Live Out Loud - Our PROVISON April 15, 2007
Ephesians 1:15-23
Recap: Last week we kicked off a new series in Ephesians entitled – Live Out Loud. The intent of this series is to help us learn how to live in the grace and power of Christ in us so we might experience the abundant life Jesus promised. To help us, God gave Ephesians to address the fundamental issues of the Christian life – God, Jesus, H.S., salvation, morality, marriage, parenting, work, and even spiritual warfare. You could say that Ephesians is Christianity in a nutshell.
Note: Last week we began our series by considering the one element necessary to experience a life out loud – you have to be saved. We discussed how our salvation was planned by the Father, purchased by the Son, and is being preserved by the H.S. We discovered that we need to know who we are, where we are, and what we have in Christ, before we can live a life out loud.
Intro: Jerry Clower tells of (4) men driving in Mississippi who entered the town of Kosciusko. One of them said, “This is Kas-ciusko.” The other said, “No, you mispronounced it. It’s Kozy-us-ko. A third one said, “You’re both wrong. It’s Kusy-asko.” They argued until they pulled into a fast food restaurant. To settle the issue they asked the teen behind the counter to help, “Ma’am, perhaps you can help us. We have a disagreement. We don’t know how to pronounce the name of this place. So slowly, would you pronounce the name of this place for us?” She gave them an odd look and said, “Daaar-eee-queen.”
Trans: If you’re a Christian, you’re in Christ, and God has a plan for you. He wants you to know that the Christian life doesn’t end at the cross, it begins there.
Note: In Eph. 1:15-23, Paul offers a prayer of encouragement in the hope that we’d GET IT! He prays that we’d grasp the reality of God’s grace made available by the cross so that it might come to life in us. Specifically, He prays that we might come to grips w/ the priority and provision of God’s abundant grace.
I The PRIORITY – Know WHOSE You Are v. 17
Text: For this reason, (planned, purchased, and preserved) ever since I heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints, I haven’t stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 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.
Trans: As a side note, if you don’t know how to pray for someone, this is a good place to start. Pray that God would give them wisdom and revelation to know Him.
A The WISDOM of God
Word: spirit of wisdom (pnema sophia) Paul prays we’ would discover the depth and reality of the power of God in us. He prays we’d have a spiritual disposition to comprehend w/ insight the true nature of our relationship w/ God.
B The REVELATION of God
Word: revelation (apocalypsis) to unveil and is often used of future events. But in this case, it’s not a reference to the future, but of what has already occurred. Paul prayed the Ephesians would grasp the reality of what already existed – Christ in you! He prayed God would unveil the mystery of salvation to them.
Note: This speaks to our IDENTITY in Christ. We need God to reveal to us who we are b/c of who He is.
Funny: A crowded flight was canceled and a single agent was rebooking a long line of frustrated travelers. Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his way to the desk, and slapping his ticket down exclaimed, "I HAVE to be on this flight and it has to be 1st CLASS." The agent replied, "I’m sorry sir, but I’ll be happy to help you when it’s your turn, but I’ve got to help these folks first." The passenger wasn’t happy, so in a loud voice he said, "Do you have any idea who I am?" W/out hesitating, the agent smiled, grabbed the P.A., and said, "May I have your attention? We have a passenger here at the gate who doesn’t know who he is. If anyone can help him find his identity, please come to the gate."
Note: One of the great problems in the Christian life that prevents us from experiencing the abundant life God promises is our misunderstanding and misappropriation of the grace and power of God.
Note: Quite frankly, most Christians live like paupers even though they have unlimited access to the abundance of God. The Bible says that in Christ we have all that we need for life and Godliness. And yet, few believers ever come to the realization of what it means to have Christ in you.
Note: Paul prayed for the Ephesians that they would be spared from frantically searching for what was already theirs and that they’d comprehend and apprehend who they were and what they possessed in Christ.
Story: William Randolph Hearst once read of an extremely valuable work of art, which he decided he must add to his extensive collection and display for all to see. He hired an agent to scour the galleries of the world to find it and to purchase it no matter the cost. After months of searching, the agent reported to Hearst that he’d found the piece. It had been sitting in one of Hearst’s warehouses for years – he already owned it and didn’t know it.
Trans: This sad reality holds true for so many professing Christians. All the power of God and everything we need for life and godliness are already in us – deposited in us by the sealing of the H.S. at the point of our salvation, and yet too many believers live in search for what they already possess.
Note: If we never realize the power of God and appropriate in into our lives, then we will be as powerless as lost people. This is the heart of Paul’s prayer; that the eyes of our hearts will be open and flooded w/ spiritual illumination that we might know and experience the greatness of God’s power and presence readily available to us through the cross by faith.
