Paul's Praise and Prayer for the Ephesians part 3

Well, let's take our Bible. Let's turn back to Ephesians chapter 1 Ephesians chapter 1 I think I said earlier that we're gonna finish up this second section That's verses 15 on down to verse 23, but we're gonna divide and focus on verses 19 to 23, although we're gonna zoom through some of what we have covered Now we've been taking our time and if you think about it, we've been digging out what Paul has been teaching here There's really a lot going on here.

Paul is writing Paul is encouraging Paul is praying think about that And I just envision it like this We're digging out the riches that are ours in Christ Jesus from these verses and really there's a lot more going on here in these Verses than maybe you saw before now I think most of you know what I have titled this section really it's been one title all the way through and this is what I'm calling Paul's praise and power for the Ephesians This just is the theme of verses 15 to 23 So it's just been a part one a part two and this morning this will be a part three But notice what we're seeing in the verses now. I'm calling this big picture.

Just take a step back or two in your mind This is kind of a two-part breakdown from me when I look at these verses in Verses 15 and 16 we saw Paul's praise to the Ephesians Paul brags on the Ephesians to the Ephesians He had received a report about the church and he wrote to them praising them for two things He was praising them for that collective faith. I kind of put it in this language He is praising them for their true love for God and he is praising them for their love for all of the Saints Not just a few of the Saints but all of the Saints so he was praising them.

He was bragging on them That is very short, but it's very powerful But then starting in verse 16, we're seeing Paul's prayer for these Ephesian Christians we saw what I call a more general prayer in verse 16 and We are dividing and we're in examining the specifics of this prayer starting in verse 17 So you can see verse 16 is kind of an introduction to Paul's prayer here and then verses 17 to 23 It's just a lot that he is unpacking in his prayer and how he is writing to them Now this just leads me to a couple of questions that I think we have to ponder.

I've touched on this son You know, I think about it like this or I ponder this question if Paul if he were to write to our church Could he brag on us? Paul praised the Ephesians, but I ask and we should think about this Could Paul would Paul brag on us? Would he praise us as a church now? I have to think there are some things he would brag on us about but I think there are some things he would write to Us in correction and encouragement because we're a sinful people in this world The church is never perfect and we're not going to be perfect But also I would have to think about this and ask this question if Paul were to write to us If he were to write to us and saying what he was praying for us, what would he be praying for?

Well, I think the answer is right in front of us He would hand us these verses he would hand us these book this book What I'm saying is this what Paul meant for the Ephesians is what God means for us today You see what Paul meant and God meant for the Ephesians He means that for us today and see that statement there really reflects our view of the pulpit Ministry in the life of this church What I'm saying is this if we want to know what the Lord would write to us and say to us We just open up the word of God the book I'm confident that if we were in one of the Gospels or Ephesians or if we were in the Old Testament even in a book like Leviticus the Lord would have something for us to hear So this relates to us far more than we know Now last week we looked at what I call the source of this prayer This was at the beginning of verse 17 and verse 18 and then we started into the content of the prayer You know me I'm kind of an outline preacher I'm gonna give you some points and so the two major truths are the two major points in the message We're looked at the source of the prayer and then we looked at the content of the prayer Now I want to quickly revisit this source.

I want to revisit the source of this prayer which is found at the beginning of verse 17 and the beginning of verse 18 We saw who Paul is praying to that's important We saw who Paul was praying to Paul was praying to the high and the holy and the glorious one He is praying to God as a loving heavenly father and he is praying to God through Jesus the Son Simply you can say it like this Paul understands who God is and Paul understands how she he should approach God He understands how he should approach God and see this is a lesson for us I know I touched on this, but this is something I didn't bring out last week.

We don't approach God flippantly We don't approach God casually Every now and then I'll hear someone who might may be naive and they'll say something like this when they're praying They'll say daddy. They'll use this flippant type language Paul never does that we don't do that And so we have a big lesson here about who we're praying to and how we should approach God But we also saw how Paul asks God to work How Paul asks God to work now? Why do I revisit this this relates to the rest of the the chapter this relates to all that is before us?

Paul asks God to give or to give certain things to these believers and these were not physical things These are spiritual matters But how Paul asks God to work is really seen in verse 18 Paul asks God to give these Ephesians these Ephesian Christians an inner spiritual awareness and inner spiritual understanding he asked God to give them spiritual Illumination or an inner spiritual? Understanding look back at the beginning of verse 18 He says having your eyes the eyes of your hearts enlightened Illuminated that you may know what is the hope and he goes on down you see that in verse 18 And this is an unusual expression here in verse 18.

