Ephesians 1_19-23 Christs Power

Secular:

Tax season…

Tax software…
Tax services…
RSP services…

Did they think we forgot?
They are trying to spur us to action by way of reminder…

Declare the motivation… tax time! and introduce their product…

There appears an obvious motivation…
Ephesians is a rich letter to the church…
And Paul gives us more than a motivation to action... he gives us the reasons…

Biblical:

Eph 1:15-23 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 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, 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, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 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. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Personal:

Power, Control, Identity….
Most of us struggle with those issues as teenagers and at some level throughout our adult life…
The means and ability to direct our own future…
A desire to find out who we are and what we want to do with our lives…
Power, Control and Identity… when aligned with the heart of God…

God as our Power
God in Control
Our Identify in Christ

Sounds great!
The alternative is rebellion and mid-life crisis and rampant selfishness… even a sense of futility…
These past weeks in Ephesians have been about understanding our God and our relationship to Him…
This is all about a true foundation…
Okay…. This letter we have been studying….

Bridge:

Saints…
Given… a letter…
Remember the nature of their great inheritance… Father, Son and Spirit in Salvation

Chosen, Redeemed, and Sealed

Then Paul prays…

For three things….
Last week… Paul’s prayer centred around…
Thanksgiving…
And Understanding of our great inheritance… the Wisdom which can only come through the Spirit and the Word

Prayer item 2 and 3 this week
Understanding the Greatness of God’s Power
Understanding the Greatness of God’s Person
And Paul gives us more than a motivation to action... he gives us the reasons…

Body:

Understanding the Greatness of God’s Power

19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,

Paul’s request… (after knowledge… knowing word) Four Synonyms to emphasize the idea of POWER… not only eyes opened

Know the Power--- like dynamite… dunamais…

Toward us…
Surpassing greatness…

Not more… presumptuous…
All we need… ever….

2. Know the power --- energeia… (working)

Spirit empowered living and ministry

3. Know the power --- kratos strength

"who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen." (1 Timothy 6:16, ESV)
Strength

Know the Power - - - ischus (might)

"Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil," (Hebrews 2:14, ESV)
Might – REREAD text
Paul’s prayer wasn’t about receiving power…
It was about acknowledging the power the have in Christ…

We don’t need more power…
To evangelize…. " For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16, ESV)

It is not our empowering… or umpf…
“because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake." (1 Thessalonians 1:5, ESV)

It is not more power to endure suffering… we have the power…. Intro to his many affliction Paul declares…" But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." (2 Corinthians 4:7, ESV)

The power is God’s we have it already!

It is not more power to do God’s will…. We already have it…"for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13, ESV)

Paul’s ministry was carried out by God’s power…"For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me." (Colossians 1:29, ESV)

This is God’s power given by God… thought he Spirit to believers…

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”" (Acts 1:8, ESV)
"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us," (Ephesians 3:20, ESV)

It is the supernatural power… working…strength… and might that God supplies to every believer and with which… toward us who believe that he worked …in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
Sometimes we doubt it…
We need to be as confident in the power of God within us as we are in our salvation…

Power to Evangelize
Strength to Suffer / Endure
Might to do the Will of God
Energy for Ministry

Understanding the Greatness of God’s Power

Understanding the Greatness of God’s Person

21 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. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

The first request… was understanding their inheritance… knowledge of the Word
The second request… know the power of God
The third request… know the person of God
When Timothy was challenged…

Paul didn’t say it’s going to be okay…. Everybody is going to like you… it will get easier… He bolstered Timothy with this…"Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." (2 Timothy 2:8-10, ESV)

Remember the God you serve, your inheritance and power… that indwells you!
Perspective…

We all will get sick… suffer emotionally… struggle in ministry….
We need perspective
We will all feel good about ourselves… have emotional highs… have ministry success….
We need perspective

That is Paul’s prayer…
Our focus needs to be on God’s glory… his purity… his greatness… his holiness… and power..
"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)
We need to focus… to stay focused…

far above all rule and authority and power and dominion
above all

rule, authority, power, dominion

We will war with this world and with the prince of this world!!
"putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him." (Hebrews 2:8, ESV)
God ruled before creation… God rules now… God rules forevermore
and gave [Christ] as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Christ is our head…
God incarnate…
That powerful God is our head…
We are his body…"so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 3:10, ESV)

The incomparable Jesus Christ is made known through…. US!
God has a great plan for every believer. He brings it about with His great power and dwells within us to bring it to fulfillment. No wonder Paul said, "We are more than conquerors [Gk., hupernike, "super conquerors"]" (Rom. 8:37)! He also said, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph. 6:12). To combat those forces we need to "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might; put on the whole armor of God" (vv. 10-11). God's power is available to us.
The sixteenth-century French reformer John Calvin said about Ephesians 1:22-23, "This is the highest honor of the Church, that, until He is united to us, the Son of God reckons Himself in some measure imperfect. What consolation it is for us to learn, that, not until we are in His presence, does He possess all His parts, or does He wish to be regarded as complete!" . The incomparable Christ is incomplete until the church, which is His body, is complete. Paul prayed that we might understand these great truths--and that's my prayer for you.

Eph 1:15-23 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 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, 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, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 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. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.