Sermon Tone Analysis

The Foundation for the Community

 

! Eph.

3: 14 – 4: 3

Introduction:

A woman who had been a *staunch church member* for years was asked, “Tell me, just what do you believe?”

She replied, “I believe what my church believes.”

“But what does your church believe?” came the question.

“My church believe what I believe.”

The inquirer then asked, “Since you believe what your church believes, and your church believes what you believe, what do you and your church believe?”

She quickly answered, “We both believe the same thing.”

It is *essential* to know what we believe to be a community what God intended to be.

Our belief greatly *influences* our life and the life of community.

Sometime ago I *brought* a message that the doxology is the *key* to victorious life.

Today’s message is a sequel to that message.

What is the life of doxology in practical life?

*Paul gives us the key to the life of doxology in his prayers!

*

Please turn your Bible to Eph. 3:14 – 4: 3   This section is the prayer of Paul as he *concludes* first 3 chapters.

Paul prays *twice* in this Epistle.

The first prayer is in *1:16** – 19*.

There he *acknowledges* the works of the Trinity.

God three in One *worked* together for the one purpose.

To the praise of His glory (vss.

3-6, 9,10-12, 13-14).

*Filled* with the *greatness* of God, he prays that people would see the same things Paul was seeing.

So First prayer was the *result* of *heavenward* look.

Here Paul is *overwhelmed* with God’s grace and knowledge of Him and seeing the great work of *reconciliation* God has done especially between the *Jews* and *Gentiles*.

In chapter 2, the scene changes to *earthward* look that God has *reconciled* two groups *destroying* the dividing wall and *established* the peace between God and man and between men. 

*2:1, 2 say, *

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”

*But* this is the BIG BUT, verse 4, 5, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

So that now we, both Jews and Gentiles, can *communicate* with the Father.

*2:18* says, “For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

And this is the *mystery* that Paul is talking about in *3: **4 – 6**,*

“In reading this, then, you will be able to *understand* my insight into the mystery of Christ,  5 which was not *made* *known* to men in other generations as it has now been *revealed* by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.

6 This *mystery* is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of *one* *body*, and sharers *together* in the promise in Christ Jesus.”

Paul *became* prisoner for the sake of Gospel, probably in Rome.

But he did not want brothers and sisters in the Lord to not *loose* heart, literally means, “to become good for nothing.”

Thus “not to be discouraged.”

*3:13* says, “I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.”

Then he *offers* this intercessory prayer, requesting *three* things.

1.    that God may give His power that we may be strengthened.

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being  (vs.

16).

We *know* when we *receive* Jesus, He comes into heart and here the *thought* is when we are encourage to press on Jesus *continues* to live in our lives through our faith.

Our relationship with Jesus is the present continues tense.

2.    that we may understand the breadth and length and height and 

    depth of God’s love

      “together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high

      and deep is the love of Christ”  (vs.

18).

In Greek there is so called “*purpose* *clause*” usually translated into “In order that”  and here the *idea* is

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  

18[in order that you] may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  

19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—

[in order] that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

In order to know the *scope* of God’s love, we must be *rooted* in love and *established* in love.

Paul uses the *metaphor* of tree and building.

Our life must be like tree *deeply* rooted into the source of love and also *build* upon the *foundation* of love.

*Interesting* thing is that when we *exercise* the love of God then we would have more *power* to understand what the love is all about.

And also we are able to *know* the love of Jesus (vs.

19).

Let us love more in order to know the love of God.

The Teacher’s commentary says this:

 In context it is not the love /of/ God, or even love /for/ God.

It is /love for one another as members of the family of God!/ It is in the context of loving relationships within the church that we experience, through one another, the depths of God’s love.

It is in this context that we grow to the fullness of Christ.

I think the in-law problem is somehow universal.

*Illust:*  poison and cover up by loving the mother-in-law so that no one suspect the bride.

If you are able to love the unlovable, you are truly *rooted* and *established* in love and know love of God.   *Matt.

**5:46* Jesus said,

“46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?  Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?

Do not even pagans do that?

48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

And that is the way to be filled to the full of God.

That is the third prayer request of Paul.

3.    That we may be filled up to all the fulness of God.

“and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God”  (Vs.

19).

Paul prayed this prayer that all *leaders* of the church should *pray* for the *people*.

In that right before he gets into the *practical* aspect of the Church and *closes* this section with *doxology*.

Paul was so *overwhelmed* with the grace and wisdom and power of God he could not help but *praise* the Father.

It is “*To HIM*” life.

We can not do it but *God* *can* empower us to do it.

See in *chapter* *one* The Trinity was presented in the order of: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, remember?

Here Paul reverses the Order: Holy Spirit (vs.

*16*), The Son (vss.

*17*, *19*) and the God the Father (vs.

*19*).

This is the *heavenward* direction that we live here on this earth as the community of God to *reflect* the Trinity especially *Love* and *Unity* and God is the one who gives strength and love so that we can to do it.

We are beautiful miniature tree called “*Bonsai.*”

We are *trimmed* and *bend*, not as we wished but that is the hand of the loving Father so that we can be a beautiful reflection of the big tree.

I do believe without this life of doxology we can not even *engage* in the *practical* *aspect* of church life which Paul deals with next.

Let us be strengthen to love to be filled to all the fullness of God.

* *

*Eph.

3: 17b - 19*

“And I pray that you

 being *rooted* and *established* in /love/,  

18[*in order that*]

[you] may have power,

*to grasp* how *wide* and

      *long* and

      *high* and

      *deep*

together with all the saints, 19 and

*to know* the love of Christ

that surpasses knowledge