SERMON OUTLINE:
• (1). The Prayer for Strengthening (vs 14-16)
• (2). The Result of Strengthening (vs 17)
• (3). The Reason for Strengthening (vs 18-19)
• (4). The Power for Strengthening (vs 20-21)
SERMON BODY
Ill:
• Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard used to tell a parable;
• It was the story of a community of ducks;
• Each Sunday they waddled off to duck church to hear the duck preacher.
• The duck preacher spoke eloquently of how;
• God had given the ducks wings with which to fly.
• With these wings there was nowhere the ducks could not go,
• There was no God-given task the ducks could not accomplish.
• With those wings they could soar into the presence of God himself.
• Shouts of "Amen" were quacked throughout by the duck congregation.
• At the conclusion of the service, the ducks left,
• All of them commenting on what a wonderful message they had heard;
• And each one waddled back home!
• TRANSITION: not just the acquisition of truth that counts;
• It is also the application of truth that matters.
• The apostle Paul wants these Christians in Ephesus to change;
• He wants them to become strong, to be strengthened in their faith.
• God wants them (and us) to know that they/you have strength.
• We can feel so weak in our Christian walk;
• But God wants them/you to know the strength that is accessible to you.
(1). The Prayer for Strengthening (vs 14-16)
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,”
Ill:
• There was a pastor who had a parrot.
• All the parrot would say was, “Let’s pray, let’s pray.”
• The pastor tried to teach him to say other things but to no avail.
• All the parrot would say was, “Let’s pray, let’s pray.”
• Then the pastor learned that one of his deacons also had a parrot.
• Only the deacons parrot would only ever say, “Let’s kiss. Let’s kiss.”
• So the pastor decided to invite the deacon and his parrot over to his house.
• They put the parrots into the same cage to see what would happen.
• Later on in the day the two men went to listen to the parrots:
• The deacon’s parrot continued to say, “Let’s kiss, let’s kiss.”
• And the pastor’s parrot said, “Thank you, Lord. My prayers have been answered.”
• TRANSITION: The apostle Paul returns to his prayer for these Christians,
• He mentioned it in chapter 1 verses 16-19.
• And he picks up the thread again in this section.
Question: What are the top three prayers on your prayer list right now?
• Perhaps there’s a prayer for someone’s healing.
• Maybe there’s a prayer for a friend’s salvation;
• Or a prayer for someone whose marriage is struggling.
• Too often when it comes to my own prayers,
• Most of them centre on the things I want God to do for me.
• I tend to ask God to make my life easier and to take away my problems.
• Of course, I also pray for friends and family,
• That God would provide for them and help them through their own struggles and trials.
• These kinds of prayers aren’t wrong because God wants us to cry out for his help.
• Though prayer is certainly not less than this,
• It can also be so much more.
• In these verses the Apostle Paul shared some of things on his prayer list;
• He prayed specifically for the Churches he planted and the ones he visited.
His prayer for these Christians, is that they would be:
“strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.”
• Paul prays that God would strengthen these Christians with power.
• But notice that the goal is not physical strength but spiritual strength.
• It is their inner being that is being strengthened.
• He is praying that God would making them spiritually strong.
Ill:
• When my son Arlo was smaller we used to play wrestling;
• And we would lock arms in a challenge of strength,
• I would almost let him defeat me then right at the last minute;
• Use my strength to gain the victory
• I would then tease him by saying, “Arlo you are so strong!”
• Then the punchline, “but…strong in smelling!”
• This would wind him up for another battle;
• And so the fun would continue.
• TRANSITION: He thought I was praising his physical strength;
• But I was teasing him about smelling strongly,
• In other words he wrong type of strength.
• Now the apostle Paul prays that God would strengthen these Christians with power.
• But notice that the goal is not physical strength but spiritual strength.
• It is their inner being that Paul prays that God will strengthen.
• He is praying that God would making them spiritually strong.
• (literally in Greek, the “inner man")
Note:
• Paul prays for one thing and one thing only in this prayer.
• He asks God to strengthen the Ephesians by the Holy Spirit on the inside;
• So that they can fulfil God’s will for them.
• Though this prayer has many parts and builds to a big climax,
• There is only one basic request.
• So keep that in mind as we look at these verses together.
Question: How can we be so sure that there is only one basic request?
Answer:
• The answer to that question is found in verse 13,
• You hopefully noticed last week in your studies of this book.
• Just before this prayer begins, the apostle writes:
• Verse 13:
“I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you,
which are your glory.”
• The phrase “not to be discouraged”
• Can also be translated “not to lose heart” or “not to give up.”
So many things sap our strength:
• i.e. discouraging circumstances,
• i.e. Monotonous routine,
• i.e. Physical weakness,
• i.e. Personal failure,
• i.e. Unwanted interruptions,
• i.e. Unfinished responsibilities,
• i.e. Unresolved conflicts.
Ill:
• Now any one of those things could hit us like a boxers blow,
• And knock us down to the canvas,
• But like a combination of punches,
• Often two or three of these things hit us at the same time.
