Paul’s response is not of jealousy over their good deeds.
but that of joy.
Now you may say that the difference is that I worked in a worldly environment, but we are talking about the church.
Surely the church is different!
Well, down through the ages there are many examples that prove otherwise.
In fact, St. John of the Cross was once quoted saying, “As far as everyone is concerned, many experience displeasure when they see others in possession of spiritual goods.
They feel sensibly hurt because others surpass them on this road and they resent it when others are praised.”
Paul’s response to their success shows us a better way.
Not only does Paul rejoice in them, but...
2. Paul prays for them.
Here is where we see the difference between Paul’s prayer and what we most often hear.
We often pray for felt needs and circumstances.
However, these are often symptoms of a greater need and Paul sees the greater needs.
So, lets turn our focus from Paul’s reaction to them, to Paul’s prayer for them as it is an example of...
B. The Prayers of a Righteous Man (Ephesians 1:17-23)
Paul understood that the best way to assist the church was for them to have a knowledge of God and what God offers to us.
It is this knowledge that empowers our faith and our ability to fulfill our purpose.
This knowledge moves us from being people crawling on the ice to running full out across it.
The first thing Paul prayed for them was...
1.
That They Might Know God.
v 17
Notice that this action is powered by the Holy Spirit.
He is where the wisdom and revelation come from, but the purpose is to help us know God better.
God does not just want a relationship with us, but He desires an ultimate relationship with us.
The word “know” here has an OT heritage.
It is used regarding marital relationship.
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