We Have God's Ear
Ephesians: Who we are in Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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Damar Hamlin
Damar Hamlin
Even if you aren’t a sports fan, I would image you have been like most of America and have been following the story of Damar Hamlin who went into cardiac arrest on the field last Monday night.
It was a disturbing and painful clip, him collapsing on the field, surrounded by medical personnel trying to revive him.
People get hurt all the time in football games, but there was just something different about this. Something more alarming and hard to watch.
The response was almost immediate online and in the media.
Twitter, Facebook, and all the social media platforms were flooded with calls to pray for Damar.
TV personalities were calling people to pray and one actually prayed during the broadcast.
I don’t watch a lot of sports talk shows anymore, but one thing you don’t see is someone praying on-air.
By no means do I wish to judge those calling for prayer on Twitter or ESPN, but there was something about Damar Hamlin collapsing on a football field that prompted many, who likely rarely give God much attention, to turn Him for help.
In moments like Monday night, we can see the natural human response when we feel out of control is to turn to the one who has ultimate control, whether .
Regardless of whether we believe in the God of the bible or the some other deity, or no deity at all, there is something in us all that longs for help when we feel out of control.
That longs for answers when we are lost or confused.
That longs for hope when things around us seem hopeless.
The glorious truth for us to ponder this morning is that we as believers in Jesus HAVE GOD’s EAR.
We are reminded over and over again in the Scriptures of our access to God through prayer, and each is a reminder to us that God is listening.
Prayer, in it’s most basic and pure form, is us acknowledging our desperate need for God.
What hinders our prayers though, is we often do not know what it is we need from God.
That’s what Paul helps us with here in Ephesians 1:15-23
15 This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. 20 He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
Paul began his letter to the Christians in Ephesus with a rich and powerful song of praise that was packed full of some really vital and beautiful truths about who God is and what He has done.
Last week Andy highlighted those verse, reminding us that we have been
Chosen and adopted by God the Father
Redeemed (or restored from our brokenness) God the Son (Jesus).
And Sealed by God the Spirit
In verse 15, Paul shift gears a bit and follows his rich and meaty song of praise with a prayer.
There is a really vital lesson for us to learn about the content of our prayers in Paul’s words.
If we were to write out all the prayers we pray in a year what would they likely consist of:
Prayers for healing for people who are sick (us included)
Prayers for safety, protection, and provision (that God would provide something).
Prayers for comfort, peace, joy, patience, relief...
These are all good things to pray for, but there is something about Paul’s prayer that seems to dig a little deeper.
Paul doesn’t pray for blessings, he just spent the first part of the letter (a huge run-on sentence) listing all the blessings of God in Christ.
He doesn’t pray for protection, provision, or peace.
No Paul’s prayer is for KNOWLEDGE.
17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.
Paul prays for us to KNOW GOD.
Paul prays for us to KNOW GOD.
The word for knowledge here is the Greek word “Ginosko” which means a “felt knowledge gained through experience.
This isn’t the kind of knowledge you get from a google search while you are watching a football game.
I randomly know that Derrick Henry, the RB for the Titans, bought a huge house in Dallas he lives in during the off-season.
I don’t know Derrick Henry, but I know things about him.
This is the kind of knowledge we gain conversations, time together, and engaging with one another.
Paul is praying for the Ephesians (and us) to know God in personal, relational way.
The same word is used in the OT for the relationship between a husband and wife.
God wants us to know Him deeply and intimately. To experience Him as He has revealed Himself in the world, but most clearly, as He has revealed Himself in the Word of God.
This is different than praying for healing or protection.
It is a prayer that God would, by any means necessary, make Himself KNOWN to us.
He is praying for God to use every moment and situation in our lives to show Himself to us.
And that we would PURSUE knowledge of God like we do a new relationship or friendship, spending time getting to know our creator.
This is a bold and dangerous prayer, but it is prayer that has really awesome consequences.
Paul goes on to list 3 consequences we will have if we know God more fully.
These promises make up the second part of His prayer.