He asked that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened This is figurative language that communicates what Paul is praying for the eyes speak figuratively of their understanding And the heart speaks figuratively not of their emotions But if they're thinking of their understanding of their knowledge of their minds you see so from God These Ephesian Christians can expect God to give them certain things They can expect God to work in them in them and they can expect to have more spiritual understanding more spiritual enlightenment Concerning the truths of God and the things of God you see As Matthew Henry says it they the Ephesians could expect and I'm quoting to have their knowledge more clear and distinct and fundamental And look folks Matthew Henry helps us in application here Matthew Henry goes on to say Christians should not think it enough to have warm affections But they should labor to have clear understandings They should be ambitious of being knowing Christians you see So an application I have a few questions for us.

Do we simply have warm affections about God? Do we simply have warm affections? I'm borrowing that from Matthew Henry about the truths of God the ways of God the person of God Is it all just warm affections for us? And are we ambitious I Like that word are we ambitious are we ambitious are we working hard to know Christ to know the truth of God? In the ways of God see are we ambitious to seek out these things are we ambitious for the spiritual? Illumination in verse 18 are we ambitious for more clear and distinct?

Experience in knowing these things the truths of God and knowing God in them and see folks our goal Our ambition is to have a clear and distinct spiritual Illumination of all that is before us here and it can be different for you It can be different from me than it is for you Let's continue Second I want us to get back into the content of this prayer This would be the second major truth starting in verse 17.

This is what I'm calling the content of this prayer This is just a continuation Now when I break down the prayer and there are different ways that different people break these verses down I see Paul praying and writing towards four things - we've already covered - we have already covered and as we get back into the content of this prayer Remember Paul's aim his goal. He was wanting these believers to understand these truths in a spiritual Experiential way now I used an illustration last week and I know it resonated with at least one because I heard one of the men reference this illustration Paul wasn't aiming at a bookshelf Christianity.

He wasn't just aiming at this intellectual Christianity I called it a Sunday school Christianity a Christianity that you have on Sunday mornings and that's it I said that he is aiming at a tennis shoe Christianity and what I mean by that is this he is desiring a Christianity to be formed Experientially from these truths that we live out day by day week by week in every area of our life Now I want to kind of refine that illustration It's not one of the others both It's both. Yes. There's an intellectual side. Yes.

There is a bookshelf side There is a Sunday school side But it's meant to be lived out and that's what Paul wanted here for these Ephesians and that's what I believe the Lord wants For us today. So let's kind of zoom through what we've looked at in the content and let's get into the rest of the verses First we saw that Paul was asking for a wise Working knowledge of God that's at the end of verse 17 look back at the verse verse 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the glory the father of glory may give you the spirit of wisdom and of Revelation in the knowledge of him notice the end of the verse may give you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him here Paul is asking God to Give these Ephesians a wise working knowledge and understanding of God Now remember we must remember what's going on here with the work the believer who receives this work of God Comes to know God in a new way They have allowed the Holy Spirit of God to work in their life according to that knowledge therefore there is a spiritual wisdom that is produced in the life and Remember what these words mean and remember how all of this fits together This revelation has to do with the knowledge of God God's truth in the ways of God and this knowledge Worked out in the life produces a spiritual wisdom the Holy Spirit works in the life to produce a working wisdom a working wisdom in that knowledge you see and listen listen close a Working knowledge is a true wisdom a Working knowledge is a true wisdom You can't have true godly wisdom without a working knowledge of God of the truths of God and of the ways of God And you need to make sure you get that a working knowledge is a true biblical spiritual knowledge Now I gave you an illustration Using myself and I think it came out of the fact that I had used this spiritual wisdom in my life To minister to another minister, you know as a pastor I have a knowledge of God and the truths of God in the ways of God that is unique to my calling And as I walk with God through trials through difficulties the Word of God I have a knowledge of God and a wisdom from God that comes from God There's this new spiritual disposition that comes as a result But it happens in all your lives It happens in all of your lives as you walk with God with job opportunities job changes as you walk with God and how you work how you all that as you walk with God through that the spirit takes the truth of what God's Word and Brings those truths to bear and God works and God gives you a testimony and you have a wisdom as has to how you Walk with God through that you see and it's unique to you It's a sad reality that we live in sometimes people face divorce and marriage troubles But you know as you walk with God through those things through those times God brings the Word of God to you and through that circumstance if you walk with God and obedience You gain this spiritual wisdom as a result.

