Ephesians 1:15-23 (2)

Premise: Paul prays that God will reveal the hope of God's calling to salvation and the strength of His might in the Lordship of Christ.

Opening:

Introduction of the Text:

Reading of the Text:

Ephesians 1:15-23

For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints,16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the full knowledge of Him,18 so that you—the eyes of your heart having been enlightened—will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of the might of His strength,20 which He worked in Christ, by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Behold, the Word of God.

Prayer:

Transition:

Paul’s Prayer. V. 15-19

For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints,16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the full knowledge of Him,18 so that you—the eyes of your heart having been enlightened—will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of the might of His strength,

For This Reason… v. 15

For this reason I too,

Having Heard of the Faith in the Lord Jesus. v. 15

having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you

And Your Love For All the Saints. v. 15

and your love for all the saints,

Revelation 2:1-7.

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:This is what the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says:2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot bear with those who are evil, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, you also have not grown weary.4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first. But if not, I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place, unless you repent.6 Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’

Brotherly Love.

R.C. Sproul, “Throughout the ages the church has understood that the most significant manifestation of true faith is love. Faith without love is not faith, only speculation or knowledge or mere intellectual assent. The fruit of authentic faith is always love.”

John MacArthur, “True faith cannot exist apart from true love.”

John MacArthur, “True salvation goes from the head and heart of the believer out to other believers and out to the world to touch unbelievers in Christ’s name.”

Paul’s Thankfulness. v. 16

16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers:

Not Ceasing in Prayer for Them.

Giving Thanks for the Ephesians.

Paul’s Request. v. 17-19

17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the full knowledge of Him,18 so that you—the eyes of your heart having been enlightened—will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of the might of His strength,

That God Would Give Them a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in knowing Him. v. 17

17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the full knowledge of Him,

Isaiah 11:2.

The Spirit of Yahweh will rest on Him,

The spirit of wisdom and understanding,

The spirit of counsel and might,

The spirit of knowledge and the fear of Yahweh.

That The Eyes of Their Hearts Would be Enlightened to Know… v. 18

18 so that you—the eyes of your heart having been enlightened—

1. The hope of God’s calling. v. 18

will know what is the hope of His calling,

R.C. Sproul, “Hope is called the anchor of the soul (Hebrews 6:19), because it gives stability to the Christian life. But hope is not simply a ‘wish’ (I wish that such-and-such would take place); rather, it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made.”

2. The Riches of the Glory of His Inheritance in the Saints. v. 18

what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

3. The Surpassing greatness of His Power Toward Us Who Believe. v. 19

19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe

These Are in Accordance With the Working of the Strength of His Might. v. 19

according to the working of the might of His strength,

Transition:

Paul is here transitioning to speaking of the Lordship of Christ. The strength of God’s might is seen in the Lordship of Christ.

The Lordship of Christ. V. 19-23

according to the working of the might of His strength,20 which He worked in Christ, by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

What is The Working of the Strength of His Might. v. 19

according to the working of the might of His strength,

What is the mighty working of God’s strength? The mysteries Paul is speaking of are according to this work, so what does this mean? Paul says that it means two things.

The Raising of Christ from the Dead. v. 20

20 which He worked in Christ, by raising Him from the dead

Seating Christ at God’s Right Hand. v. 20

and seating Him at His right hand in the heavenly places

Psalm 110:1.

Yahweh says to my Lord:

“Sit at My right hand

Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.”

Christ is Far Above… v. 21

far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

1. All Rule.

2. All Authority.

3. All Power.

4. All Dominion.

5. Every Name That Has or Will Exist.

The Father Put All Things In Subjection Under Christ’s Feet. v. 22

22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet,

Psalm 110:1.

Yahweh says to my Lord:

“Sit at My right hand

Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.”

Psalm 8:6.

You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;

You have put all things under his feet,

The Father Gave Christ as Head Over All Things to the Church. v. 22

and gave Him as head over all things to the church,

Calvin, “We labour under the bondage of sin, and, surrounded by endless vexations, are engaged in a hard warfare, (1 Tim. 1:18;) but he, sitting at the right hand of the Father, exercises the highest government in heaven and earth, and triumphs gloriously over the enemies whom he has subdued and vanquished.”

The Church is the Body of Christ. v. 23

23 which is His body,

R.C. Sproul, “Paul is stressing that, at this very moment, Christ reigns in heaven as the King over all heavenly rulers, authorities, powers, and lords. The Lord Jesus is above all titles of power in this world and the next. He has authority over kings, prime ministers and presidents, over every being, every angel, good or bad, even the archangels. God put all things under Christ’s feet for the church. He is now the supreme Lord over all things.

Christ has been appointed from the foundation of the world to be the head of the church. God has given to this One who is the head of all things, a body, which is the church. This is a very mystical and spiritual viewpoint.”

Christ is the Fullness of All in All. v. 23

the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Application:

Premise: We ought to be amazed that God has opened our hearts to the riches of His grace and the Lordship of Christ.

Three Chapters of Theology.

The Principle Point of Theology Is Who God Is.

God is Sovereign.

We Must Know That God Is God.

Christ is The Sovereign.

We Must Know That Christ Is Lord.