Praying For Riches
Text: Ephesians 1:15 – 23
By: Ken McKinley
(Read Text)
Have you ever met someone who seems to always be trying to get something better or achieve more, and never realizing that what they already have is more than enough? There is a poem that sort of sums this kind of person up. It’s titled, “Smart” and I want to read it to you quickly.
My dad gave me one dollar –‘cause I’m his smartest son,
And I swapped it for two shiny quarters – ‘cause two is more than one!
And then I took the quarters – and traded them to Lou
For three dimes – I guess he didn’t know – That three is more than two!
Just then, along came old blind Bates – And just ‘cause he can’t see
He gave me four nickels for my three dimes – And four is more than three!
And I took the nickels to Hiram Coombs – Down at the seed-feed store,
And the fool gave me five pennies for them – And five is more than four!
Then I went and showed my dad – And he got red in the cheeks
And closed his eyes and shook his head – Too proud of me to speak!
That boy in the poem can be like a lot of people, never realizing that what he had at first was more valuable. It seems like today a lot of people only want more and more, and don’t stop to take a look at the riches that they already have.
In the passages just before our text Paul had just explained the wonderful riches we have in Christ, and then he says that he prays for us. He prays that we would know just how rich we really are; so that we won’t waste the wealth that we have as believers on the insignificant toys we think will make us happy.
Notice how Paul begins this paragraph of his letter to the Ephesians. In the NKJV it says, “Therefore…” The NIV translates it as “For this reason…” In other words Paul is saying, all of those things I’ve just told you in verses 3 – 14 are the reason I do not cease to give thanks for you and pray for you. Now remember what Paul has said in those verses? He said God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ, He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world so that we should be holy, He’s predestined us to the adoption, according to His will. He’s made us accepted in the beloved, He’s redeemed us and forgiven us according to the riches of His grace. He’s made known to us the mystery of His will, and sealed us with the Holy Spirit until the redemption of our bodies. It’s for these things that Paul gives thanks and prays. And we can take from that great comfort, knowing that because God is at work, we can pray with confidence.
So that’s what Paul does; he prays that we who are in Christ would be made aware of our riches in Him.
Now you might say, “Wait a minute Kenny. I am not rich. I can barely pay attention, let alone my bills.” But physical riches are not exactly what Paul is referring to here (despite what you might hear on TBN). That’s why he prays for revelation and wisdom for believers for knowledge of the Lord. So what Paul is doing is praying that believers would have a firm understanding of what he’s already said in the previous verses.
We need this, especially today. We need wisdom to know how to live out our victory in Christ Jesus.
So Paul is praying that Christians would have insight in regards to their relationship with Christ. The great Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu said, “Know yourself and know your enemy and you will have victory in every battle.” But the Bible teaches that if we know Christ we will have victory. I think that one of our great problems in the church today is that we spend so much time getting knowledge of self, rather than knowing Christ and we end up stunted in our spiritual growth. Paul is praying that we would know the Lord better, and by doing so we would know the hope, the riches, the power and the privileges that God has for us. Jesus tells us in the Gospels that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. The mind is part of it. Christians should be thinkers. If you look at the church in ages past, Christians were some of the most brilliant people around. Men like Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, the list goes on and on. But today many are more concerned with being entertained. Pastors are more concerned with creating an emotional feeling than they are with providing understanding of God and His will. That’s why for so long many Christians were unable to defend the faith against attacks like the lie of evolution, or why there is evil in the world. And the blame for this rests on all of us; on pastors for not equipping the saints for the work of ministry, and for laypeople for not demanding more from their pastors.
So Paul prays that we would have knowledge, but not just knowing historical facts and figures, but that we would have deep, intimate knowledge, that we would passionately relate to the One who has saved us, that we would not only know about God, but that we would know Him on an intimate, personal level.
Paul goes on to pray that the eyes of our understanding would be enlightened, so that we could know the hope of His calling and the riches of the glory of His inheritance is. Today it seems like hope evades many people. Our President was elected by promising hope to the masses. But our word “hope” today is more like wishful thinking. I hope I win the lottery, or I hope I get the promotion. Today; that word “hope” has no substance.
But for Paul; the word “hope” was something that was certain to happen, it just hadn’t happened yet. The certainty of it happening rested on the character of God, not on some sort of human optimism. Paul was praying that our understanding would be enlightened so that we could know with certainty that we have been called to the inheritance of the saints. You see; God’s calling is not just a longing for eternity, but it’s a firm basis that we can stand on and rest on, because it’s not based on us or anything we do. No; it’s based on the unchanging character of God. It’s not being optimistic without a reason to be, its saying I know where I’m going, I know there is a purpose for everything, I know that I am being made perfect, and someday I will stand in His presence perfected by Him. It’s saying, “I can have joy when things don’t go my way. I can have peace that passes all understanding. I can be content in all things, because God is at work in His creation and in my life.”
That is being rich.
We don’t have to search for something that we already have.
If I had two pieces of paper in my hands, a $100 bill in my right hand and a piece of notebook paper with the words “100 dollars” written on it, and I said I was going to give you one of these pieces of paper, which one would you choose? The right hand! But why? Both are made of paper, both have the words 100 dollars written on them. But still you would take the piece of paper in my right hand. It’s because this Federal Reserve Note is deemed worthy by the United States Government. Not because the paper it is printed on is any more valuable than the notebook paper. It’s worth more because the federal government says it is. Well in the same way, your wealth, your riches, are determined by the inheritance God has for you. You are worth what God says you are worth. And how much is that? Well you are so valuable that He gave His only begotten Son in order to purchase you. You are so valuable that He has sealed you with the Holy Spirit in order to secure you until He brings you to Himself. Your worth is not determined by what you are, or what you do. You are valuable because you are in Christ Jesus, and He… He is infinitely worthy. He is infinitely valuable.
Let me give you another illustration: Say you found a rock outside. The rock is worthless, but then lets say that you encased the rock in pure gold, or platinum… suddenly the rock becomes very valuable. If you’re a Christian you have been encased in Christ.
Paul also prays that we would know the exceeding greatness of His power. The Greek words are hyperballo, megathos, dynamis, today we would say that God’s power is like “hyper-mega-dynamite.” It’s the same kind of power that raised Jesus from the dead. Paul wants us to know that we are secure because a power outside of ourselves is working towards that end. He wants us to know that we don’t have to face life in our own strength. We are strengthened by an unlimited power source. And for those who believe; Paul is saying that the same power that conquered death, is the power that can change your life forever. It’s the power that takes people who are selfish and sinful and turns them into people who love God and want to serve Him and others. It’s the power that tells us that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. It’s the power that tells us that brings the dead to life, and gives life to those who are spiritually dead in trespasses and sin.
And we know this because Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. That means that the work that Jesus came to do is forever finished. That’s exactly what He said when He hung on the cross. “It is finished!” There’s nothing more to be added to secure our salvation. The work is done and now the Lord is in His proper place, ruling and reigning over all things.
I’ll close with this:
Does the resurrection of Jesus form the basis from which you live your Christian life? Does knowing that He is seated at the right hand of God in heaven… on His throne, ruling the universe make a difference in your life?
Does it make a difference to you that you are part of the Body of Christ and that He is the head… the supreme authority, and the One to whom we will all give an account?
Or are you like the “smart son,” exchanging the riches and benefits of Christ for the pennies that this world has to offer?
INVITAITON AND PRAYER
Communion Service to follow
