EPHESIANS 3:14-21
Question:
Do you think most people view God as a genuine Father,
or more as a judge ready to punish every mistake? Why?
Question:
When we pray, we often ask for God’s blessings –
what do we expect as an answer to this request?
Question:
If we know that God has 100% of blessings available for us,
what percentage do we expect in response to our prayer?
Question:
What percentage do you think God wants to give us?
Question:
What could prevent us from receiving
a full measure of God’s blessings?
Question:
Do you think anyone can fully comprehend how much
God wants to bless us, and how those blessings would
impact our lives?
Today’s passage could:
– Expand our image of God as our Heavenly Father.
– Help us to see that God has resources to meet all our needs.
– Help us to realize God is eager to bless us.
EPHESIANS 3
VERSE 14.
For this reason I kneel before the Father,
Paul begins his second prayer for the Ephesians on his knees.
The usual posture for the Jews was to stand while praying.
The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself:
‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers,
evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
(Luke 18:11)
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not
even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said,
‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
(Luke 18:13)
To kneel indicated an urgency,
or exceptional degree of emotion or earnestness.
– Solomon moved from standing (1 Kings 8:22-23)
to kneeling (1 Kings 8:54) during his prayer at the
dedication of the temple.
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the
LORD in front of the whole assembly of
Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven
and said: “O LORD, God of Israel, there is
no God like you in heaven above or on earth
below—you who keep your covenant of love
with your servants who continue wholeheartedly
in your way. (1 Kings 8:22-23)
When Solomon had finished all these prayers
and supplications to the LORD, he rose from
before the altar of the LORD, where he had
been kneeling with his hands spread out toward
heaven. (1 Kings 8:54)
– Jesus knelt to pray during His agony in Gethsemane.
He withdrew about a stone’s throw
beyond them, knelt down and prayed,
(Luke 22:41)
– Stephen knelt at the time of his martyrdom.
Then he fell on his knees and cried out,
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
When he had said this, he fell asleep.
(Acts 7:60)
Question:
I wonder how many of us pray with
a similar urgency and earnestness?
Note:
Posture is important, but probably even more
important is the passion in our heart when we pray.
Note:
As we grow closer to God and experience
His love in greater degrees, we too will
want to “kneel before the Father”.
“before the Father”
– Indicated a face-to-face communication.
Question:
When we pray, do we have this type of personal
and intimate communication with our Heavenly Father?
Note:
When we take the time to reflect on the greatness
of all that God has done in Christ, we should be
moved in our heart to pray and pray earnestly.
VERSE 15.
from whom his whole family
in heaven and on earth derives its name.
Paul reminds us that God is the Father of all who believe
in Jesus Christ; believers are in God’s family and as a
result, all have access to Him.
VERSE 16.
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen
you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
Paul refers to God’s vast resources.
Question:
How many times do we limit God in our expectations,
because we fail to realize He blesses us according to
“His glorious riches” and not according to our resources?
Paul specifically prayed that God would strengthen the Ephesians.
He wanted them to be strengthened in their “inner being”.
Question:
How? Through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Question:
Why the Holy Spirit?
Because the Holy Spirit already dwells within all believers.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father
will send in my name, will teach you all things and
will remind you of everything I have said to you.
(John 14:26)
Note:
Sometimes we limit what God can do in our lives
because we focus on specific requests and not on
our spiritual and character development.
VERSE 17.
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
“dwell”
– Means to live permanently; to be at home.
Note:
When a person is saved, Christ lives
permanently in their hearts and lives.
“in your hearts through faith”
– Refers to a more active “presence”
and “control” in the lives of believers.
Question:
What are some characteristics of roots?
– Not usually seen.
– Provides plants with vital nutrients required for survival.
– Prevents plants from falling over.
– Some are shallow; some are deep.
– The growth of the plant can depend on their size.
– Some bear fruit (Example: potato).
Now we can understand why Paul wanted the
Ephesians to be rooted and established in Christ’s love.
Only through His love can we successfully
meet the spiritual and moral challenges we face.
