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SERIES -
Ephesians: Living Up
Ultimate Power – Part
Two: An Untapped Resource
Ephesians 1:17-23
Sunday,
January 27, 2008
Eph 1:17-23 - I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom
and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also
that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you
may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his
glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably
great power for us who believe. That power is like the working
of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he
raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the
heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and
dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the
present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all
things under his feet and appointed him to be head over
everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of
him who fills everything in every way.
Paul’s
Prayer for the church
Request #1 –
Spirit of wisdom and revelation (mind/intelligence)
…so
that…we may know Him (God) better
Request #2 –
Eyes of the heart (Emotions/passions)
…in
order that… 1) we may know the HOPE to which He has called us,
2) …the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, AND,
3) …His incomparably great power…
Addressed to
“saints” (it’s all made available “for us who believe”)
God is!
Hope has been provided; the inheritance has been guaranteed;
His incomparably great power is at work
WHY PRAY
A PRAYER LIKE THAT?
Without the
power of God,
►No
grace
►No
hope
►No
power
ULTIMATE
PROOF: Resurrection and Justification
Resurrection
is the great proof of the truth of the gospel to the world
Samaritan
friends of the woman at the well in John 4:
“Now we believe, and are sure, that this is the Christ, the Son
of God.”
ULTIMATE
POSITION: Exaltation.
►(Phil.
2:9-11)
He sits at the
Father's right hand in the heavenly places,
The Father
hath put all things under his feet (v. 22),
God GAVE him
(a gift for his humility) to be head over all things
He GAVE him
all power both in heaven and in earth.
ULTIMATE
PURPOSE: Sanctification
He is the head
over all things for the church;
It
was a gift to Christ,
to have a mystical body prepared for him
It
was a gift to the church,
to be provided with a head endued with so much power and
authority.
Rom 6:4 We were … buried with him through baptism into death
so that, just as Christ was raised from the
dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new
life.
ULTIMATE
PROVISION: Glorification
The
same power that supports the world supports the church;
Eph 3:16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may
strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner
being, …that you may be filled to the measure of all
the fullness of God.
The church is
said to be his fullness, for the Head and body are not severed
by anything intervening, else the body would cease to be the
body, and the Head cease to be the Head.
(from Jamieson,
Fausset, and Brown Commentary)
For the love of
Christ is so great towards the Church, that even though he fully
satisfies all with all things, yet he considers himself but a
maimed and imperfect head, unless he has the Church joined to
him as his body.(from
Geneva Notes)
ONE
SIMPLE PROBLEM: We
don’t get it! Don’t know we have it!
Court TV: Not
(just) reality ACTUALITY!
Brian McLaren,
Tony Campolo. Adventures in Missing the Point
WR Hearst
read of a valuable work of art – sent an agent to find it.
Located
it in Hearst’s warehouse
Sunglasses on my
head, keys hanging from my finger
Buy a new,
expensive refrigerator but never plug it in!
First computer
repair question, is it turned on?
“Like planting a
garden, not like flipping a switch”
“FAITH IT!” VS. “FAKE IT!”
THE POWER OF GOD IS ONLY
AVAILABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THE PURPOSE OF GOD
– Point to Jesus, extend His kingdom, reconcile…
Ephesians 3:20-21 –
Now to him…