• And when we are knocked to the floor, our strength has gone;
• (sad sight to see a boxer whose legs have gone after he has been hit powerfully)
• And we find it hard to get up and get back in the fight.
• TRANSITION: When you are weak, you need strength.
• And strength is the exact opposite of “losing heart”
• I know that when we feel weak, prayer can be difficult or almost impossible.
• But it is in those moments we need to pray the most,
• And so before we are tempted to throw in the towel.
• We need to take this prayer to heart!
(2). The Result of Strengthening (vs 17)
“so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,”
Ill:
• A little girl asked her mum what a ‘saint’ was.
• So her mum decided to take her to the local Anglican Church,
• So she could look at the pictures of saints in the stained glass windows.
• It was a really sunny day and the beams of light brightly shone through the windows,
• When the little girl saw this she shouted out loudly,
• “Now I know what saints are. They are people who let the light shine through!”
• TRANSITION: Good answer little girl!
• Others should see the light of Christ in the life of a Christian.
Note: Christ dwelling in us is a metaphor.
• The physical person of Jesus is not actually living inside every Christian.
• I am sure you realise that!
• When we invite Christ to take up residence in our lives (i.e. conversion)
• The Bible says he comes to indwell us by his Spirit,
• That is the Holy Spirit of God (i.e. Holy Ghost – that word means guest)
Ill:
• On the day of Pentecost when Peter preached the very first Christian sermon,
• At the end of it the people cried out, “What must we do to be saved”.
• Peter replied in Acts chapter 2 verse 38:
“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
That is how a person is saved, becomes a follower of Jesus:
• First: Repent – to turn away from the things we know are wrong in our lives.
• Second: Believe – that forgiveness is found in Jesus Christ alone.
• Third: Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
• And when we have done those three steps;
• Fourth: We should show we have trusted Christ for salvation by being baptised,
• Baptism is not essential to salvation but it is NOT an optional-extra!
• TRANSITION: This letter was written to those who had already done this,
• They have been converted, they have become followers of Jesus.
The apostle Paul uses this metaphor, this picture of Christ as the centre of our lives:
• He should be the one controlling our lives, and changing our lives.
• When we allow him to do this,
• We will experience his strengthening, his power in our lives.
Ill:
• Shortly after joining the Navy,
• A new recruit asked his officer for a pass so he could attend a wedding.
• The officer gave him the pass,
• But informed the young man he would have to be back by 7p.m. Sunday.
• The young recruit replied; "You don't understand, sir, I'm in the wedding."
• The officer shot back; "No, you don't understand, you are in the Navy!".
• TRANSITION: When we become follows of Jesus,
• Like that man we are putting our lives into the hands of someone else.
• Someone else makes the choices of where we go and what we do!
• Now in the navy you do not have any choice;
• But as followers of Jesus we can choose to obey or to do our own thing.
The apostle Paul says when we make Christ the centre of our lives:
• When we say, “Yes” to Christ.
• When we say, “Your will be done, not mine”
• It will stabilize your life,
• It causes us to grow roots and be able to withstand the storms of life.
Notice in verse 17 the two images that Paul uses to communicate this idea:
• Being rooted:
• This word picture brings to mind an agricultural image,
• You will be stabilized in your life like a strong tree rooted into the ground.
Ill:
• Trees are amazing.
• They can be battered by strong winds and those trees still stand.
• At times some trees with shallow or little roots are blown over,
• But a tree with good roots will stand tall;
• It is able to withstand any force that comes against them.
• Being grounded or established:
• This word picture brings to mind an architecture image.
• You will be like a powerful building properly established.
Ill:
• According to the San Diego website
• (https://www.sandiego.gov/fire/safety/tips/earthquake)
• About 35 earthquakes are reported every day.
• That's 12,000 to 14,000 earthquakes per year!
• Sorry to share that news if you are planning a holiday there in the summer!
• I would guess most of them are unnoticed or just tremors,
• But every so often a big one comes along.
• A friend who lived in San Diego,
• Said, He always found it humorous,
• That when an earthquake would hit and the tourists be interviewed by the media,
• They would always mention how this tall hotel building was shaking and swaying.
• The reason he found it amusing;
• Was that is how the building was purposely built,
• If the building did not sway like it was built to do, it would have collapsed.
• It was grounded and established to survive even an earthquake!
• TRANSITION:
• Built properly and being rooted properly,
• Buildings and trees are prepared to handle even the toughest external forces.
In the same way, our foundation is the love of God.
• We are rooted and grounded “in love”.
• Think back to the first three chapters of this letter,
• The apostle has painted an amazing picture of God’s love for his people.
• i.e. He chose us,
• i.e. He predestined us,
• i.e. He adopted us,
• i.e. He inherited us,
• i.e. He blessed us,
• i.e. He saved us,
• i.e. He reconciled us,
• i.e. He strengthened us.
• When you appreciate that God has done all that for you,
• It will help to give you a good foundation for life….and for death.
(3). The Reason for Strengthening (vs 18-19)
“may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God”
Question: Why do we need this strength?
