Fill 'er Up: A Praying Community Series

FILL ‘ER UP:

A PRAYING COMMUNITY

Ephesians 3.14-21

S: Community

C: A Praying Community

Th: Building Up in Love; Doing Our Work

Pr: WE SHOULD PRAY FOR OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH.

?: How?

KW: Requests

TS: We will find in our study of Ephesians 3.14-21 three requests we should be making in order to grow our spiritual self.

Type: Propositional

The ____ request is for…

I. POWER (16)

II. LOVE (17-19)

III. FULLNESS (19)

PA: How is the change to be observed?

• Pray together.

• Give our Lord the praise that is due Him.

• Pray with purpose.

Version: ESV

RMBC 17 September 06 AM

INTRODUCTION:

ILL Ask

What would you ask for if you found a genie-in-a-bottle and were granted three wishes that were bound to come true? If you could have three wishes fulfilled, what would you ask for?

Have you heard the story of a young man who found a genie-in-a-bottle? He is walking down the beach and comes across an old bottle. He picks it up, pulls out the cork and out pops a genie.

The genie says, "Thank you for freeing me from the bottle. In return I will grant you three wishes."

The man says, "Great! I always dreamed of this and I know exactly what I want. First, I want one billion dollars in a Swiss bank account." Poof! There is a flash of light and a piece of paper appears in his hand with account numbers.

He continues, "Next, I want a brand new red Ferrari right here." Poof! There is a flash of light and a bright red brand-new Ferrari appears right next to him.

He continues, "Finally, I want to be irresistible to women." Poof! There is a flash of light and he turns into a box of chocolates.

Well…

We need to be careful for what we ask for…

…don’t we?

TRANSITION:

1. The purpose of our discipleship emphasis is to become more deliberate followers of Jesus.

The word “deliberate” has been a theme with me because I believe in our theme for the year, that we are “a people with purpose.”

In fact, our purpose is so great and so wonderful, that it demands that we live intentionally.

We have been called to follow Jesus.

We have been called to follow the Lord and Savior of the world.

This is big.

This is great.

And it is what we hold in common as we meet together today.

Two weeks ago, we studied Ephesians 1, and there…

2. We (have) discovered that we are a community that God has called together.

In the context of God’s blessing and goodness, we have been called out of the world and its system to reflect the glory of God.

We are a called community.

We have heard that call, and answered it.

That is why we are here this morning.

Last week, as we studied the 2nd chapter of Ephesians…

3. We (have also) discovered that God has changed us and we have become a transformed community.

This transformation did not take place because of our effort.

No.

The change has come because of God, and His grace.

(8) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (9) not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

But that is not the end.

Change keeps coming.

God does His good work in us so that we will follow Him in doing good works…

(10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

This week, our study brings us to the third chapter of Ephesians, and we discover that…

4. We are also to be a community that prays.

We are to be a praying community.

Prayer is an essential for us.

We will not be firing on all our spiritual cylinders if we are not praying.

So, in order to grow and be moving, Randall needs to be a praying community.

This year has been a real learning year for me when it comes to prayer.

As I testified to at the beginning of the year, God has done some pretty profound things in my heart that have continued through the calendar year.

Some bring great joy.

Other matters bring humility, even to the point of humiliation.

Nevertheless, I keep praying.

I have spent more time in prayer during this past year, than in any of my 25 years in ministry.

And I have come to these conclusions.

I am still learning how to pray, and…

I still don’t understand prayer very well.

Maybe you join me in those conclusions.

In spite of that, I keep praying.

In our Western culture, we pay billions of dollars for weight control programs, botox injections, personal trainers and fitness machines, and clothes cut in the latest style.