What Wealth Looks Like Series

· This morning we considered the first of Paul’s request in Ephesians 3:14-21

1) Intense prayer seen in his posture

2) Based upon the fact of our relationship with God as His children

3) Packed with potential due to the nature of the one prayed to: RICHES of His glory.

Paul prays #1 for STRENGTH. Tonight we will look at some additional requests in this prayer that ends the first half of the book of Ephesians

Years ago there was a song that went, ‘My love is higher than the highest mountain, softer than a sigh, my love is deeper than the deepest ocean, wider than the sky, my love is brighter that the brightest star that shines every night above, and there is nothing in the world that can ever change my love’.

We would all agree that this person has a highly exaggerated expression of human love but if you change the words from My love is to God’s love is then you suddenly have a song that reflects truth instead of exaggeration.

PAUL SECOND REQUEST IS THAT OF LOVE

REQUEST #2: LOVE (17) …and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, (19) and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,..

· Three things necessary for Paul’s kind of love

1. FIRST: It is something we are to be rooted & grounded in

a. This means to be established/stabilized in the

Superior love that comes from God.

b. The world has it’s own brand of love which is very

self -centered. Paul prays that we will be

established by God’s definition of what love really is.

Two words: One is agricultural while the other is architectural. One means to get our roots solid into the soil. The other means to be stable so as to not be calapsable.

Our love is firmly rooted in our relationship with Jesus and the storms of the world cannot make our love fall apart.

c. It is one thing to be rooted and grounded in doctrine or

even in service in the church but being grounded in

God’s kind of love is an even deeper walk with God.

Parallel verse to this would be Romans 5:5 ‘the love of God has been shed abroad/poured out in hearts through the Holy Spirit’.

Thought of swabbing the decks, pouring water everywhere, or for us today ‘laying carpet’. Covers every area, ‘wall to wall’. Missing 6 inches on one side would look odd.

We are to be so rooted/grounded in love that it effects every part of our life. Every relationship, ministry, attitude, action.

SOMETHING WE ARE TO BE ROOTED AND GROUND IN

2. SECOND: Something we strive to know the extent of.

Able to comprehend what is the breadth, length, height,

depth

a. ABLE – idea of being a full strength, full capacity.

When we are spiritually at optimum place then we

begin to understand some tremendous things about

God.

b. Comprehend means more than just to know something

but it literally means to lay hold of something so as to

make it your own, to know and to feel.

To understand it to the point that it has a deep impact

upon who you are as a person.

You might tell somebody a joke and ask, ‘Do you get it?’

Louis Armstrong said about JAZZ, ‘Man, if I’ve got to explain it, you aint got it’.

We get our word for a monkey’s tail from this word.

b. Comprehend(grasp 4 things)

The Breadth of Love: wide enough to encompass all mankind

The Length of Love: long enough to last for eternity

The Heighth of Love: high enough to take us to heaven

The Depth of Love: deep enough to reach the most

despicable sinner

CAN YOU EVEN BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THAT KIND OF LOVE

AND TO MAKE IT YOUR OWN.

AND TO LOVE LIKE THAT YOURSELF.

Paul prays that you do. Imagine a church like that.

Comprehend with all the saints..

SOMETHING TO BE ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN SOMETHING TO KNOW THE FULL EXTENT OF

3. THIRD: It is something we see the fullest expression in

Jesus. (19) and to know the love of Christ which

surpasses knowledge.

a. This is actually a pretty funny statement by Paul.

He is praying that we will know what is unknowable.

The love that is in Christ is beyond human knowledge.

Lit. ‘to throw beyond’. I am playing shortstop but God’s thought keep going over the center field fence. I will never catch them, they are too far beyond my position.

b. KNOW is an intimate word like the love between a

husband and a wife. Paul prays that we will have an