YOURS!
Ephesians 3:14-21
• Movie – Saving Private Ryan. It is loosely based on the story of four brothers who served during WW II. Because it was believed three of them had died in battle, a Division was sent deep into enemy lines to bring the last one home alive. It is this scene where Tom Hanks, playing Captain John Miller, catches up with Private Ryan but just before the extraction Captain Miller gets shot. Let’s listen in on his dying words to Private Ryan and then fast forward to years since….
• Seems to be Paul’s words whispering in our Gentile ears in the whole book of Ephesians
o We are abundantly free because of Christ and we cannot even imagine the depth of God’s love for us! God’s plan for us and the way he pulled it off is beyond our comprehension! We can only stand back and say WOW! (Ch 1)
o We were spiritually dead but are alive because of Christ (Ch 2). Hear 2:1-6, The Message!...
o Separation between Jew and Gentile (Elaborate…). Social class was abolished through Christ and all are on equal ground (Ch 3) - 3:1 “This is why I am in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so called” – “Don’t waste it.”
o Sacrifice of Christ – “Don’t waste it”
o Gift of Salvation – “Don’t waste it”
o Paul re his own suffering and labor for the Gentiles – “Don’t waste it.
3:14-15 “For this reason…”
When we labor, sweat, sacrifice and invest in something, we protect it at all costs. It means everything to us. Paul was beating for this work. He was misunderstood because of this work. He was receiving treatment that he was familiar with dishing out before he believed Jesus to be Messiah.
No wonder he pleads with God with soul-wrenching prayer. One writer offers that “Paul’s kneeling posture here means more than bending the knees. Rather he prostrates himself in agonizing entreaty before God for the Church.” He desperately wants the Church to know the indescribable love of God.
We must pray seriously, deeply, for the Church. The Church is God’s vehicle of life and deliverance from death. I remember years ago a Christian comedian, Mike Warnke, saying in effect “the Church is not perfect but it’s the only boat afloat. It’s all we got.” We fail to appreciate her because we’ve always had her. If authorities walked in here and closed our doors so that public worship could not happen any more, we would be devastated. WE MUST PROTECT THE CHURCH! WE MUST VALUE THE CHURCH! WE MUST GIVE ALL FOR THE CHURCH! Jesus died to birth the church and countless followers of Jesus died for the church. What are we prepared to give?
God’s love for the Church is manifested through three gifts that he gives us. These gifts are YOURS!
1. POWER
Ephesians 3:16-17a…
• First impressions
o WWF and body-slamming 250 pounds on the mat!
o Men – suggest something to our wives and they agree – now that’s power! It is short-lived but we’ll take whatever we can get! “My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding” – the husband was raving about being the head of the home. His wife says to their daughter, “He’s the head, but we’re the neck – and the neck controls where the head moves!”
This is not a brute strength or violent force. It is a strong, steady, confident strength that no circumstance can move, no other power can shake. We are bombarded with pressures and we’re faced with evil all around us. What we have to help us deal with these realities is the power of God’s presence within us – 1 John 4:4b, “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” The Message: “the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world.”
• Example: Jesus standing before his accusers. He endured the spitting, and slapping; the insults and punching; the rod on his back and the nails in his flesh yet he never opened his mouth to oppose them. That’s strength.
• Numbers of people who walk away from God and sometimes for apparently small reasons – painful yes, but to leave the church, leave God, one wonders how. Sadly it is often the result of not having that quiet, confident gift of God’s power.
• The world intimidates us into quiet submission or silent witness…
One New Year’s Day in a Tournament of Roses parade – a float sputtered and died in the middle of the street, out of gas. The whole parade was held up until a can of gas was brought to the float. The float belonged to the Standard Oil Company! Volumes of oil resources yet its truck was out of gas!
We have God’s power at our disposal but sometimes we’re just running on empty. The power of God is at hand but not drawn upon.
God’s POWER is YOURS!
2. PRESENCE
Ephesians 3:17b-19…
The gift of power is the power to fathom the depth of the love of God for the Church and to experience that love as a Church-member! When God’s love gets a hold of us so that we bathe in the experience of it, the power of His indwelling presence is then awakened! The reason we often walk in defeat is because we do not walk in confident knowledge of God’s love for us.
Lighting storm coming home from camp – the terror that gripped Janine who was only seven or eight...
I remember putting my hand back over the seat and taking her hand told her, “We’re okay honey. Everything is going to be fine.” I remember she settled down. You see, DAD said everything was fine, so everything’s fine! Only LOVE can bring such assurance.
Do you get the point?!... You see, “perfect love expels all fear” – 1 John 4:18)
(I hope I get it when I lift off on May 20th !)
• Experiencing this love we walk in the experience of knowing what it means to be filled up with God!
• Verse 17 – “dwell in your hearts” (personal)
• Verse 18 – “may have power, together with all the saints” (united experience follows)
If we could somehow capture a deeper awareness of the love of God for us that cannot be measured, explained or destroyed; if we could know how to be overwhelmed with the experience of how much God loves us, we would be inspired with new energy and life – we would live in POWER because of PRESENCE! This church would be walking in the baptism of love and no power in hell could hold us down!
When we are filled to overflowing with God’s love so that I know how much God loves ME – that love then naturally (or should I say supernaturally?) flows out into the lives of other people!
God’s PRESENCE is YOURS!
Another gift –
3. SATISFACTION
Ephesians 3:20-21…
Never satisfied
• 32” needs to be replaced with giant screen plasma
• Dial up for cable (except for ONE person in our church!)
• The compact for BMW
• More money, extended vacations, bigger trips, larger closets.
• Constant search to fill the void with everything else. Remember Ephesians 2:1-2a?....
This gift will only be ignited in us when we realize that we have everything there is worth having! SONG: “I have everything I need to make me happy….”
Realizing we have everything there is worth having, we look at it and we’re stumped with Paul’s words that God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” These words ring in our heads to mean, “Who would have thought?” Who could have imagined that the power of God to the world is expressed by loving; that living a life of love is to discover deep, satisfying fulfillment that doesn’t require debt and extravagance?!
I can’t love like that. I can’t express love the way God does. I’d like to but I can just as easily fly to the moon as love like that.
Before you listen to another lie that robs you of your deepest joy, hear the Word of God on this – “is able to do” actually means “God can do anything…” (V 20) – even the unbelievable task of bringing people to truly, deeply, sacrificially love each other though we have been marked by sin.
God’s SATISFACTION is YOURS!
Wrap
• The church is worth our lives – it’s the only boat afloat, designed by God – Jesus died to birth the church.
• Has given the Church POWER
o Unbelievable strength in the inner self
• Has given the Church PRESENCE
o Strength is nurtured by the knowledge and experience of God’s love for us
• Has given the Church SATISFACTION
o The only thing we’ll crave when we experience his fullness is more of His filling!
