God's masterpiece of Spiritual Growth

Recap of Series

Many Christians fail to fully understand the vast spiritual wealth that is available to them in Christ.

Others have a great deal if Bible knowledge yet fail to live by the truths they claim to believe.

A Christian life that seeks to just get by on crumbs is a tragedy.

I order for God to receive the glory that He deserves and for us to fulfill the purpose we were created, we need God to move in our hearts.

We need illumination and motivation.

(Now in a passionate pastoral prayer Paul gives us a glimpse of the kind of rich existence that is possible when we are.)

“Filled with all the Fullness of God.”

Living out fully that which we already fully possess in Christ Jesus. It means to be so strong spiritually and so compelled by divine love, that one is totally dominated by the Lord, with nothing left of self.

Human comprehension of the fullness of God is impossible because even the most spiritual and wise believer cannot completely grasp the full extent of God’s attributes, and characteristics - His power, majesty, wisdom, love, mercy, patience, kindness, and everything He is and does.

Last week we talked about the mystery that at one time had been hidden so that now through the Church manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the world and displayed those in the heavenly places.

We talked about how you are the paint brushed that God has chosen to use to spread His manifold wisdom across the canvas of His creation.

Ephesians 3:14–21 ESV

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 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.

Paul’s 2nd Prayer

“Whole Family”

Paul is praying for all those who have been grafted into the family of God. (Gentiles and Jews)

“Is Named”

Note: Our name identity is as children of God. Everyone is not a child of God, only those who are a part of his family. The Father has a family and the family is called children of God. Remember in chapter 1 that all of this was planned from the foundation of the earth.

For This Reason: That they might not lose heart over Paul’s imprisonment (1:15; 3:1)

2:17-3:1 We have access now through one Spirit to the Father; 3:1 “For this reason I pray.”

Paul pray’s because we have access to the Father, no longer strangers or aliens but members of the household of God.

For this reason I Bow my knees before the Father:

So that you may be strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So that you may have Christ dwelling in your hearts.

So that you may be rooted and grounded in God’s love. (modifies “in order that)

So that you may have the strength to comprehend the love of God.

So that you may know the love of Christ that surpasses human knowledge.

Main Idea: That we might be filled with all of the fullness of God.

How is God’s love understood?

To comprehend the breadth, length, height and depth of Christ’s love for us.

To know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.

Do I know the love of Christ?

Have you felt it.

Do you understand it?

Do you feel it now?

What is the Love of Jesus?

The Love of Jesus is the distinguishing mark of all of God’s people that they truly know the love of God.

John 13:35 ESV

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Paul tells us that the greatest of all the virtues is Love

1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Every child of God knows the love of Christ.

All of the children of God do not know God’s love to the same extent.

There are in the body of Christ people at all different levels of spiritual growth. You have those who are babes, young men, strong men, and a few who are fathers.

So, as you grow and advance in the faith your love increases to a more perfect state of Christ’s love. You start to walk, then walk faster, then you get up to a jog, then by the end of your journey you will be straining towards the finish line.

We all love at different levels of our growth and maturity. A child loves like a child in a childlike understanding of love. Someone much older has a different perspective on love and loves differently.

God’s masterpiece of Spiritual Growth begins with Spiritual Geometry

Note: Any educator knows that the study of and math builds upon the previous study that has been taken. You must take pre-Algebra before Algebra, and Algebra is a prerequisite for Geometry. You get the idea. Paul suggests a fourfold measurement to be used.

The infant cannot yet fully compute the distances or fathom the depths, this is the work of a skilled mathematician; the child will think as a child and understand as a child until further instruction is given to develop his powers.

Therapy: Is the treatment of a disease or disorder to cultivate change and ultimate healing.

1. We need immersion therapy.

immersion therapy: immersion therapy is a psychological technique which allows a patient to overcome fears (phobias), but can be used for anxiety and panic disorders.

