LIVING A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST-02 (Ephesians 1:15-23)

EPHESIANS 1:15-23

Question:
What are some things we know
about close friends, or family members?
    – Their faults.
    – Their likes and dislikes.
    – The real person they are.
    – Their history.
    – Their true character.
    – Their hurts.
    – Their secrets.
    – What makes them happy, sad, or angry.

Question:
If someone asked you what you know about God,
what would you say?
    – He is the Creator
    – He knows the real person I am
    – He is faithful
    – He loves
    – He forgives
    – He is wise
    – He comforts
    – He is all-knowing
    – He is dependable
    – He is consistent
    – He is Holy
    – He is pure
    – He is like a guidance counselor
    – He is in control
    – He has no faults
    – His likes and dislikes

Question:
How can we benefit from knowing more about God?
    – We know how to be more like Him.
    – We know what pleases Him.
    – We have more appreciation of Him;
    – We learn how we can trust Him more.
    – We can serve Him better because we understand Him better.

Question:
What are some things people pray about on a continual basis?
    – Children              – Family                     – Health
    – Forgiveness       – Guidance                – Needs of others
    – Decisions            – Relationships        – Walk with Lord

Question:
When praying for other believers, how should we pray?
    – Good health?
    – God’s blessings?
    – Thanking God for their salvation?
      (God’s will has been accomplished in their life!)

Question:
When problems arise in a church, what would you say is missing?
    – Universal prayer by the church body?
      Example:
          A local church had a major decision to make and after
          discussing it for some time, one of the deacons said,
          “Let’s pray about it”. Sounds like the right thing to do
          doesn’t it? But the chairman responded with,
          “We don’t have time to do that right now”.

EPHESIANS 1
VERSE 15.
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith
in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

“for this reason”
    – Refers to all the blessings God has given to the believers.
      It introduces Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians to know God
      better.

Paul was inspired by their faith and he
was praying for these fellow believers.

Paul was aware of their heartfelt love for other believers.
    Question:
    What are some evidences of love for others?
        – Care for the needs of others
        – Encourage others
        – Avoid cliques
        – Pray for others
        – Fellowship with others

VERSE 16.
I have not stopped giving thanks
for you, remembering you in my prayers.

In response to their faith and love,
Paul continually gave thanks for them in his prayers.
    Note:
    As we continually thank God for the faith of others,
    He will give us an awareness of where our own faith
    needs to increase.

    Note:
    As we thank God for the love of others,
    we will become more aware of how to express love.

    Note:
    When we thank God for the faith and love of others, we will
    grow our relationship with Christ, and we will know Him better.

VERSE 17.
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom
and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Paul had a passion for the Ephesians to know God better.
    Note:
    This was also a great desire he had for himself.
        I want to know Christ and the power of his
        resurrection and the fellowship of sharing
        in his sufferings, becoming like him in his
        death, (Philippians 3:10)

    Note:
    Think about it:
    it is difficult to lead someone if we have not been there ourselves.

Paul did something about his desire:
    – He prayed for God to give the Ephesians
      the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.
      Note:
      This is one way we can pray for other believers – for
      them to have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.

Question:
How can wisdom and revelation benefit believers?
    – It creates a deeper relationship with Christ,
      which helps us to know Him better?

    Question:
    Do our daily experiences draw us
    closer to God, or take us farther away?

    Question:
    Does the content of our prayers
    show we have a desire to know Him better?

VERSES 18-19a.
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened
in order that you may know the hope to which he has called
you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

Paul continued his prayer by asking that the spiritual eyes of the
Ephesians would be opened to the knowledge God has for them.
    Note:
    The spiritual condition of many Christians is described
    in the statement,
        “You cannot use it if you don’t know you have it”.

    Note:
    Paul wanted the Ephesians to know why they were
    called by God, and to understand the knowledge
    God had for them (a knowledge of their hope,
    their inheritance, and their power).

