Dakota Community Church
November 28, 2010
Getting to Know Him - 4
Ephesians 1:15-23
15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I 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. 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far 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. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
We stay out of legalism by getting to know Him better.
What do we need to know?
1. The hope to which we are called
Ephesians 1:18
18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you…
2. The glorious inheritance
Ephesians 1:18
18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints…
We want the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we might continually be coming to know God better.
We want the eyes of our hearts to be enlightened – spiritual illumination – so that we might know the hope he has called us to which is connected to the rich glorious inheritance that exists in the saints. In Christ we have this hope, this inheritance that is ours by being in the saints.
And finally Paul wants the Ephesian believers to have revelation from the Holy Spirit concerning:
3. His great power for us who believe
You know that I am Pentecostal in background and affiliation.
I am Spirit filled and speak in tongues and have since the night of my rebirth in August 1983.
I have seen firsthand the supernatural power of God at work.
I have been healed, prayed for people who were healed, and been present in services where things that could only be described as “supernatural” happened.
I have been “slain” in the Spirit.
I have prayed for people and seen them “slain” (Rosie’s nephew)
I have seen demonic manifestation and one time actually felt the cold hand of what I believe was a demon, wrap its fingers around my neck and attempt to choke me as I prayed.
In spite of all of that I am not really comfortable with this topic.
I am skeptical most of the time – God help me.
I believe I have seen far more false supernatural activity than genuine.
I have been deceived.
I have for a time - believed and taught a false gospel – for which I have repented in many tears.
I know that God is still supernaturally working amoung us.
Michelle is in remission.
Leann heard from God and saw prayer answered immediately during Azalea’s operation.
I still struggle when dealing with this topic though – but let’s get into it anyway!
Ephesians 1:18-21
18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far 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.
Paul wants us to have spiritual eyes that see, revelation knowledge, Holy Spirit inspired understanding and wisdom concerning the power of God for us who believe.
What is that power like?
Verse 19-20
That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms…
The power of God for us is a power that takes dead things and makes them live!
The power of God for us is a power that defeat and turns it into ultimate victory.
The power we know.
(Let’s begin with an easy one)
Do you know of any dead things that the power of God has made alive?
Ephesians 2:1-3
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
Romans 1:16-17
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last…
1 Corinthians 1:18
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
You and I were dead, we heard the gospel, faith came by that hearing, we believed, we repented of our sin and we were regenerated – reborn – made alive in Christ; the power of God did all that.
I would like to say that the new birth is all that the power of God is about – I really would – that kind of a Christianity fits nicely into the box that is my comfort zone.
“Jesus said we would do greater things than He did and the new birth is that greater thing”
Nice, neat, and unscriptural!
John 14:8-12
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
Mark 16:15-18
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
James 5:14-15
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
What about in the case of “Words of knowledge” or “prophesies”?
A few months ago a person told me of a prophetic word they had heard that during the summer of 2010 a revival was about to sweep across Canada and churches including our own would be filled with people coming in weeping and asking how to be saved.
My response; “Sounds good, I hope that is right.”
I am the bad guy for not jumping up and down about that.
2 Chronicles 20:20
Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
I guess that explains a lot.
Deuteronomy 18:20
But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death."
My problem is not believing the prophets of God; my problem is that I have so rarely heard one, and that nobody deals with the false ones.
An inexact science
I keep coming back to this little passage in the book of acts.
Acts 15:1-35
1 Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 When they finished, James spoke up: “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simon[a] has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16 “‘After this I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
17 that the remnant of men may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’[b]
18 that have been known for ages.[c]
19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers
22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers. 23 With them they sent the following letter:
The apostles and elders, your brothers,
To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:
Greetings.
24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.
30 The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31 The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32 Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers. 33 After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us?
You will do well to avoid these things?
Not exactly clear cut confidence inspiring language on an issue of such major importance.
Notice where they go for direction on this decision
16 “‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,
17 that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name says the Lord, who does these things’ 18 that have been known for ages
That is from Amos 9
The need for a template
In 2 Timothy Paul gives a long discourse on the perils of false doctrine that will arise as time goes on and he wraps up with this instruction to Timothy:
2 Timothy 3:14-17
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The Bible is the standard – by it we know truth from lie, the voice of God from the the voice of the liar and his minions, and true prophets from wolves in sheep’s clothing.
PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net