Ephesians 3:16 ESV

16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Light Is Not Sight Religious instruction, however sound, is not enough by itself. It brings light, but it cannot impart sight. The assumption that light and sight are synonymous has brought spiritual tragedy to millions. The Pharisees looked straight at the Light of the World for three years, but not one ray of light reached their inner beings. Light is not enough. The inward operation of the Holy Spirit is necessary to saving faith. The gospel is light but only the Spirit can give sight

What is the “inner being”

There are several places in scripture which speak of this inner man for example; 2 Corinthians 4:16 “though the outer self is wasting away, the inner self is being renewed; Romans 7:22 “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being.

People were created by God with a spirit, soul, and body.

We are not bodies with souls, we are souls with bodies. The body is the outer man which is wasting away, the physical housing through which we experience the physical world. Our bodies therefore, function through five senses by meeting innate needs that drive us to eat, drink, and sleep. Our bodies are not evil but gifts from God. He desires that we surrender those bodies to him as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2).

When submit our lives to Christ and receive His gift of salvation through Christ, our bodies become temples of the Holy Spirit.

Our souls are the personality centers of our beings from which our mind, will, and emotions operate. With our souls we choose either to listen and obey the lusts of the flesh or the desires of the Holy Spirit. The soul of a person is the courtroom where life decisions are made. It is the seat of the self-life and the fountain from which character traits such as self-confidence, self-pity, and self-affirmation originate.

Our spirits contain the inner man about which Paul speaks of in Ephesians 3:16. Our spirits are where the Spirit of God communes with us. Jesus said “God is spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24).

The inner man contains our conscience upon which the Holy Spirit can move and convict us of sin.

John 16:8 ESV

8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

Our Spirit is the part of us that is most like God, with the knowledge of right and wrong, 1 Corinthians 2:11 says “for who knows persons thoughts except for the spirit of that person that person, which is in him.

This immersion therapy begins in our way of thinking that Paul mentions in Romans 12:2. This is where our actions, motives, and desires get a major makeover.

What are the means of our immersion therapy?

we spend time in the word.

we commune with christ.

we listen to sound spiritual wisdom.

We are strengthened by experience.

We are strengthened by prayer.

Everyday Spirituality Spiritual experiences are not a matter of finding God, nor are they a matter of waiting till God fairly screams, "Look, here I am!" Spiritual experiences surround us. We fall over them dozens of times a day. We can't avoid them if we try. A spiritual experience is simply a matter of recognizing and acknowledging our relationship to God in whatever is going on in our lives at the moment. God is involved in all we do and does not pop in and out of our lives. We live surrounded by God. We live and breathe God just as we live and breathe air. To know that either air or God is present, we need only to pause and reflect for an instant to see that we are immersed in them

* Immersion therapy gets you off of the bottle

The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. XII Heavenly Geometry (No. 707)

Brethren, I trust you are not among those who think it quite enough to be barely alive unto God; I trust that you wish to be not only babes in the family, but young men and fathers in the household; and that you even aspire to be strengthened by the Holy Ghost with might, that you may become powerful men, men able to enter into the soul and marrow of divine things, and to discern between things that differ. I would have you not mere milk-fed infants, but men able to crack the nuts of the gospel, and to digest the strong meat, because by reason of years you have had all your senses exercised

2. We need Obsession therapy.

Obsession: Is a complete persistent preoccupation with something

Ephesians 3:17 ESV

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

We all have obsessions of one kind or another

The question is not “are your obsessed” the better question is “what are you obsessed with?”

If we are obsessed by God, nothing else can get into our lives— not concerns, nor tribulation, nor worries. And now we understand why our Lord so emphasized the sin of worrying. How can we dare to be so absolutely unbelieving when God totally surrounds us? To be obsessed by God is to have an effective barricade against all the assaults of the enemy.”

— Oswald Chambers  from My Utmost for His Highest

He desires that the object of our study is ever before us.

