Ephesians 3:14-21
John 14:15-23
THREE PROMISES OF CHRIST CONCERNING THE PRESENCE OF GOD WITHIN US:
1. CHRIST PROMISED THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WOULD DWELL IN THE BELIEVER: "He dwelleth with you, and SHALL BE IN YOU" (v. 17b).
2. CHRIST PROMISED THAT HE WOULD DWELL IN THE BELIEVER: "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I IN YOU" (v. 20).
3. CHRIST PROMISED THAT THE FATHER WOULD DWELL IN THE BELIEVER: "We will come unto him, and MAKE OUR ABODE WITH HIM" (v. 23).
PAUL DECLARES THAT WHAT JESUS PROMISED IS POSSIBLE NOW:
1. THE PRESENCE OF THE SPIRIT: "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be STRENGTHENED WITH MIGHT BY HIS SPIRIT IN THE INNER MAN" (Eph. 3:16).
2. THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST: "That CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge" (Eph. 3:17-19a).
3. THE PRESENCE OF THE FATHER: "That ye might BE FILLED WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD" (Eph. 3:19b).
Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes, "There is no more staggering statement in the whole range of Scripture than this. We are here face to face with the ultimate in experience. . . ." (The Unsearchable Riches of Christ: An Exposition of Ephesians 3, p. 278).
Paul was not satisfied with the Ephesians believers as they were. We should never be satisfied with the way we are.
1. THE PERSON WHO IS "FILLED WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD" IS A PERSON WHO IS COMPLETELY CONTROLLED BY GOD.
"BE NOT DRUNK WITH WINE, WHEREIN IS EXCESS, BUT BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT" (Eph. 5:18). Being filled with wine results in being controlled by wine. Being filled with the Spirit means being controlled by the Spirit.
To be "filled with all the fulness of God" speaks more about the QUALITY of God’s presence in us than the QUANTITY of His presence.
We could say that to be "filled with all the fulness of God" is to be EMPTIED OF SELF.
When you are "filled with all the fulness of God" you will say,
Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days—
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my silver and my gold—
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
Take my love—my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself—and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Take my will and make it Thine—
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart—it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
When you are "filled with all the fulness of God," He takes control of your MIND, HEART, and WILL. He controls your THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, and ACTIONS.
1.1 God controls our thoughts.
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Rom. 12:1-2).
1.2 God controls our feelings.
THE EXAMPLE OF STEPHEN: "[Stephen] kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, LORD, LAY NOT THIS SIN TO THEIR CHARGE. And when he had said this, he fell asleep" (Acts 7:60). In verse 55 we read that Stephen was "full of the Holy Ghost."
1.3 God controls our actions.
THE EXAMPLE OF PAUL: "And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and affliction abide me. BUT NONE OF THESE THINGS MOVE ME, NEITHER COUNT I MY LIFE DEAR UNTO MYSELF, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify of the grace of God" (Acts 20:22-24). Paul’s will was not his own; it belonged to God.
CONNECTING THE PETITIONS OF PAUL’S PRAYER
We are IN CHRIST and Christ is IN US.
"WE ARE MEMBERS OF HIS BODY, OF HIS FLESH, AND OF HIS BONES" (Eph. 5:30).
Romans 8:29 tells us that God’s purpose in our salvation is that we become "CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON." In other words, He wants us to be like Christ. What was Christ like when He lived on this earth?
Jesus proclaimed, "I CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, NOT TO DO MINE OWN WILL, BUT THE WILL OF HIM THAT SENT ME" (John 6:38).
THE SPIRIT EMPOWERED CHRIST TO DO THE FATHER’S WILL.
"IT PLEASED THE FATHER THAT IN [CHRIST] SHOULD ALL FULNESS DWELL" (Col. 1:19).
"IN [CHRIST] DWELLETH ALL THE FULNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY" (Col. 2:9).
We now begin to see the connection between the petitions of Paul’s prayer. Let’s read the prayer again replacing the word "THAT" with the words "IN ORDER THAT."
When the Holy Spirit fills us, Christ also fills us. And when Christ fills us, the Father also fills us.
WHEN WE BECOME "FILLED WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD" WE BECOME EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TO ACT LIKE CHRIST WHO ALWAYS DID THE FATHER’S WILL.
WE BECOME "FILLED WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD" WE WILL BEGIN TO THINK LIKE CHRIST THOUGHT; WE WILL BEGIN TO LOVE AS CHRIST LOVED; WE WILL BEGIN TO ACT LIKE CHRIST ACTED.
This is God’s purpose for Christians. That’s what Paul says in Ephesians 4:13: "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of THE FULNESS OF CHRIST."
2. THE PERSON WHO IS "FILLED WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD" IS A PERSON WHO IS COMPLETELY SATISFIED BY GOD.
2.1 God satisfies our longing to know Him more truly.
2.2 God satisfies our longing to love Him more deeply.
2.3 God satisfies our longing for righteousness.
2.4 God satisfies our longing for power.
Do you want this? Do you want to know what it’s like to be "filled with all the fulness of God"?
Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes,
This is Christianity! To be content with anything less that this is sinful, and dishonouring to God. Do not be content with the mere fact that you believe in Christ, that your sins are forgiven, and that you are a church member. Press on, give yourself neither rest nor peace; offer this prayer for yourself, the whole of it, and go on doing so until you know something of this blessed satisfaction and have realized something of this fulness (The Unsearchable Riches of Christ, p. 300).