Answer: The apostle Paul explains further in verse 18.
Ill:
• When we cross a busy street with small children;
• We put out our hand and say, “Hold on tight,”
• And the small child grasps your hand.
• If it is a busy road and cars are zooming by,
• They grasp it as tightly as they can.
• They know they are safe when they are holding onto you.
• TRANSITION: That is the idea behind Greek word translated here as “grasp”
• The idea of grasping and holding on to something.
• Now there is a sense in which all Christians experience the love of Christ.
• But love itself has many dimensions.
• So the apostle Paul is saying,
• “I pray that you may grow in your daily experience of the love of Jesus.”
Ill:
• When a man and woman meet and date and fall in love, their love is real and true,
• But it is not complete.
• On their wedding night, they will experience love in a deeper way,
• But there is still so much more to come.
• And as the years go by,
• Romantic love and physical sexual love;
• Will develop into a deeper and more profound type of love.
• And so a husband may truly say on his tenth or twentieth or fiftieth anniversary,
• “Darling, I love you more today than the day we got married.”
• That is more than poetry or sentiment.
• In a good marriage, that is reality!
• Next moth I will have been married to my wife for twenty-one years!
• And I will share the secret of our happy marriage!
• Once a week we go out for a nice romantic candlelit meal.
• Yes,……..She goes out on Tuesdays and I go out on Thursdays!
• TRANSITION: Ok, sorry about the joke!
• But the apostle is talking about a growing love not a static one!
• He wants us to experience the breadth and length and height and depth of God’s love.
• He even wants us to experience
• “The love of Christ that surpasses knowledge”
• Enjoy verse 19 it is great!
• It ought to excite you because he reminds us that:
• Christ’s love is immeasurable. Christ’s love is incalculable.
• The love of Christ is so vast that we cannot begin to comprehend it!
Ill:
• The early church took this description of love as a sign of the cross.
• What the apostle Paul describes by the words, “breadth and length and height and depth”
• The early church took this as a sign of the cross.
• The “breadth and length”:
• Stood for the crossbar on which the arms of Christ were nailed.
• The “height and depth”:
• Stood for the vertical piece to which his legs were nailed.
• That is an appropriate image;
• Because nowhere is the love of Christ more clearly seen than at the cross,
• Where Jesus died for us.
Quote: Dr. W. A. Criswell.
• Using John chapter 3 verse 16:
• He liked to talk about “God’s love in four dimensions”
• “For God so loved the world”:
• “Breadth” - He included you”
• “That he gave … his Son":
• “Length” - He sent Jesus to die for you”
• “Should not perish”:
• “Depth” - He reached down for you”
• “Have everlasting life”
• “Height” - He lifts you up to heaven
• TRANSITION: Christ’s love is broader than the universe,
• Longer than time, higher than hope, deeper than death.
• As we are strengthened by the Spirit on the inside,
• We will come to a new comprehension of his love for us.
(4). The Power for Strengthening (vs 20-21)
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
• The answer to this prayer is not up to us; it’s up to God!
• That is why we have this magnificent doxology that concludes this prayer
• We can’t we are weak;
• But he can because he is God Almighty!
Note:
• God is “able to do”
• Because he is not idle or inactive or dead.
• God can do “what we ask”
• Because he hears us when we pray.
• He can do “what we think”
• Because he knows what we think even before we think it.
• He can do “all we ask or think”
• Because he knows it all and can do it all.
• He can do “more than we ask or think”
• Because his plans are bigger than our plans.
• He can do “much more” than we ask or think;
• Because there is no holding back with God.
• He can do “exceedingly abundantly” beyond what we can imagine;
• Because he is the God of the of the highest quality or degree.
Ill:
• Herbert Jackson tells the story of when, as a new missionary,
• He was assigned a car that would not start without a push.
• After pondering his problem, he devised a plan.
• He went to the school near his home,
• And got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off.
• As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running.
• He used this ingenious procedure for over two years.
• Ill health forced the Jackson family to leave their post and make plans to return home;
• An new missionary came to that station.
• When Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started,
• The new man began looking under the bonnet.
• Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted,
• “Dr. Jackson, the only trouble here is this loose cable.”
• He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, turned on the ignition;
• And to Jackson’s astonishment, the engine roared to life.
• For two years needless trouble had become routine.
• The power was there all the time.
• Only a loose connection kept Jackson from putting that power to work.
• TRANSITION: This prayer of the apostle Paul;
• Is don’t let a loose connection;
• Keep you from putting God’s power to work in your life.
All too often our focus is on our problems when it ought to be on God.
• If you look at your own weakness,
• The logical conclusion will be discouragement, doubt and frustration.
• But if you focus on his unlimited power,
• You will find faith and hope in spite of your circumstances.
• Remember:
• He is able to strengthen us when we are weak.
• He is able to answer far more than we ask.
• He is able to hear the faintest cry.
• He is able to lift our burdens in the time of crisis.
• He is able to guide us when we have lost our way.
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=QcdqXoW44MT0xkbNzKZAQR9jEgbF3Gij
