God's Power in the Church

Introduction: The sky was the limit for Matt Bush when the Padres made him a high school star as the No. 1 pick in the 2004 MLB draft. “He [had] one of the best arms I’ve ever scouted, “said Padres scouting director Bill Gayton.

However, the right-hander wouldn’t make it to the bigs until 2016 as he was plagued for 12 years with a drinking problem which eventually landed him in prison for three years. After his release from prison, he made his way to the Rangers and eventually the Brewers as of last week.

And even though Bush did eventually make it, for a while, he was only one of three first-round draft picks never to make it to the majors. And even now, many wonder what could have been.

Matt Bush knew a great deal about baseball, and he had the talent at his disposal to be something great, but because he refused to put his talent to work for him, he missed out on years of opportunity.

In the same way, it is possible for Christians to know a great deal about the Bible and yet not live by those truths.

Up to this point in Ephesians, Paul has given the fundamental truths about living the Christian life, and he has made clear that he wants the believers to know what is the hope of their calling and the riches of the glory of God’s inheritance for them. He spent the first two chapters laying out the power of God’s salvation for them.

However, like any good pastor, he does not want them to just know about God’s power for them in salvation, but he also wants them to experience God’s power in them for His glory. And so we come to Ephesians 3:14-21, where Paul both prays for them and encourages them that they would not waste the power and potential that was available for them in Christ.

Ephesians 3:14–21 NKJV

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Paul's plea to the believers at Ephesus in Ephesians 3:14-21 is also a prayer to God that God would motivate them to respond to His provision of power. Specifically, Paul prays for the Holy Spirit to work in them, that they would be rooted in love and filled with God's fullness for God's glory.

Transition: Paul’s desire for them was that they would fulfill their potential and not let the power available to them go to waste, and so he prayed that they would take advantage of God’s power, recognize God as the source of power, and live out their purpose with power.

Paul’s Prayer for Power

Ephesians 3:14–19 NKJV

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

According to the Riches of His Glory

Note: Paul does not pray that God would grant them power out of the riches of His glory, but according to His riches in glory.

Example: If Elon Musk gave The Chapel Church $3 million for a building, he would be giving out of his riches.

We are blessed with every spiritual blessing.

Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,”

We were chosen before the foundation of the world

Ephesians 1:4 “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,”

We have redemption and forgiveness

Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”

He has revealed to us His will

Ephesians 1:9 “having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,”

He has given us an inheritance with His Son

Ephesians 1:11 “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,”

Note: Paul is also not praying that God would give these riches to believers, but that believers would be strengthened according to the riches they already have.

Strengthened by His Spirit

Surely, Paul was concerned for the physical well-being of others

Romans 15:26 “For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.”

Ephesians 4:28 “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”

However, he was more aware that our outer man is destined to die

2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”

Galatians 5:16 “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

Example: The first question I would always ask teenagers who were struggling was, “How is your walk with the Lord doing?”

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

Indwelt by Christ

The purpose of being strengthened with power through His Spirit is that Christ may dwell in [our] hearts through faith

Wait a minute, does that mean that if I don’t submit to the Holy Spirit and grow in the fruits of the spirit, I won’t have access to Christ?

(κατοικῆσαι) - to live in a settled manner

Example: Pastor Ken once told me that no matter what happens in ministry, you can thank the Lord that when you come home, you are coming home to someone who loves you.

vs. James Szydel

Firmly Established in Love

John 4:14 “but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.””

John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

Worldly love is based on attraction and is temporary. Christ-like love is based on God’s very nature and lasts forever.

Filled with the Fullness of God

Colossians 2:9 “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;”

Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.””

Transition: When the Holy Spirit has empowered us, Christ indwelt us, love has mastered us, and God has filled us, then He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.

The Source of the Power

Ephesians 3:20 NKJV

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

John 14:12-14 ““Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

1 Corinthians 2:4 “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,”

1 Corinthians 4:20 “For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.”

Transition: Finally, the purpose for the power is that God would be glorified in the church, forever.

The Purpose for the Power

Conclusion: When we get to heaven I don’t think that God will say to any of us that we trusted on Him too much. He is saying to us through His Word , “my power is available. for you.” It is His power working in and through us for His glory.

By yielding to God, God is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we could ask or think. By submitting to Him, we can be both effective in our calling and fulfill our purpose of glorifying Him.