3 Consequences of Knowing God
3 Consequences of Knowing God
By knowing God more fully, Paul prays...
That we would know real HOPE.
That we would know real HOPE.
Ephesians 1:18 (CSB)
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling,
The kind of hope Paul is praying we would know isn’t the vague and wishful longing for something that might happen.
No, he is pointing to something you are very sure about that just hasn’t happened yet,
something you look forward to with great anticipation,
and that literally reshapes your entire outlook on life.
Paul is pointed back to verse 11-14, praying that we would know the magnificence of our promised inheritance, and that it would fuel in us a hopeful longing that would keep us from getting disheartened and overwhelmed by the worries of the world.
The nature of our prayers focus our attention most often on the hope of either avoiding struggles, or getting out of them as quickly and painlessly as we can.
But Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians (and us) is that God would use our struggles, our successes, screw up, and everything else to remind us of a MUCH MUCH greater hope.
A growing hopefulness fuels a growing perseverance in our faith.
That we would know our real WORTH.
That we would know our real WORTH.
Ephesians 1:18 (CSB)
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
At first it might seem Paul is referring to the inheritance we receive as believers in Christ, which is the basis of our hope.
But notice the object of the statement…it isn’t “our inheritance” but “HIS inheritance.”
Paul is praying that we would know the “wealth” (immense value) of God’s glorious inheritance.
What, you may ask, could God, the creator all, who could speak into existence ANYTHING He wants, inherit?
Us, He gets us and He is really excited about that.
It is really important to understand that God doesn’t NEED us, He is entirely self-sufficient and in NEED of nothing.
But He WANTS us and He has proven His desire for us in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Leslie Newbigin, the 20th century British theologian and missionary, said
“To create the heavens and the earth cost God nothing. But to save us cost him his very life.” — Leslie Newbigin
Church people often struggle to believe that God finds them immensely valuable.
We know He loves us, but like the really odd cousin or the screw up uncle who you could never trust.
He loves us, but really He just tolerates us on our good days.
Paul is praying that we know and really understand that God is proud to call us His.
He chose us, redeems us, and seals us because He REALLY LOVES US!
Listen to Paul’s similar prayer in Ephesians 3.
17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
A growing knowledge of how much we are worth to God will fuel our love for Him and our desire to follow Him in obedience.
That we will know real POWER.
That we will know real POWER.
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. 20 He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—
The heart behind most of our prayers for God to heal, protect, provide, save, or set free really is for God to use His immeasurable power to do something that to us seems unlikely or even impossible.
When Damar Hamlin collapsed on the football field Monday night and the medical workers we doing everything they could to revive him, the world was faced with a situation that was beyond their ability to fix.
Damar needed God to work.
Paul’s prayer is that we would really KNOW God’s power.
We would know it in such a way that prayer wouldn’t be a last resort, but the only answer we have to most every circumstance of life.
We would know God’s power so well that we would never let pain and trials overwhelm us to the point of despair.
We would know it so well that nothing inside us or outside us would ever be able to overwhelm or enslave us.
What better example of God’s power on display than in the resurrection of Jesus.
The one who created the heavens and the earth, who became a man just like us, and suffer death like we are destined to do, and yet He defeated the very thing that is said to be our greatest enemy.
There is a story in 2 Kings 6 where Elisha is standing with his servant in Dothan and the whole city has been surrounded by the army of King of Aram.
He had made the king mad, so the king sent his army to capture and likely kill Elisha.
The servant is terrified as they are 2 against a massive army.
But Elisha tells him
16 Elisha said, “Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them.”
and then he prays
17 Then Elisha prayed, “Lord, please open his eyes and let him see.” So the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
The servant didn’t need God’s power to come, he just needed his eyes open to God’s power that was already there.
Paul’s prayer for us is that we would know the power of God like the prophet Elisha
And that we would walk confidently and victoriously in that power.
Pray for knowledge, brothers and sisters.
Knowledge of God
Knowledge of the hope we have in Him
Knowledge of the treasure we are to Him
Knowledge of the power that is ours in Him.