Oh, it's difficult Oh, it's a hard trial, but you have a wisdom that God produces in you as a result Now we could just go down the list Some things are positive in life some things are negative in life you see But if we walk with God during our trials during our opportunities good and bad The truths of God are brought to bear in our life.

We walk with God then God develops a spiritual wisdom in us And listen God gives you that knowledge of him and his ways and his word in these Constances to change you and mature you and grow you it changes your character your disposition Who you are there is this wisdom that is developed and it is always to be used in the life of the local church first Remember that Some of you here are going through deep and dark trials Those are not accidents.

God has ordained that and I don't understand all that but it is always So as to work this spiritual wisdom and knowledge out to be used in the life of the local church So within this content of this prayer first God or Paul asked for a wise working knowledge of God second Paul asked for a working knowledge of God's plan.

This is at the end of verse 18 Having the eyes I'm back in the verse of Your hearts enlightened that you may know what is the hope to which you are called What are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the Saints? so here in the end of verse 18 Paul asked God to give these Ephesian Christians a working knowledge and understanding of God's Salvation plan for them we must remember what is going on here and the result Paul is praying a more specific Prayer for the Ephesians.

He is praying that the Holy Spirit would enlighten their eyes to what to the hope to which they were called To the hope to which they were called to the riches of his glorious inheritance that is theirs that is in the verse Now remember how all this fits together We understand what this spiritual enlightenment means. I've hammered this truth home to you We know that Paul is praying for a work of the Spirit in them to give them a spiritual illumination This understanding of specific things well here there to First of the hope of their calling this is simply a reference to what he had taught them back in verses 4 to 10 This is concerning their personal salvation and second their rich inheritance in Christ This is simply a reference to what he had taught them in verse 11 and 12 So Paul is writing and he is praying that God the Holy Spirit works in them to give them a spiritual enlightenment this understanding of the hope of their calling in Christ their salvation and the Rich inheritance that they have obtained in Christ See for me.

This just causes me to think back when I came to Christ I've shared my testimony often with you. I came to Christ when I was 20 years old in my high school years I didn't know Christ. I didn't live for Christ. I didn't know Christ listen teenagers I didn't live for Christ the things that you face I faced But oh by by God's good grace There were some people in my family that came to faith in Christ and there was a church in my hometown that love lost Sinners they were praying for someone just like me and they were praying specifically for me And through the witness the gospel witness I came to faith in Christ when I was 20 years old now How did I come to Christ?

I? Didn't know much. I Mean I knew Old Testament and New Testament. I kind of say it tongue-in-cheek like this. I didn't know job from job I mean, I knew the VBS stories, but that was about it. I was not religious I didn't have enough religion to be pretentious. I was who I was and I came to faith in Christ, but let me show you something as I have walked with God and as I have Worked out and continued to work out my sanctification in walking with God in obedience See the Spirit of God works within me and I have this enlightenment this spiritual understanding of what my hope and what my calling in Christ looks like every now and then it's like the Lord just Flashes the light.

I see who I was and where I am now this there's this personal Interiential spiritual illumination about what I used to be and how he's working in me how he perseveres in me and I persevere In him see it's this unique personal work And listen folks God opens the eyes of our hearts who are true Christian and he gives us a fresh glimpse our Understanding and understanding of our hope in Christ first and foremost to remind us of what the riches of his good grace When I am reminded I never step up and say well I did a good job When that spiritual light bulb goes off I'm humble and I think oh I was such a wretched sinner. He was so good.

See it's a fresh reminder It's a greater understanding of the riches that are mine in Christ Jesus And when this happens, we see that we have a hope we hope yesterday We hope today and we will continue to open what in Christ in this gracious grace And look folks every true believer has this going on in their life you do But you know if you're not a true believer You're really on the outside trying to understand what we're talking about. You can't get in on it but let's continue in Continuing when we start in verse 19. We will begin to examine the last two specifics Remember, this is all one prayer.

So starting in verse 19 We will begin to examine the last two specifics within this prayer So third I want us to see that Paul he asks for a working knowledge of God's prayer Let's look at verse 19 in verse 20 And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe? According to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ When he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places so third out of verses 19 and 20 we see that Paul asked God to give these Ephesian Christians a Working knowledge and an understanding of the power of God and we see this in two ways Now before we get into the two ways we have to ask the question what's going on here just a basic understanding of what's happening here Paul is praying that the Holy Spirit would give these Ephesian believers an understanding a spiritual insight Concerning the great power of God Basically, that is what Paul is praying that they would see and understand the power of God But we need to ask what is this power and where is it seen?

