Introduction

Friends, can we take a breath together and remember who our God is? He is the Lifter of our heads, the Steady Hand in our storms, the Shepherd who knows every scar and every sigh. Some of us walked in with tired feet and tender hearts, and the week has felt louder than our faith. But the Lord is here. He is near. He is speaking. And He is smiling over you.

Tonight we’ll take our eyes higher—to the throne where Jesus sits, not wringing His hands but ruling with nail-scarred love. Paul paints a picture so clear you can almost hear the thunder under the throne and feel the peace that flows from it. Christ is seated. The work to save is finished. The work to shape us continues. And because He is seated, we can be settled. Because He is enthroned, we can be encouraged.

Let me ask you: What if your outlook rose to where Christ sits? What if the pressure you feel had to pass under the feet of Jesus before it ever reached you? What if your life—your ordinary, errand-running, schedule-juggling life—was actually designed to operate with heaven’s help and heaven’s authority? Not swagger. Not bravado. Just quiet, confident, Christ-given authority to resist the darkness, to bless the world, to walk in freedom.

Francis Chan once said, “Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” —Francis Chan, Crazy Love

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to settle for a life that’s busy yet barren, impressive yet empty. The Father has more for His kids. He has seated His Son “far above all rule and authority,” and He has raised us up with Him. That means your position in Christ is not shaky, not secondhand, not someday—your position is secure now. Where Christ sits shapes how you stand.

So take heart: If your knees are knocking, the King is not. If your strength feels small, His strength is not. If your story feels stuck, His story is still moving with mercy.

We’ll look at three life-giving truths: Seated with Christ far above every power—this is your placement. Embrace God’s purpose for a transformed life—this is your pathway. Exercise kingdom authority over principalities—this is your practice.

God’s Word will not weigh you down; it will lift you up. It will not scold you; it will steady you. Expect encouragement. Expect clarity. Expect courage rising like the morning sun over a quiet field. The Father loves to give good gifts, and He loves to give Himself most of all.

Scripture Reading

Ephesians 1:20-23 (KJV) 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Ephesians 2:4-7 (KJV) 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Opening Prayer

Father, thank You for the Savior who sits and the Spirit who strengthens. Lift our eyes to where Christ is, far above every power. Calm our fears, quiet our minds, and kindle fresh faith. Let Your Word wash us, Your love warm us, and Your authority align us. Make our hearts soft to Your voice and our wills ready to obey. Jesus, be magnified in our thinking, our feeling, and our living. We receive Your peace, Your purpose, and Your power. In Your strong and tender name we pray, amen.

Seated with Christ far above every power

Think about where Jesus is right now. Not in a grave. Not standing in a line waiting His turn. He is at the Father’s right hand. That spot means real authority. It means the King is in place. Paul wants us to see that this matters for our day and our choices and our prayers.

The words of Ephesians stretch our view. “He raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.” That is placement with purpose. It is the center of rule. It is the place from which commands go out and blessings flow. Heaven is not a distant ceiling. It is the control room of the ages. And from there, Jesus reigns.

Paul keeps stacking terms so we do not shrink it down. “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion.” Those words cover every rank of spiritual being. They include any system, throne, or force that tries to move things on earth or in the unseen realm. He adds “every name that is named.” That covers titles, offices, labels, and reputations. Then he stretches time too. “Not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.” No era escapes His reach. No zone stands outside His command.

“Far above” is language of height. It tells us there is no ceiling above Him. It tells us the gap is vast. Think of the right hand in royal courts. It is where the trusted Son sits to share in the rule of the Father. It is where decrees are sealed. It is where enemies stop their noise. This is not a new crown given by a council of men. The Father did this act. He raised. He seated. He set. Authority flows from that act and cannot be undone by any rival. So when we pray in His name, we pray from under that banner.

“ And hath put all things under his feet.” That line carries the picture of a footstool at a throne. In the ancient world, a king placed his feet on the neck of a defeated foe. It was a public sign that the fight was settled and the enemy could no longer command the field. God has done this for His Son. “All things” sit under those feet. Not some things. Not many things. All. Demonic schemes. Cultural winds. Personal attacks. Hidden fears. None sit at eye level with Jesus. None sit above Him giving orders. Then Paul says the Father “gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” This matters. His supremacy is not distant. It is given for the good of His people. His rule serves the life and mission of the church. It means our prayers rise under a King who has the last word. It means our care for the poor, our stand for truth, our acts of mercy, carry royal backing. In hard places, we do not beg power to notice us. We stand under a Head who shares His strength. When you say yes to His will, heaven’s government is not indifferent. The Head directs the body. The Head supplies the body. The Head protects the body. Every part of your life as a believer is covered by that “to the church.”

“Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” This is strong language. The church is not a club or a hobby. It is Christ’s own body on the earth. He fills everything everywhere with His presence and power, and He chooses to show that fullness through His people. This gives weight to ordinary faithfulness. It gives weight to gathered worship and scattered witness. When we forgive, He is seen. When we sing, He is heard. When we serve, He is felt. Jesus is not lacking anything in Himself. Yet He honors His church by working through it. He pours His life into jars of clay. He makes weak people carry His message and His mercy. That is what “fulness” looks like in a city, in a family, in a workplace. His fullness pushes back empty spaces. His fullness answers lies with light. His fullness steadies leaders, comforts the wounded, and sends workers into fields ready to harvest. If you belong to Him, you carry this identity. You are not an add-on to His plan. You are part of His body, filled by the One who fills all things.

Ephesians 2 ties our story to His seat. “God, who is rich in mercy,” met us when we were dead in sins. He “quickened us together with Christ.” Then Paul piles up more “together-with” words. He “raised us up together.” He “made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” This is our shared status. This is not about escape from earth. It is about union with the risen Lord. By grace, God has moved us from death to life and from defeat to shared honor. That seat speaks of access. You can come before the Father without fear because you come in the Son. That seat speaks of perspective. You see battles from above them, not trapped inside their fog. That seat speaks of authority. You resist dark schemes in Jesus’ name with clean hands and a steady heart. That seat speaks of purpose. You live as someone already claimed, already placed, already included in the plan of God. And Paul tells us why God did this. “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Your life becomes a display case for grace. Angels look on and learn. Powers and princes watch and lose ground. People near you see hope with a name and a face. All because the Father seated the Son, and in the Son, He seated you.

Embrace God's purpose for a transformed life

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