Living In The Power Of Christ (Ephesians 3:14-21) Series

Dr. Bradford Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

Hagerstown, MD

www.mycrossway.org

View This Message at: https://mycrossway.churchcenter.com/episodes/115454

Introduction

This Easter morning, we are going to look at a powerful prayer of the Apostle Paul in our study of the Book of Ephesians. Now, I want to remind you that we are approaching this study with Paul’s thesis statement in mind from the first Chapter:

who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3)

And throughout the first 3 chapters of Ephesians, Paul has uncovered some of the greatest mysteries in all of Scripture relating to the Gospel. Coming into Chapter 3, Paul begins to share a prayer for his readers and then pauses mid-sentence with something amazing: "For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, (Ephesians 3:1-2)

This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (Ephesians 3:6)

so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 3:10)

What Paul is saying is before anything else he is about to share with us, we have to have a full understanding of what the mystery of Christ really means for us. If we don’t have God’s full revelation of the gospel, nothing else is going to make sense. And you know that I haven’t held back any sentiment recently that I believe the Christian world of today, is woefully and abysmally ignorant about the resources that are available in Christ. May we dare say to ourselves that we too need to go deeper in our faith! People who say they are Christians are running around madly trying to find the solution to life’s problems when they have them resident in them the Christ. We need to understand that. And we need to apply it.

So in chapter 1, the prayer is for knowledge; in chapter 3, is that we will apply that knowledge in our lives, and chapters 4-6 are is the mystery of Christ in action within our lives. We must be aware of Christ who is living and active in our lives right now, today. So now Paul circles back around and continues with that prayer he paused at a few weeks ago.

Let’s stand and read together verses 14-21:

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. (Ephesians 3:14–21 ESV)

I want you to know that we are going to focus most of our time in verse 20 this morning. But to do that, we’re going to get a bit of a running start. Paul is going to give us five sequential, progressive principles that, if you are ever going to experience verse 20, -that is the power of the living and resurrected Christ in your own life- you are going to have to first understand these principles. I’m going to go over them quickly this morning and Jeff may have to clean up after me next week!

1. Inner Strength

The Christian life is never a point of being satisfied or feeling that you have arrived. You have reached your pinnacle in spiritual achievement. I have always wanted to do better and be a better Christian. Frankly most of us probably look at a verse like verse 20 and say to ourselves, “I don’t know if I’m even capable or worth of God doing exceeding abundantly beyond all I could ask or think. I would just like to have a little victory in my life. How in the world could I get to the point where I am exceeding my expectations?”

That is precisely the point where God wants you to come to in order to see Christ come alive in you. And Paul, in verse 14 says, For this reason, I am praying to God that you don’t lose heart because I am in chains and in prison. Don’t let something like this shake your faith, let it embolden you even more.” Look this world is in distress today unlike any other time in history. If we gauge our faith in the trials of this world, we will find ourselves constantly faltering. So Paul says in verse 13, that he bows his knees before the Father.