Ephesians Series, Transformed into Riches – 8

“Experience the fullness of God in real life”

Date: July 16, 2017

Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-21

Theme: God’s children are gifted with the measureless love of Christ, to be experienced!

Introduction: Movies have gotten so realistic that people talk about things happening in “real life,” as opposed to fictional life. Movie stars just as pretty in “real life,” as they are on film – fiction. The scripture this morning talks about “real life” --- in Christ! The power is not us, but found in Christ Jesus!

Warren Wiersbe calls this GET YOUR HANDS ON YOUR WEALTH. Paul’s first prayer for us, 1:15-21, emphasizes enlightenment. This second prayer emphasizes enablement. There is more than just knowing, there is experiencing --- real life. The inner man is the focus. Spirituality. OUR Spirituality!

1.  The Prayers Beginning… vs. 14-15

  1. Position --- kneeling. (All positions are acceptable)
  2. Showing great honor
  3. Showing great humility
  4. Attitude --- an indication of our heart toward the Father
  5. We pray to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit
  6. Focus is the Father, the Father of all believers!
  7. As creator – father of everyone
  8. As Savior – father of every believer (focus here)

2.  The Prayers Request… vs. 16-19

  1. Strengthened
  2. Out of his glorious riches
  3. In the inner man
  4. Indwelt
  5. Through faith
  6. Rooted and grounded in love
  7. Given power to grasp the immensity of God’s love (wide, long, high, and deep)
  8. Know and Filled (apprehend - grasped)
  9. To the extreme measure of the FULLNESS of GOD
  10. Positionally we are complete in him
  11. Practically we are only what we apprehend by grace through faith
  12. Yet it is incomprehensible (surpasses knowledge)

3.  The Prayers Blessing… vs. 20-21

  1. Unto Him:
  2. Who is able to do immeasurably more
  3. Than we dare to ask
  4. Than we can even conceive or imagine
  5. According to his power at work in us ie. the battery, dynamite
  6. Who is the glory in the church
  7. Through Jesus Christ
  8. Throughout all generations
  9. For the eternity of ages to come --- forever and ever and ever and ever…

b.  Amen!! (so may it be); (It is declared to be so!)

Scriptures:

Ephesians 3:14-21 (NIV), For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:14-15 (NIV), For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

Ephesians 3:16-19 (NIV), I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV), Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.