Question:
Do you think Paul prayed for an intellectual knowledge,
or a knowledge gained through experience? Why?
    – Experience would impact their attitudes more?
      It would also result in their knowing and
      understanding God better?

Question:
Is God a God of partiality? Does He show favoritism?
    – No. We need to know that whatever power He provided
      for the Ephesians is the same power He provides for us.

Question:
What do you think this power gives us the ability to do?
    – Resist sin?
    – Rebuke Satan?
    – Lead others to Christ?
    – Use the gifts He has given us?

VERSE 19b.
That power is like the working of his mighty strength,

“power”
    – Translates a word from which we get the word “dynamite”.
      The idea is – just as dynamite is used to build roads that
      otherwise would be impossible, God’s power helps us to
      overcome seemingly impossible obstacles.

“working”
    – Translates from the word “energeian” from which we
      get the word “energy”. The Holy Spirit can energize
      us to do God’s will.

“mighty”
– A word that means “power resident in the subject”.
This power is in us, because Christ is in us.

“strength”
    – Comes from a word meaning “sufficiency”. As we get to know
      Christ better, we discover He is sufficient to meet all of our needs.

VERSE 20.
which he exerted in Christ when he raised him
from the dead and seated him at his right hand
in the heavenly realms,

“exerted”
    – Indicates Christ is the One in control; He is the One causing the
      work to be accomplished. “Exerted” is similar to the word “working”.

Look at the supernatural power that is available to Christians. It is
the same power that raised Christ from the dead. We have this same
    Question:
    What does that say to you; how does that make you feel?
        – Does it mean that we have a strong and dependable ally?

VERSE 21.
far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,
and every title that can be given, not only in the present
age but also in the one to come.

Paul reminds us that Christ has been given authority over everything.

“rule and authority, power and dominion”
    – This could be a referral to angels, or evil spirits. In Paul’s days,
      some thought that angels controlled human destiny (as many
      people do today). It’s important for us to remember that Christ’s
      power gives Him authority over all – He is in control, not the angels.

“dominion”
    – Means lordship. Christ’s lordship is over every domain now,
      and in the future. This is why we need to know Him better
      and allow Him to be Lord of our life.

Question:
What are some things
that we can overcome by knowing Him better?
    – Sin.
    – Worry.
    – Frustrations.
    – Fear of death.

VERSES 22-23.
And God placed all things under his feet and
appointed him to be head over everything for
the church, which is his body, the fullness of
  – It is the “body” of believers.

“the fullness of him who fills everything in every way”
    – This could mean that either Christ or the church is being filled.
          – If it is Christ being filled, then the church
            (as His body) is what fills and completes Him.

          – It seems more likely that the church is what is being filled.
            Spiritually and numerically, the church is being filled as
            people accept Jesus Christ as Savior, and are added to the
            church.
                – Spiritually, the church is being filled as God’s
                  people learn more about His work and grow in
                  their relationship with Him.
                      and you have been given fullness in Christ,
                      who is the head over every power and authority.
                      (Colossians 2:10)

              – As we grow closer to God and get to know Him
                better, we experience more of His fullness. Our
                capacity to be blessed is increased, because we
                have grown in our knowledge and appreciation
                of God. It’s not like we receive something new,
                we just have a greater capacity to be blessed.

SUMMARY:
– Paul thanked God for the faith
  of the Ephesians and their love for one another.

– Paul wanted the Ephesians to have a spirit of wisdom
  and understanding, so they would know God better.

– The eyes of their hearts needed
  to be opened so they would know God’s blessings.

– Paul prayed they would know their hope,
  their inheritance, and God’s power.

– God wants us to know Him better and the
  first requirement is to know Him as Savior.

– As Christians, we should strive to know Him better.

– We need to know what we have in Christ, so we can
  look forward to experiencing His power in our lives.

– As we allow the Holy Spirit to have more control in our life,
  we will learn more about God and grow in our relationship
  with Jesus.

CHALLENGE:
Encourage someone this week who has influenced
you by his or her faith and love (verbal, text, email or card).

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