Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
Hagerstown, MD
www.mycrossway.org
View This Message at: https://mycrossway.churchcenter.com/episodes/115454
Introduction
This Easter morning, we are going to look at a powerful prayer of the Apostle Paul in our study of the Book of Ephesians. Now, I want to remind you that we are approaching this study with Paul’s thesis statement in mind from the first Chapter:
who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3)
And throughout the first 3 chapters of Ephesians, Paul has uncovered some of the greatest mysteries in all of Scripture relating to the Gospel. Coming into Chapter 3, Paul begins to share a prayer for his readers and then pauses mid-sentence with something amazing: "For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, (Ephesians 3:1-2)
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (Ephesians 3:6)
so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 3:10)
What Paul is saying is before anything else he is about to share with us, we have to have a full understanding of what the mystery of Christ really means for us. If we don’t have God’s full revelation of the gospel, nothing else is going to make sense. And you know that I haven’t held back any sentiment recently that I believe the Christian world of today, is woefully and abysmally ignorant about the resources that are available in Christ. May we dare say to ourselves that we too need to go deeper in our faith! People who say they are Christians are running around madly trying to find the solution to life’s problems when they have them resident in them the Christ. We need to understand that. And we need to apply it.
So in chapter 1, the prayer is for knowledge; in chapter 3, is that we will apply that knowledge in our lives, and chapters 4-6 are is the mystery of Christ in action within our lives. We must be aware of Christ who is living and active in our lives right now, today. So now Paul circles back around and continues with that prayer he paused at a few weeks ago.
Let’s stand and read together verses 14-21:
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14–21 ESV)
I want you to know that we are going to focus most of our time in verse 20 this morning. But to do that, we’re going to get a bit of a running start. Paul is going to give us five sequential, progressive principles that, if you are ever going to experience verse 20, -that is the power of the living and resurrected Christ in your own life- you are going to have to first understand these principles. I’m going to go over them quickly this morning and Jeff may have to clean up after me next week!
1. Inner Strength
The Christian life is never a point of being satisfied or feeling that you have arrived. You have reached your pinnacle in spiritual achievement. I have always wanted to do better and be a better Christian. Frankly most of us probably look at a verse like verse 20 and say to ourselves, “I don’t know if I’m even capable or worth of God doing exceeding abundantly beyond all I could ask or think. I would just like to have a little victory in my life. How in the world could I get to the point where I am exceeding my expectations?”
That is precisely the point where God wants you to come to in order to see Christ come alive in you. And Paul, in verse 14 says, For this reason, I am praying to God that you don’t lose heart because I am in chains and in prison. Don’t let something like this shake your faith, let it embolden you even more.” Look this world is in distress today unlike any other time in history. If we gauge our faith in the trials of this world, we will find ourselves constantly faltering. So Paul says in verse 13, that he bows his knees before the Father.
There is something in theology called the aseity of God. It is understood through the name he gave Moses. “I AM.” It means that, unlike us, God is completely self-sufficient and boundless in His ability to sustain Himself.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16)
How is that so? Because we are living daily under the name of the God Most High, who is self-sufficient in every way and sustains us with His power. There is a residency of God that lives within the believer that sustains us and strengthens the inner man. When you buy toys for your kids or grandkids oftentimes on the package it says, “Batteries not included.” Do you know what that means? It means that you get the toy, but the power to make it work is not included.
?But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. (2 Timothy 4:17)
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)
2. Christ in You
Secondly, there is Christ in you.
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:17)
Now, this isn’t talking about salvation because you already have the Holy Spirit; you already have the inner strength. What does this mean? Well, take the word “dwell,” katoikesai. It’s made up of two words: oikeo, to live in a home; and kata, down. It means to settle down in a home. The question for you today is if Christ could settle down, live in your heart and be comfortable within you as if he is at home? How do you make yourself at home? You fully and comfortably occupy where you dwell. It reflects a part of you. What begins to happen in your life is that the more intimately you walk with the Lord, the more fully his lordship extends to every part of your life.
?Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. (John 14:23)
3. Incomprehensible Love
that you, being rooted and grounded in love, (Ephesians 3:17)
Now we come to the root of his indwelling. Love. You go from inner strength to the indwelling Christ to incomprehensible love. You literally become rooted and grounded in love. This is the cause and motive of all that you do. It is why we as a church do what we do. It’s not something on the fringe. It’s not a byproduct. What controls you when Christ is at home in your heart and you are manifesting His virtue: you’ll be a person who is known for love. His love will flow through you at every point.
the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. (Jeremiah 31:3)
By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)
and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5)
One thing about love: You can’t understand it by a definition. You can only understand it by experience and the world’s definition of love is an abomination to what true godly love really is like. It’s not about physical or emotional satisfaction. And Paul is saying here, “When your life is rooted and grounded in love, you will be able to comprehend the fullness of that love of Christ which surpasses knowledge.” It’s not a love that anyone can understand, except a believer who is literally Christlike. And if you don’t have that love, then you’re nothing but a noisy gong and a clanging cymbal.
4. Comprehend God’s Mysteries
may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:18–19)
The “comprehend” is strong in the Greek: katalambano. It means “to seize, take possession of.” So when you live in the love of Christ, you literally comprehend that love in all dimensions. It doesn’t show up once in a while. It doesn’t show up for certain people, or some of the time. It doesn’t share itself with hate, bitterness, jealousy, or envy. It’s a dominant love and it’s rooted in the life of one in whom Christ is settled down and at home so that they can comprehend it in all its dimensions. And that’s the point of “breadth and length and height and depth” It is limitlessness.
The breadth of love is Jew and Gentile. It transcends all races, nations, and tongues. The length of love is from eternity to eternity. The depth of love reaches the deepest pit of sin. The height of love takes us to the very throne of heaven before the Almighty. That’s how God can take anyone, no matter what your past, where you are, how vile you are or think you might be and use them for his glory. It’s rooted in His love, not utility. You have a purpose. You are not beyond hope. God loves you and the people around you and the challenge for us is to allow Christ to dwell in us to the point that we can comprehend the mystery of God’s love in a way that we can then be an extension of that love to anyone. Your life will be marked by love, and that love will be manifest.
5. Infinite Fullness
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)
The result of all of this is godliness. Do you see this progression?
For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (Colossians 2:9–10)
This is real spirituality: You walk in the Spirit, you love like Christ, and your life becomes a reflection of godliness and Christ-likeness. What it really boils down to is a life of sanctification. You don’t become God or even a god. No. But you will manifest the characteristics of God as He is continually refining you in your life. Can you say that your faith has grown to the point where you would say there is a fullness of God in your life? You can and will one day. Stay faithful.
?not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.
And what happens is that through this progression we come to verse 20, which is just astounding: (Titus 2:10)
6. Internal Power
?Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Inner strength leads to indwelling Christ, leads to incomprehensible love, which should dominate our lives, which results in infinite fullness—and that’s godliness. And then you come to number five: internal power. (Ephesians 3:20–21)
?“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)
For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (Colossians 1:29)
?If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11)
You see, most of us live in the shallows of our faith, don’t we? But powerful, godly lives are built on these principles. They’re not built on clever ideas. You can build an empire on a clever idea. You can build a company with a clever idea. You can even run a church with clever and flashy ideas and never have the power of God. But the hard work that withstands the test of eternity is dependent on the pathway of these principles. Paul walked and lived on that path which is why he could say in Col 1:29 “that he powerfully works within me.” Why? Because it wasn’t Paul’s power; it was God and God alone.
That same power that raised Jesus from the dead turns saints into sinners, gives believers inner strength, leads us to incomprehensible love, leads us to godliness, and carries us through to eternity is right here for all of you today.
?Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13–14)
God is drawing you to Him right now. When Jesus shed his blood on the Cross it covered all your sin and His death paid the penalty for it. The power and victory in your life are displayed in all its glory at the resurrection. You can have a fresh clean start in Christ. Who could refuse such great love? Why would you want to? Asked Jesus to forgive you and be your Lord today!
A, B, C’s of Salvation
