God’s Big Happy Family Ephesians 3:14-19NKJ
Dorothy in Wizard of Oz, Remember this quote, ”There’s no place like home,” And she’s right. There’s no place like home, when it is happy and healthy. A happy and healthy home is one of the best places on earth, while an unhappy and unhealthy home is one of the most miserable places. “So how can we have a happy and healthy home?”
Let’s read together Ephesians 3:14-19NKJ For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life.
God’s passion for His family is that we would all come together. As we come together, we’ll be given the riches of His glory. I believe that’s God’s-super-natural-love, and the anointing is His glory. Remember, as God’s family becomes stronger through His Spirit in our inner man. The church-His body- the bride becomes a living organism that can do anything!
Paul say’s, he bows his knees, speaking of an attitude of submission, reverence and intense passion. (Not position.)
Listen to the passion of David in Psalm 95:1-6NLT Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. 3 For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. 4 He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains. 5 The sea belongs to him, for he made it. His hands formed the dry land, too. 6 Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,
Six times in this small chapter we read the word- let us. Serving is a corporate thing, worshiping is a corporate opportunity, giving is a combine effort etc.
Paul say’s in Ephesians 3:16NLT I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.
Paul’s prayers is almost always for the spiritual warfare of others.
Listen to Philippians 1:4NLT Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy,
Spiritual power is the mark of every Christian who submits to God’s word and His Spirit.
Even though our outer, physical person becomes weaker with age, the inner Spiritual person should become stronger through the Holy Spirit, who will energize, revitalize and empower each individual as well as the whole family of God.
If fact be known, You were created for me and I’m created for you. (We’re the family of God!)
Ephesians 3:17NLT Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
The pumpkin vine is the umbilical cord for the pumpkin plant and fruit. This "life line" carries the water and nutrients the plant needs to grow and thrive, and most importantly, bear fruit in mammoth proportions.
Every believer is in-dwelt by Christ at the moment of salvation, but He is “at home,” finding comfort and satisfaction, only where hearts are cleansed of sin and filled with His Spirit.
Your roots will grow-deep-down established on the strong foundation of self-giving, serving-love for God, and for His people.
Matthew 22:37-39NLT Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
1 John 4:11-12NLT Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
Five nuggets about healthy families:
1. Healthy families need each other.
2. Healthy families work together.
“Remember the 120 in the upper room.”
3. Healthy families produce much more fruit.
Me, Brad, Dennis and Samantha played in a golf tournament. We played 4 man best ball, we scored 3 under pair after 18 holes at Fields Ferry. However, apart we would have scored 10 or 15 over pair; We need each other!
4. Healthy families multiply; Growth spells heathy.
5. Healthy families make a divine harvest as they place their seeds and fruit together. (They can move mountains together.)
A story is told of Henry Ford. One day he and his wife were driving in the country and they came across a man whose Model T had broken down. He was under the hood trying to figure out what was wrong, when Mr. Ford asked if he could take a look. And in just a few minutes, Mr. Ford had the Model T running. The owner was amazed and said, "I’m impressed with your knowledge of Model T’s, and I’m amazed that you fixed it so easily." Mr. Ford replied, "I ought to be able to fix it because I’m the one who DESIGNED it."
Dear people, that’s how it is with God and the family. God says, "I can fix it because I designed it!"
Here’s a simple word from God- "You may have a lot on you, but you have More within you; you have the family of God!”
Benediction.