Note: A good teacher wants their students every waking thoughts and mind to continually be exercised to the subject at hand. You will never find someone who is truly proficient at science or mathematics that is not continually thinking about new equations or new way’s of experimenting with a subject matter. This should be the for those whom Christ truly dwells in their hearts and lives.

The best room of your house

For Christ to dwell in your hearts means not just in our thoughts alone, but in our affections, not merely have him in our minds, but have him in our loves. Paul wants you to have a love to Christ monumental proportions. Not a love that flames out and then dies out into the darkness of a few embers, but a constant fire burning inside of your soul.

This cannot be accomplished except through faith. Faith must be strong, or love will not be fervent; the root of the flower must be healthy, or we cannot expect the bloom to be sweet.

Faith is the root of the flower that blooms. Now Jesus cannot be in your heart’s love except when you have a firm hold of him by your heart’s faith.

Look at Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 ESV

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

What does it look like to love God with your heart, soul, and might? This is Christ dwelling in you.

His words shall constantly be on your heart.

You should teach them diligently to your children.

You should talk about them when you sit in your house and when you go out into the world.

You should talk about them before you go to bed and first thing on our mind when you wake up.

You should write them as symbols all over yourself and your house.

Note: His desires become your desires, His thoughts become your thoughts, His passions become your passions.

*The greatest business of your life should be to know Him and the Power of His resurrection.

The college of Christ

When you became a Christian you entered the college of Christ. Your purpose and goal is to know as much about God and his word as humanly possible. To be rooted and grounded fully in His love.

Not merely in your thoughts alone but also in your affections; not merely have him in your minds; but have him in your loves. God wants you to have a love for Christ that is second to none. Your faith must be strong your your love for Him will not be fervent.

v. 17 “That you being rooted and grounded in love.”

Love is fully displayed in the roots of Christian character which are to to down deeply and its foundation is to be firmly laid, and love is the means by which this takes place.

TWO EXPRESSIONS USED

“Rooted”: like a living tree which lays hold on the soil, twists itself around the rocks, and cannot be upturned.

Scientist Exclaims the Wonder of a Tree's Roots Science writer Hope Jahren shares an interesting fact about plants, especially how a tiny seed starts to put down roots—the most essential thing for a plant's survival. She writes,

No risk is more terrifying than that taken by the first root. A lucky root will eventually find water, but its first job is to anchor … Once the first root is extended, the plant will never again enjoy any hope of relocating to a place less cold, less dry, less dangerous. Indeed, it will face frost, drought, and greedy jaws without any possibility of flight.

She calls taking root a big "gamble," but if the seed takes root it can go down twelve, thirty, forty meters. The results are powerful. The tree's roots can "swell and split bedrock, and move gallons of water daily for years, much more efficiently than any pump yet invented by man." If the root takes root, then the plant becomes all but indestructible: "Tear apart everything above ground—everything—and most plants can still grow rebelliously back from just one intact root. More than once. More than twice.

“Grounded”: like a building that has bas bee settled, as a whole, and will never show any cracks or flaws in the future through failures in the foundation.

Paul was aware of a danger, especially in the churches of the Greek world, of a faith that depended more on intellectual knowledge. This was the supreme weakness of Gnosticism. Paul realizes that the true knowledge of god is unattainable without Love. If there is no love the Spirit of Christ is not present, and there can be no understanding.

Note: Apart from knowing and experiencing the love of Christ it is impossible for someone to comprehend that kind of love.

This is why when a follower of Christ shows a completely selfless motivated act of love towards someone else it makes the world sit up and say hmmmmmm. I do not get that kind of love. Why would they do such a thing for someone they possibly do not even know or should not care about.

If you do not have this kind of love then Jesus weeping over Jerusalem will seem foolish and especially his death on the cross. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God.

Paul goes on to say that God has made foolish the wisdom of the world. This why when you see someone with a need your heart goes out to them and you want to show them the love of Christ.