Insert: Mike Tackett and I were talking about this truth this week and he made a great comment. He said the Christian life requires that we faith it, faith it, faith it, until our lives dissolve into the heart and will of the Father. The problem is that most of us don’t know how to faith it, we’ve only learned how to fake it. We’ve learn how to be religious w/out righteousness and pious w/out purity.
Invite: If you’re you tired of FAKING it, then ask God to help you grasp WHOSE you are in Him. Also ask Him to reveal WHAT you have as a result of the Christ’s work on the cross that you might experience the GRACE walk.
II The PROVISION – Know WHAT You Have v. 18-23
Text: I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened 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. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 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. 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.
Word: heart (kardia) In our modern culture the heart is often seen as the seat of the emotions, but in ancient times, the heart was the center of knowledge and understanding; it was the seat of your mind and will.
Note: Paul prays the Ephesians would be enlightened to the full knowledge of what occurred when the resurrected Christ entered into their lives through salvation. Namely, that they received (1) the hope of His calling, (2) the riches of His inheritance, and (3) the power of His presence.
A The PROTECTION of God v. 18a
Word: hope of His calling – Paul prays the Ephesians would KNOW w/ certainty the reality and security of salvation. Our ‘hope’ is founded in the reality that God’s grace is completely sufficient to save and keep us until His return.
Note: Just as you do nothing to be physically born, you can do nothing to be spiritually born. Our salvation has been authored, extended, and is being kept by God. Our only response is surrender by faith to His grace. Yet b/c it originates w/ Him, it is His responsibility to keep us safe in His care. I am protected b/c He holds me – I don’t hold Him.
Verse: Jesus said unto them, “I give you eternal life, and you will never perish, and neither will any man pluck you out of my hand.” John 10:28
Insert: Remember the Russians dolls from last week. Jn 14:20 – I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. B/c Jesus is in the Father and I am in Jesus – I’m secure.
B The PRESENCE of God v. 18b
Word: riches of His inheritance – I believe this refers to the resources God invests in us today in preparation for the future. It is a promise of His presence – Christ in us that hope of glory – and that he’ll never leave or forsake us.
Note: Eternity and intimacy w/ God begins instantly at salvation, but they won’t be experienced in their fullness until His return. Nonetheless, God has given everything we need to experience Him today so I can be confident of this very thing that He who began a good work in me will perfect unto that day. Ph. 1:6
Note: I believe Paul’s prayer is that we grasp the future glory that is before us as a motivation to seek first His kingdom and righteousness today. It goes back to what we spoke about a few weeks ago regarding the return of Christ. When He comes, will I be found faithful and fruitful or faithless and fruitless?
Insert: A few weeks ago while visiting my parents, my mother pulled me to the side to talk w/ me about her will. She spoke of many of the things she was going to pass to me. A few years ago, she gave me two Bibles that are family heirlooms to enjoy now. While I don’t look forward to my mother’s passing, I do live w/ the anticipation of what I will inherit in the future. God has done the same for us. He gives us a taste of His eternal blessings and presence today as a means to encourage us to seek Him w/ all of our hearts until His return when we will experience Him in the splendor of His majesty – Practice His presence.
C The POWER of God v. 19-23
Trans: Paul prays we grasp the power of God that has been deposited into our lives so that we might faithfully overcome and be useful in the work of His kingdom.
Word: power (dunamis) from dynamite and dynamo. When we give our lives to Christ we receive all of God’s grace and power. God leaves nothing out – it’s all in there. Therefore, you and I don’t need more power to overcome, faith to believe, or strength to endure, I only need to decrease so that He can increase.
Note: This is critical to understand. It is not by my ability but in Christ that I can live and move and have my being. It isn’t a power I manufacture, but the dynamic power invested in us through the sealing of the H.S. And all this power became ours (actually and potentially) when we received Christ as Savior! It came into our possession through the indwelling of the H.S., but now must be translated from potential to practice through our full and regular dependence upon him.
