I Do Not Cease Praying For You (2)

(God’s Magnificent Work Through Christ)

Eph 1:15-23

In this passage, Paul is praying and thanking God for two things:

First he thanks God for the faith of the Ephesians in the lord Jesus Christ. (We discussed that in the Armenian sermon).

The second thing he is thankful is for is their love.

We read, “and your love towards all the saints.”

What is the use of faith in Christ when there is no God’s Love, agape. This faith is not static faith; this is an active faith that demonstrates God’s love.

Jesus said: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

-Warning: This is good way to examine ourselves. If our faith does not move us towards loving people, then our faith is not genuine.

James talks about a faith that is dead. Faith that does not reflects God’s love, is not faith. It is just words.

Now remember that this is an early church. They had many different kinds of people worshiping together, gentiles as well as Jews who became Christian. The early church learned to accept each other, open their homes to each other, and share their earthly goods together. Paul says he is thankful for their love towards “all the saints.” (Vs 16)

-We need to understand that Christian love should not be dependent upon the personality or character of the other person. I admit, there are people who are easier to love and there are people… we need to learn to love. And I think God allows such people to come in contact with us so that we learn to love. In all the churches I served, there have been people hard to love. Let us learn to thank God for these people and learn to love them.

Next Paul moves on in his prayer to three important requests:

1. Going deeper in the walk with our Lord. Having an intimate relationship (vs16-17)

“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him.” (vs. 16-17)

Paul experienced God’s presence in a unique way. He likes to see the church of Ephesus having the same experience.

In verses 8-9 he says, “according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ.”

Paul experienced God’s will in his life. He experienced the wisdom that God gave him through Jesus Christ. He prays so that they may grow deeper in their walk with God and know God in an intimate way. In Hebrew, to know God (Daat Elohim) means to have very strong relationship. Adam knew Eve. It is a very strong and intimate relationship. Paul desires the church to have the same relationship with God.

So we are moving from the stage asking, “Is your faith genuine?” To the stage asking, “Are you growing deeper in the journey of your faith?”

“God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom.” Notice that in this verse there is a mention of the triune God actively helping us to come closer to God. It is amazing.

The second request:

2. The calling and the inheritance (vs. 18)

“…having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” (vs. 18)

-It is very important that each Christian finds what their calling is.

-Paul prays that their eyes will be enlightened, so they can see how God called them. Called them for what, is there a plan?

There is a glorious plan waiting for each person. God has a marvelous plan for each of us.

-“The riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints” is difficult to translate. The NIV Commentary explains it this way. “Paul points to the tremendous glory that is present when God inherits the people He has set apart for Himself. The revelation of who God really is and enjoyment of Him will take place when God inherits His own people.” (NIV Commentary Ephesians p.73)

Only when our spiritual eyes are opened, we will be able to see and understand the glory of God. We will be able to fully experience Him.

-We experience God’s presence in our calling. When we serve; when we worship; when we pray; when we sing; when we give our hand to our needy brother and sister. This is a calling, call of hope.

-I mentioned that Time magazine asked Philip Yancey about his work on prayer. What shall we pray in these tough times?

Philip answers the question in focusing on God and not on ourselves. He says, “I need God’s help in taking my eyes off my own problem in order to look with compassion on the truly desperate.”

Periods of crises could take us to a very selfish stage when we focus on our problems and selves. Crisis should help us ask important questions. “How did we end up in this problem?”

One has to look at the foundations on which we constructed our lives. Crises are pushing us to make choices, cut budgets, and set priorities. Where is our foundation? On what basis do we make our choices? What is our foundation?

Yancey says, “If I place my ultimate trust in financial security or in the government’s ability to solve my problems, I will surely watch the basement flood and the walls crumble.” (Christianity Today, Jan 2009, p 80)

It is interesting that TIME magazine has an article titled: “25 People to Blame” The fifth on the list is “the American CONSUMER”. That is you and me.

Yancey quotes his friend writer who said that whenever the Bible talks about money, it tackles one of the following questions:

· How did you earn whatever you have?

· How are you going to spend it?

· What is money doing to you? (CT, Jan 2009, P 80)

We, all of us, need to ask these questions. We need to ask it in our churches as well.

Paul is praying that the eyes of the church of Ephesus will be enlightened and they will see their calling and they will remember that God is with them to continue in serving Him.

The third request (19-23)

3. The Greatness of His Power toward Us

(and I pray for)... what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Vs 19-23)

-Paul is excited. He is fired up. He writes a wonderful passage about the authority of Christ and his dominion over everything, over every power on earth, over us and over his own church. His name is far above every name that you have ever heard. He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings.

When we are in relationship with Christ, his POWER will be demonstrated in our lives. You see when we know God and we know Him personally through Christ, our lives are transformed; we are not the same any more. Remember the armor of God last week.

I like to end with a poetry written by a missionary to native Indians. Jim Elliot and his 4 friends (one of whom was the Armenian man Roger Youderian) were murdered by the hands of the Auca Indians (Ecuador).

The following poetry belongs to Jim.

One by one God took them from me,

All the things I valued most,

Till I was empty handed;

Every glittering toy was lost.

And I walked earth’s highway, grieving,

In my rags and poverty,

Till I heard His voice inviting,

“Lift your empty hands to Me!”

So I turned my hands toward heaven,

And he filled them with a store

Of His own transcendent riches,

Till they could contain no more.

And at last I comprehended

With my stupid mind and dull,

That God could not pour His riches

Into hands already full!

Amen