Note: Now Paul goes to a measuring stick if such a thing is even possible to measure the love of Christ for his creation.

Height and Depth: High above; exalted; reach high; rise, go up; raise up, lift up; the depth of the open sea. (Matthew 13:5; Mk 4:5; the illustration of the sower and seed, speaking of those who had depth of soil so the seed sprang up and produced fruit. Heaven is often spoken of as being from on high, or on high.

BREADTH: Extends to all ranks and races of mankind. The love of Christ has been extended to kings on their thrones, but with equal and more frequent to the slaves in their dungeons. The extent of something to be measured side to side. You may also see the breadth of Christ’s love that it reaches to such offenses as these: - it reaches to theft, drunkenness, blasphemy, fornication, adultery, and murder. The Saviors measurement of all of this extends broader than we can even fathom. The Breadth of Christ’s love is merely surface work.

LENGTH: Even if we try to grasp his thoughts, he has thought on his people as long as he has existed. He has loved us with an everlasting love. What is the length in time frame of God’s everlasting love for you and me. This love is not only the beginning but it is without a pause button. God never changes, he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. There is no shadow of turning with the length of God. You cannot go too deep for Christ’s love to reach you. You cannot backslide so far that the length of his love will not find you.

HEIGHT AND DEPTH: Both height and depth go together in the full interpretation of the text. We have been exalted and lifted up as children of God, then heirs of God, and joint airs with Christ. We read last week that he has seated us with Christ in Heaven. You will be raise with Christ into the clouds as imperishable seed. This kind of love refers to the future completed state of our destiny. The depth has a two fold meaning, one is the depth of the open sea. The other is in (Matthew 13:5; Mark 4:5); the illustration of the sower and the seed, speaking of those who had a depth of soil so that the seed took root and sprang up and produced fruit. This is the imperishable seed that now rests secure in heaven. We read about the height and depth of this secure love in Romans 8:35

Romans 8:35 ESV

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

“When I consider the greatness of human minds have confessed themselves to be altogether lost in the contemplation, and have had to say, “O the depths! Oh the depths!” I do not wonder at all that the apostle, instead of praying for us that we might immediately enter upon the study of it, first prays that we may be gratified to learn it...”

Charles H. Spurgeon

If you want to truly attain the knowledge of the depth of Christs love you must first...

Pray that God would strengthen your spiritual powers.

You must plead that Jesus would abide in your souls

Your love must become an all consuming obsessing fire in your soul.

3. We need Identity Therapy

Who Am I?

We must all answer this question.

I am my sexual orientation

I am my mother or father

I am my kids or my job

I am my marriage

I am my possessions

I am my status in society

Christian selfhood is not defined in terms of who we are in and of ourselves. It’s defined in terms of what God does to us and the relationship he creates with us and the destiny he appoints for us. God made us who we are so we could make known who he is. Our identity is for the sake of making known his identity.”

What comes to mind when you think about yourself is one of the most important things about you. More importantly is what do you think about who you are in Christ is of greater importance.

How do you have a proper perspective of our identity with Christ? Be filled fully with the Spirit of God.

Verse 19 that we just read shows the affects of being filled with the spirit of God.

Ephesians 3:19 ESV

19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

What are the marks of being filled with the Spirit?

Joy, gratitude, humble love - to be a bold eager witness for Christ overflowing into every aspect of life.

How?

Let’s start with the closest parallel passage for what it looks like to be filled with the spirit. Ephesians 5:18 “And do not get drunk with wind.... but be filled with the spirit.”

How do you get drunk with wine? You drink allot of it. The wine in Paul’s day was weaker so it took allot of drinking for hours to get drunk.

So How do we get drunk or filled with the Holy Spirit? Drink it! Lots of it!

1 Corinthians 12:13 ESV

13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

In John 7:37-39 Jesus say’s that anyone who believes in Him ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

How can you drink the spirit?