Note: Suppose you went to Sears and purchased a new refrigerator, the top of the line. This model has all the bells and whistles and cost you a hefty $6,000. On your way home you stop at the grocery store to purchase food for your new appliance. Later, when your refrigerator is delivered and installed, and you fill it w/ all the goodies you purchased – your favorite ice cream, chocolate milk, and fresh corn on the cob and then you retire for the night. But when you come into the kitchen the next AM, you experience the shock of your life. Ice cream is all over the floor! The milk is sour, and the vegetables are changing color! It is quickly evident that your brand new, top-of-the-line refrigerator isn’t working! Angry and disgusted you call Sears to give them a piece of your “Christian mind” for selling you a dud. The salesman who sold you the refrigerator is surprised. He asks you to pull open the freezer door to see if the light comes on. You do, but no light. He asks you to put your ear to the bottom of the refrigerator to see if you hear the low hum of the motor. You do, but no hum. Finally, he asks you to look behind the refrigerator and see if the cord has been plugged in. You do so, and lo and behold the cord is lying on the floor – unplugged! You return to the phone and inform the salesman that the refrigerator is unplugged but that shouldn’t matter. You argue that for $6,000 it should work—plugged in or not! The salesman then explains a very important principle to you – refrigerators are dependent appliances. They were never made to work on their own. They’re built w/ certain specifications that can only be realized when they’ve been energized by the power of electricity. While all the necessary parts are there, they will not work until they get the necessary electrical juice to enable them to be and do what they were created to do. In this regard, Christians are like appliances. We’re dependent creatures. When we receive Christ as Savior, He gives us the requisite parts necessary for experiencing a victorious Christian life, but you will not be able to do so until you are plugged into God’s power source, the H.S. T. Evans
Note: I want you to notice the reality and source of this power. Paul tells us that we have available to us God’s resurrection and reigning power.
1 RESURRECTION Power v. 19-20
Note: Resurrection power is that power endowed to us thru the indwelling presence of the H.S. It’s the power to change lives and rescue sinners from despair and destruction. And it is right there inside of us. The same power that retrieved Christ from the grave is there today to empower us for living.
2 REIGNING Power v. 21-23
Note: After the resurrection, Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father as our high priest and king, to rule and reign over our lives. While resurrection power has been deposited w/in, God’s reigning power serves as a canopy over us.
Insert: I’ve been doing some electrical work at home in recent months. I’ve found that electricity follows a pattern of its own and takes no notice of how I feel – which can be a shocking experience! It isn’t in the slightest degree impressed w/ my calling or education. It doesn’t hesitate to retaliate for any violation of its laws I commit. It’s up to me to discover how it works, and then to respect it if I want to use it. Idea adapted from events in Ray Stedman’s life
Note: The same is true of God’s great power. It’ll remain totally indifferent and aloof from me if I don’t discover what it is, what the laws of its operation are, and how to adjust myself to those laws to receive His power. But if I do learn the “laws” of the H.S. and adapt myself to Him, I can experience His power and can be a channel through which it flows into the world.
Trans: As believers, God has given us His protection, presence, and power to guide us and employ us in the work of His kingdom. The question is whether or not we GET IT! As I have thought how to get this truth across, I thought of a simple example that I hope assists you in your understanding of our great salvation.
Insert: Let me illustrate. We’re born sinners separated from God and condemned (Speaker tied to a person in black – sin). Sin has power over us. When sin wants our attention, it jerks to tempt us to follow. When God calls to us in salvation (person in white w/ a lasso), He bids us to come to the cross for the forgiveness of sin. If we accept His offer by faith, Christ lassos our lives and cuts the rope of sin at the source setting us free from its power, pain, and propensity. Yet while I am tied to Christ and will never escape His love, God allows me to decide what I’m going to do w/ my affections (severed rope). While Christ is in me, sin is still about me calling and trying to get me to tie myself off to the things of this world. But if I am truly captured by God, the moment I begin to say yes to the world, God’s Spirit tugs on the rope of my heart to convict me of sin and to turn my attention back to Him. God doesn’t want me to be tied to this world; He set me free that I might tie myself off to Him. Paul’s prayer is that we so understand what occurred on the cross and what has transpired in the sealing of the H.S., that when I compare the call of the world to the reality of Christ, I will turn away from the world and run to tie myself to the cross. Paul says that to GET IT, means to understand that b/c God has captured me by grace, in faith I tie my affections to Christ, trusting in Him alone, rather than toying w/ the trappings of this world.
Note: Let me ask two questions: (1) Have you ever truly been captured by Christ. Have you experience His call to grace and His lasso of love that is constantly drawing you unto Him self? (2) If you have, then have you realized that in the faith transaction that God placed everything you need for life and godliness fully in you and that now, day-by-day and moment-by-moment you must surrender to His call if you are to experience an abundant Christian life?
RESOURCES
Sermons: Jeff Ward – Alive – Ephesians 1:15-23
David Dykes – Series in Ephesians
Herb Hodges – Sermon on Ephesians 1:15-23
Books: Max Anders – The Good Life
John MacArthur – Commentary on Ephesians
Curtis Vaughn – Commentary on Ephesians
