Eph 3:20-21
20 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, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Theme: Verse 18
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know …His incomparably great power for us who believe.
Paul was in prison when he wrote Ephesians. Yet he wasn’t thinking about himself.
• (Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians written in prison.)
• He was concern for the believers. And he was praying for them.
Paul’s prayer was not a prayer for anything physical, or for anything material.
• He was praying for something within – something unseen – something spiritual.
• We tend to pray for things tangible – but most of the important things we need are not tangible.
• The man who committed suicide needs, not physical strength or health, but spiritual.
What we really need is not physical power – the power within.
• We need strength for the inner man – we need that faith that can move mountains.
• What is this power like?
Look at the resurrection of Jesus.
• Paul says that’s the model of the power we possess - the power that overcomes sin, death and the devil.
Very often, when we think of power, we think of something dramatic, expressive, and something that comes with a BIG BANG!
• But the resurrection power of God is almost quiet. There was little noise or any big bang.
• You don’t have any sense that it is happening, but it is happening.
We tend to look at the outward – we focus on the violent earthquake that took place (Matt 28:2), the rolling away of the stone, and the terror (or screams) of the Roman guards.
• But all these events FOLLOWED the resurrection. They were results of it, not the thing itself.
• It didn’t take the rolling of the stone, and the overpowering of the Roman guards, to allow Jesus to be resurrected.
• If you think about it, He was already resurrected when those things took place.
The power was there within the tomb, in total quietness.
• Jesus rose from where He was laying and left those grave clothes; it evaporated out of them.
• And then He passed through the great stone at the door of the tomb.
• It was later rolled away by the angel of the Lord to let the women and disciples in (Matt 28:2).
• It wasn’t rolled away to let Jesus out, but to let man in!
The power was the power to gives life! The power to restore life!
• Not the power to shake the earth (earthquake) or the power to roll the stone.
And this is the power we need – the power to face the challenges of life; to say NO to sin and the devil.
• The ability to say, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Phil 4:13)
• The faith to say, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Mark 8:33), and to say to this mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the sea,” and it will be done. (Matt 21:21)
DO YOU NEED SUCH PRAYERS? YES, I NEED!
• 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know
…His incomparably great power for us who believe.
• I’m not going to believe what the devil says. I’m not going to believe myself.
• Neither am I going to give up on life, or give up my life!
(1) BELIEVE IN HIS POWER
If He can save you, He can keep you.
If He die to give you a new life, He can surely see you through life.
You see, what I need is not more muscle, more physical strength or health.
• It’s spiritual. It’s the strength of your heart. It’s that which is within you.
Song - Ps 73:25-26
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
(2) ACT ON HIS POWER
This power has a peculiar characteristic: It only happens when you begin to act!
When you begin to exercise the gifts that God has given you, then the power begins to flow, not before.
When you take God at His word and do as He says, you see Him performing His part.
Not before. You didn’t feel this power at first.
• You didn’t just wait and wait, until you suddenly feel strong, capable or mighty. And then you move.
• In fact, when you start off, you are weak.
Paul - 2 Cor 12:9 “The Lord said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
If you feel weak, if you feel inadequate, if you feel ineffectual - this is no hindrance to God – He is more than capable of working through you to accomplish His work. It will not be hindered in any way – if you trust Him!
Many people never discover what God can do in their lives because they keep waiting to feel powerful before they act.
• No, you won’t feel powerful. Begin to reach out and act to meet the needs around, and suddenly you discover that there is unusual power at work.
• It’s like the ERP car park gantry – “I’ll wait for the bar to be lifted then I drive through.” Just drive and it will OPEN!
It’s all about FAITH. Faith in what God has said.
• …Faith in the resurrection power of God at work in your life.
• …Faith in the One who is dwelling in you, being greater than the one who is in the world.
DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT!
A pastor Ray C. Stedman once illustrated it this way – he has a power toothbrush that runs by a battery. It has an unusual characteristic. When you get the toothpaste on the toothbrush and you are ready to brush your teeth, you look around for the button to turn it on. But you don’t need a button to turn it on.
The directions instruct you to put it up to your teeth and press, and suddenly the power will be there.
He tried it for the first time, with great unbelief, but to my amazement, it worked. He put the toothbrush up and began to press against my teeth, and, suddenly, the brush began to move up and down - there was power available.
The resurrection power of God works much the same way.
• It works when you reach out to somebody. It works when you pray for some.
• It works when you exercise a gift, when comfort someone who is in trouble, or to confront someone who is taking a wrong course.
• It works when you expect it to be there.
It works by faith! That is when the power of God is available, and it is wonderful power.
It is beyond anything that earth can match.
There are Bible stories that help us understand this.
• Look at Joshua when he led the people crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land. The people of Israel were lined up, and the priests were told to go first, carrying the Ark of the Covenant. They were to walk down to the River Jordan, which was flowing in flood before them, and trust in God that something would happen by the time they got to the river. And so they did. In faith they believed that God would do what he said He would do. When the soles of their feet touched the water, the water parted, and they went through on dry ground to the other side.
• This pattern is repeated in Naaman’s healing – washing 7 times in river Jordan, the story of Peter walking on water, the giving up of 5 loaves and 2 fishes, and many others.
The power is already there, and God is waiting for you to trust.
Remember the verse later on in Ephesians that says - Eph 3:20
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…
This is the explanation. You will never find out what God can do with you until you begin to step out and take on some activity that you need power for. Then you will discover his power.
That is why Paul prays for these Ephesians.
Paul says in Phil 4:13 “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” It’s the strength of the heart.
If you’re having a spiritual problem – no physical ways or methods can heal you. You need to put your FAITH in the Word of God and ACT UPON it. If God say so, trust Him.
Eph 1:18 says this incomparably great power is at work in our lives, in those who BELIEVE.
Do you really believe? Can you put your faith in Him? Can you trust what He says?
1 John 4:4 - You dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
PRAY that we’ll understand and draw on that power.
Sometimes, we believe in our weakness MORE THAN the power of God that is at work in our lives.
• We talk about our weakness, our sickness, and our inabilities… to the extent almost glorifying them.
“I really can’t take it, it’s tough. I think I’m going to be sick. I’ll going to fail. Little hope…”
Most of the time we don’t realise it, but the more we talk about it, the more we’re glorifying the devil.
• When we share a testimony – we talking about what God has done, and giving Him the glory.
• When we dwell upon our failures and how defeated we are – we are glorifying the devil.
• “Look how powerful he is. He’s doing such a good job destroying our life, robbing us of peace and joy.”
It shows, actually our lack of faith in God’s power and His all-sufficient grace.
When Martha comes to Jesus with hopelessness, because her brother Lazarus has died (for 4 days already),
• Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” (John 11:23)
• Martha replied in the natural, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” (understandable)
• Jesus added, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)
• When Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” (11:39)
• Martha replied, “But Lord, by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days.” (BUT…)
So, did she really believe? Jesus: “Do you believe this?” Frankly NO. Martha did not.
• And we don’t too, most of the time.
• We believe in what we see more than what He says.
• We believe more in how we feel than what He says.
No wonder Paul needs to pray such a prayer.
• We need to pray such a prayer – that our eyes be open to see the HOPE and the POWER we have.
• These are spiritual truths.
• These are not physical needs or material things we are asking.
Let us grow in faith. BELIEVE and ACT ON WHAT WE BELIEVE.