– Jesus said onlookers will know
we are His disciples ‘by our love’.
By this all men will know that you are
my disciples, if you love one another.”
(John 13:35)
Note:
In order to display that kind of love in our actions
and attitudes, we need to receive strength through
God’s Spirit.
VERSE 18.
may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp
how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
Paul wanted the Ephesians to grow in their understanding
of Christ’s love for them. This understanding could only
come from God’s power and worshipping together
(“together with all the saints”).
God’s blessings are experienced in the fellowship of other believers;
it is important for us to be involved with other believers (in spite of
the constraints of the pandemic, our class still remains ‘in contact’
with each other).
– In times of crisis, the church family provides
extra strength, comfort, and encouragement.
– In times of joy, the church family can heighten
the celebration.
– In both instances, we experience God’s love
through our relationship with His people.
– As a result, we grow in our understanding of God’s love.
Note:
God wants to bless His people with
a love that cannot be comprehended.
Paul used four dimensions to describe the vastness of God’s love
(His love cannot be measured, but we can be amazed at its greatness).
VERSE 19.
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you
may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
We can know God’s love though our experiences.
The more we experience God’s love, the more we learn
about it. As a result, we grow closer to the Father who
loves with a love that we cannot comprehend.
The culmination of Paul’s prayer was for the Ephesians
to “be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God”.
He wanted the Ephesians to receive the most complete
presence of God possible.
Note:
Paul made reference to this concept several times in
the Book of Ephesians (1:22-23, 3:19, 4:13, 5:18).
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
him who fills everything in every way.
(Ephesians 1:22-23)
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that
you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of
God. (Ephesians 3:19)
until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge
of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the
whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13)
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
Instead, be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18)
Question:
How do we experience the fullness of God?
– We have the presence of Christ in our lives
through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
– We have God’s power living within us.
– As a result, we are challenged to
let God be in us to the fullest capacity.
– This filling does not happen automatically.
– It is not something we can accomplish in our own strength.
– We have to allow God to permeate every part
of our life, so that we become more and more like Him.
– We have to allow Him to be in control of every part
of our life until our words, thoughts, actions, and
attitudes become more like those of Jesus.
– This ‘filling’ is a spiritual maturity
that God expects of His children.
– It is a blessing that can only come from God.
– It means we can experience the
fullness of God in our life every day.
Note:
We do not have the capacity to receive all of God’s
fullness, but we can receive His fullness to the
complete capacity that we have.
Note:
A bucket cannot hold the entire ocean, but it can
be filled with all the components of the ocean water.
Question:
Are we experiencing God’s fullness in our lives?
VERSE 20.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we
ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
Paul emphasizes that God could do
more than the Ephesians could ever imagine.
– God can answer our prayers beyond what we ask, or imagine.
– His power accomplishes the requests we make
in prayer when they are in line with His purpose.
– We can confidently ask our Heavenly Father,
knowing that He is able to give us more
blessings than we might think possible.
Note:
We may need to re-evaluate what we ask of God.
Our God is a Big God who is capable of answering
big requests.
VERSE 21.
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
As Paul concluded his prayer, he glorified God. He felt
the world should see the glory of God through the church.
Note:
If His glory is to be manifested “throughout all generations”,
then it includes us, which means we have some responsibilities.
We are the ones expected to carry the message to the next generation.
Look at Psalm 78:1-8 (especially verse 4).
We will not hide them from their descendants;
we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy
deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders
he has done. (Psalm 78:4)
SUMMARY:
– God has abundant resources and wants to bless us.
– We need to gain a better understanding
of God, and His love for us, and others.
– We can all experience the fullness of God in our lives.
– We often pray for specific needs and there is nothing
wrong with that, but we should also pray for:
– A greater understanding of God.
– A deeper understanding of God’s love.
– Being filled with His Spirit and the fullness of God.
– Gaining strength through the Holy Spirit
to become more righteous and pleasing to God.
CHALLENGE:
– Pray for these things this week.
– Also praise God for His love for us
and for His ability to answer our prayers.
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