God's Amazing Love

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 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. 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. 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. 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. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:14–21 NLT

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 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. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

INTRODUCTION:

–21INTRODUCTION:

INTRODUCTION:

Today we come to the close of our series on love.

I- GOD’S AMAZING LOVE TRANSFORMS RELATIONSHIPS ().

Ephesians 3:14–15 NLT

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.

A- It refocuses man’s attention to a mutual supernatural object of admiration and love ().

1- Thinking about God’s amazing love produced a dramatic reaction from Paul.

a- Because of his own unworthiness ().

Ephesians 3:7–8 NLT

7 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News. 8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.

b- Because of the awesome opportunity he was given (, ).

Ephesians 3:2–3 NLT

2 assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. 3 As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me.

Ephesians 3:9 NLT

9 I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

B- It unites into one family all who love Christ ().

Ephesians 3:15 NLT

15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.

1- Uniting people from all tribes and nations into one family ()().

Ephesians 3:6 NLT

6 And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.

2- Transforming all who believe into co-heirs of God’s unfathomable riches in Christ. ()

Ephesians 3:8 NLT

8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.

a- Boldness and confidence in God’s presence.

().

Hebrews 4:14–16 NLT

14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

b- The opportunity to tell others about the Good News ().

Ephesians 3:8–10 NLT

8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. 9 I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. 10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

II- GOD’S AMAZING LOVE GIVES STRENGTH TO THE WEAK ().

Ephesians 3:16–17 NLT

16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 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.

A- It opens up the believer into a supernatural channel of strength ().

Ephesians 3:16 NLT

16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.

I- Gods amazing love transforms human relationships.

1- This supernatural channel of strength provides a limitless supply of power ().

( ἵνα δῷ ὑμῖν κατὰ τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ δυνάμει κραταιωθῆναι διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον)

ἵνα δῷ ὑμῖν κατὰ τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ δυνάμει κραταιωθῆναι διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον

B- Ensures the believer of God’s continual presence ().

Ephesians 3:17 NLT

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.

1- Christ makes his home in your heart ( κατοικῆσαι τὸν χριστὸν διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν ἐν ἀγάπῃ·)

2- The goal: The believer will grow deeply-rooted in God’s love.

A- It refocuses mans attention to a mutual supernatural object of admiration and love ().

a- This will keep you strong in the midst of the most extreme difficulty that life can throw at you.

III- God's amazing love fills the hearts and lives of those who believe in Jesus Christ ().

κατοικῆσαι τὸν χριστὸν διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν ἐν ἀγάπῃ·

III- GOD’S AMAZING lOVE FILLS THE HEARTS AND LIVES OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST ().

Word Pictures in the New Testament Ephesians 3:18

To apprehend (καταλαβεσθαι [katalabesthai]). Second aorist middle infinitive of καταλαμβανω [katalambanō], old and common verb, to lay hold of effectively (κατα- [kata-]), here with the mind, to grasp (Acts 25:25).

B- It unites into one family all who love Christ ().

Ephesians 3:18–19 NLT

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.

A- It is a love that is four dimensional ().

II- God's amazing love gives strength to the weak ().

A- It opens up the believer into a supernatural channels ().

B- Ensures the believer of his continual presence ().

III- God's amazing love fills the hearts and lives of those who believe in Jesus Christ ().

A- It is a love that is built four dimensions ().

1- Width:

a. How wide does it reach?

It reaches the entire world ().

2- Length:

a- How far will it go?

God sacrificed his own son.

3- Depth:

a- How deep will it reach?

Whoever will respond In faith to Christ.

4- Height:

a- How high will it take you?

To a radically transformed life.

To be eternal life with Christ in heaven.

B- It Is a love that is beyond human understanding ().

1- It is beyond human understanding because of its object.

a- The object of His love is man, who is in rebellion against God ().

2- It is beyond human understanding because of its motivating power.

a- No one ever understands the love of God can remain the same.

It changed Paul's life.

It changed Mary Magdalenes life.

it changed my life.

1- Width (πλατος) :

πλατος) :

a. How wide does it reach?

Conclusion:

· It reaches the entire world ().

John 3:16 NLT

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

2- Length (μηκος):

μηκος):

a- How far will it go?

· God sacrificed his own son.

3- Depth ( ὑψος):

ὑψος):

a- How deep will it reach?

· Whoever will respond In faith to Christ.

4- Height (βαθος):

βαθος):

a- How high will it take you?

· To a radically transformed life.

· To be eternal life with Christ in heaven.

B- It Is a love that is beyond human understanding ().

Ephesians 3:19 NLT

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.

1- It is beyond human understanding because of its object.

a- The object of His love is man, who is in rebellion against God ().

Colossians 1:19–22 NLT

19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. 21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

2- It is beyond human understanding because of its motivating power.

a- No one ever understands the love of God can remain the same.

· It changed Paul's life.

· It changed Mary Magdalenes life.

· it changed my life.

Conclusion:

Hymn:

“Love to tell the story”

I love to tell the story of unseen things above, Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true; It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.

Refrain

I love to tell the story; ’tis pleasant to repeat What seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet. I love to tell the story, for some have never heard The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.

I love to tell the story, for those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest. And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song, ’Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.

Refrain

I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory, To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.

I love to tell the story; more wonderful it seems Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams. I love to tell the story, it did so much for me; And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.

Refrain

I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory, To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.

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