We set our minds on the things of the spirit

Romans 8:5 ESV

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

What does setting the mind on mean?

We seek and direct our attention toward, being concerned about things that concern God.

Colossians 3:1–2 ESV

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

What are the things of the spirit? Remember in 1 Corinthians 2:14 Paul tells us that “the natural person does not accept the things of the spirit, this includes the thoughts, ways, and plans of God.

Remember in Ephesians 2:22 Paul tells us that we are being built into a dwelling place for the Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 6:19 Paul tells us “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which God has given you.”

So drinking the spirit means setting our minds on things of the Spirit. And setting our mind on the things of the Spirit means direction our eager attention to the word of God. If we do this long enough, we will get drunk with the Spirit.

In fact we will get addicted to the Spirit, instead of filling our bodies with something else to get us drunk why not become so dependent on the Spirit of God that it is the first thing we want when we wake up and the last thing we desire before we go to sleep.

The Spirit of God is a Person

The Holy Spirit is not like wine because he is a person and is free to come and go where he wills.

John 3:8 ESV

8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Therefore, Jesus said to his disciples in Luke 11:3 “if you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

If we want to be filled with the Spirit, we must pray for it. And that is just what Paul does for the Ephesians in verse 19. He asks the Father in heaven that the believers might be filled with the fullness of God.

Do you want to experience the fullness of God and your identity in Him? Here is your prescription for Therapy. Trust me this will be the best therapy session you have ever had.

Drink and Pray. Drink and Pray. Drink and Pray.

There is no limit to the Ability and power of God

verses 20-21 are set as a song or doxology to the Lord.

Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV

20 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.

Note: The problem occurs when we try and put limits on what God can and will do

Notice that God acts not as an external force but a power that is at work inside of you. It is present in every human life when Christ is indwelling his Holy Temple, us.

Note: God has already demonstrated his mighty salvation to the Ephesians and to anyone who believes, and he is able and willing to do “far more exceedingly than anything we may request or imagine in accordance with his power, which is at work inside of us.”

CONCLUSION

Fulfillment of the Covenant Promise

In the OT God expressed his covenant with his people by taking up residence in the tabernacle and later in the temple in Jerusalem. Yet after the exile from breaking the covenant with the Lord, he graciously promised to dwell in their midst again. But the promise to Israel would no longer be alone as a nation:

Zechariah 2:11 ESV

11 And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.

Paul concludes by recognizing the fulfillment of this promise articulated by Zechariah in Jesus Christ. So, he now see’s the fullness of God’s glory now with his new covenant people consisting of Jews and Gentiles as a new temple building.

Now the new covenant era in the Lord has come and dwells wherever his church is established together, even to the ends of the earth as His gospel message expands to every tongue, tribe, and nation transforming, and converting each place into a home for his spirit to fully dwell.

How is your inner being IMMERSED in the Spirit of God?

How is Christ dwelling in your Heart and OBSESSION?

How is your IDENTITY found by being filled with the Fullness of God.

God Knows Us Each by Name Within its first year, a dolphin develops a unique signature whistle which is the equivalent of its name; it uses this to identify itself to other dolphins. Adults are adept at copying the cries of other dolphins as if calling them by name. This is a fact backed up by a research study in Scotland which concluded that dolphins respond when another dolphin calls out their name.

An American research study concluded that dolphins recognize other dolphins even if they lost contact many years previously. One experiment proved that they could still remember each other’s whistle even after being apart for twenty years. Dolphins are socially complex mammals, and their social bonds with family and friends are very important.

The Bible reminds us that God calls us by name, He is intimately acquainted with each one of you beyond anything you could imagine. How well do you know your Father, do you recognize his name when he is calling you.

If not, perhaps the reason is that you are not immersed in the Spirit of God, have an obsession to Christ dwelling in you heart, and daily finding your identity in being filled with the Fullness of God.