"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US" (Eph. 3:20).
Don’t think only of what God can do FOR you. Think of what He can do IN you and THROUGH you! He is "ABLE TO DO EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK."
CONCLUSION
PAUL’S PRAYER IS A FORMULA FOR REVIVAL.
The world’s foremost authority on the subject of revivals and awakenings was Dr. J. Edwin Orr. In the early 1970s when Dr. Orr was presenting a series of lectures on revival at Columbia Bible College, a student approached him.
"Dr. Orr," said the student, "besides praying for revival to occur, what can I do to help bring it about?"
Without a moment’s pause, Dr. Orr glanced at the student and replied, "You can let it begin with you" (Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations & Quotes, p. 679).
Will you say, "Lord, send revival, and start with me."
Revive us again; fill each heart with Thy love.
May each soul be rekindled with fire from above.
GOD IS ABLE
Ephesians 3:20-21
Ephesians 3:14-19
During the depression there was a sheep farmer named Yates who was in danger of losing his ranch. With little money for clothes or food, his family (like many others) had to live on government subsidy.
Day after day, as he grazed his sheep over those rolling West Texas hills, he was no doubt greatly troubled about how he would pay his bills. Then a seismographic crew from an oil company came into the area and told him there might be oil on his land. They asked permission to drill a well, and he signed a lease contract.
At 1,115 feet they struck a huge oil reserve. The first well came in at 80,000 barrels a day. Many subsequent well were more than twice as large. In fact, 30 years after the discovery, a government test of one of the wells showed it still had the potential flow of 125.000 barrels of oil a day.
And Mr. Yates owned it all. The day he purchased the land he had received the oil rights. Yet, he’d been living on government relief. A multimillionaire living in poverty. The problem? He didn’t know the oil was there even though he owned it (Perfect Illustrations for Every Topic and Occasion, p. 261).
Many Christians live in spiritual poverty.
Do you think that what Paul is praying for is impossible for you?
"NOW UNTO HIM THAT IS ABLE TO DO EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US, UNTO HIM BE GLORY IN THE CHURCH BY CHRIST JESUS THROUGHOUT ALL AGES, WORLD WITHOUT END. AMEN."
1. GOD IS ABLE TO DO SOMETHING.
What a contrast between this God, the true God, and the so-called gods of the heathen! In Isaiah’s day the people of Israel had fallen away from the worship of the true God and were worshiping idols, and God gave Isaiah words for that situation. He described the idols. They are, He said, nothing but pieces of lumber carved up by the worshiper. "They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds are closed so they cannot understand" (Isa. 44:18, NIV). The Lord issues this challenge:
"Present your case," says the Lord.
"Bring forth your strong reasons," says the King of Jacob.
"Let them show the former things, what they were,
That we may consider them,
And know the latter end of them;
Or declare to us things to come.
Show the things that are to come hereafter,
That we may know that you are gods;
Yes, do good or do evil,
That we may be dismayed and see it together.
Indeed you are nothing,
And your work is nothing."
Isaiah 41:21-24, NIV
According to these verses, the proof of the true God’s existence is that He is able to do things. The idols can do nothing, not even evil.
2. GOD IS ABLE TO DO WHAT WE ASK OR IMAGINE.
The ability of God to work is not related merely to his own concerns and interests but extends to the concerns and interests of His people. This is a statement about prayer.
To be sure, we do often pray wrongly. James says, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts" (James 4:3). But for every verse that warns us about wrong prayers there are others which teach us to pray frequently and with confidence. One of the best prayer promises is found in 1 John 3:21-22: "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."
That verse is a great prayer promise. It says that (1) if we are praying with a clear conscience, that is, if we are being honest and open before God, and (2) if we are doing what God in His Word has commanded us to do, and (3) if we are seeking to please God in every possible way, then we can know that what we ask of God we will receive. We can know, to use Paul’s words, that God "is able to (and will) do . . . [what] we ASK."
He is even able to do what we don’t ask. He "is able to do . . . [what] we THINK."
3. GOD IS ABLE TO DO ALL WE ASK OR IMAGINE.
It is not a question of God being only fifty percent or even ninety-nine percent able. God "is able to do . . . ALL that we ask or think."
4. GOD IS ABLE TO DO MORE THAN WE ASK OR IMAGINE.
God was able to do more for Sarah than she thought was possible (Gen. 18:9-14).
"IS ANY THING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD?" (v.14).
"THERE IS NOTHING TOO HARD FOR THEE" (Jer. 32:17).
God was able to do more for Mary that she thought was possible (Luke 1:31-37).
"WITH GOD NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE" (v. 37).
"I KNOW THAT THOU CANST DO EVERY THING" (Job 42:2).
5. GOD IS ABLE TO DO INFINITELY MORE THAN WE ASK OR IMAGINE.
Thou art coming to a King,
Large petitions with thee bring;
For His grace and power are such,
None can ever ask too much.
When we are told that we can be "filled with all the fulness of God" we might think that this is too much to ask. But we can never ask too much!
HE WILL DO AS MUCH FOR US AND THROUGH US AS WE LET HIM IN US.
THE POWER COMES FROM HIM; THE GLORY MUST GO TO HIM.