We need to see that Paul uses four different words in the original language that all speak to God's power The New American Standard uses four words that speak to his power here in verse 19 I'm gonna I'm gonna read the verse in the New American it says and what is the surprising greatness of his power? towards us who believe These are in accordance with the working of the strength of his might So we see those words here in the New American the word power the word working and the word strength and the word might The English Standard version reads power working and it combines the last two to say great might And if you look at verse 19 in your copy, you'll see those words power working strength and might But what is this power?

What is this power? This is God's power. This is God's great power. This is God's Immeasurable power and God's power is beyond man's ability to comprehend much less describe How can you describe something you can't comprehend? Now if we pay attention in the verses 19 and 20 We will see that this power is seen in two places in verse 19. We see that this power is toward the believer and in verse 20 We see that this power is found in Christ.

Look back at the verses I want us to see where it is aimed or where it is found and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power? toward us who believe According to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ. You see that Now how does this all fit together What's happening? We see the power of God this immeasurable greatness of his power.

It's made known in two places First we see the greatness of God's power in Christ The New American says brought about in Christ and we see that made known in two ways here first that God raised Christ from the dead but not to live back on earth but to exalt him into heaven and Second that God seated him at the right hand of the heavenlies You know when I gained some insight, I try to reference where I get that I don't ever want to take someone's material But I saw some information from Leon Morris the Bible commentator and I just borrowed it and kind of tweaked it But Leon Morris points out two specifics here He says that Jesus is sitting at the right hand that signifies a posture of rest Morris says that this is a way of saying that his work of salvation and redemption is complete And he goes on to say that sitting at the right hand signifies a place of honor There is no higher place than that as of the right hand of the father and that is where Jesus sits at this very moment So we see the greatness this immeasurable greatness of God's power in Christ But then second we see the greatness of God's power towards those who believe Here we have God's power Remember, it's God's great power Remember, it's God's immeasurable power, but now it's directed towards those who Know their theology just right Come to church every time the doors are open those who teach Sunday School Those who have the badges for perfect attendance?

No It says that this is directed towards those who believe look back at the verse and What is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who have everything together in life? No towards those who believe so this is what I want us to see here I want to pause and I want us to see this lesson Those who were in Christ have the immeasurable power of Christ within their life whether they know it or not And see here's the lesson Sometimes we think we have to have it all together to have the power of God unleashed in our life No, now am I excusing sin? No, am I excusing disobedience?

No, but we need to see that We need to see that this immeasurable greatness of his power is towards us who believe And this is God's um immeasurable great power That has the power to do what first to predestin us in Christ before the foundation of the world To redeem us through his blood the forgiveness of our sins to seal us with the promised Holy Spirit after we heard the word of truth the gospel and we believe and listen He is our guarantee in Christ in the heavenlies until we acquire possession of it Simply it is this immeasurable power of God towards those who believe that can redeem and save the sinner He can persevere and sanctify the same glorify therefore complete the sinner salvation So we see the immeasurable greatness of God's power in Christ And it's bestowed on those who believe So Paul prays that God would enable these Ephesian believers to have their eyes open their hearts Enlightened so that they could see God's immeasurable power in Christ and that same power is Being bestowed upon them is that what the verse is?

Now a question before I move into the application Other than realizing this awesome truth What other goal might Paul have had for these Ephesians? Think about that Did he want them to see and understand the power of God in Christ and it was bestowed upon them? Yes, that's what the verses say But he didn't want things to stop there He wanted them to see that this same power Not only provided for them salvation, but this immeasurable power of God was available to them So that's to enable them to live the Christian life It didn't start and end with their salvation.

The power of God was theirs throughout all of the Christian life And see some of you need to rush to and to trust in God and his power So as to live the Christian life in victory and not in defeat you see It's one thing for us to trust in the power of God to say this It's another thing to trust in the power of God to sanctify us Even in the deepest in the darkest and the most difficult trials in life Sometimes we trust in the power of God to save us and we forget to trust in the power of God to sustain us.

I Know that because I've been there Many of you know my ministry journey I served in full-time ministry for 10 years It was a student pastor did everything everything I needed to do in the life of the church I did associate pastor work preached a lot just did whatever the Lord taught me to be a servant But you know God sometimes has a different plan for our lives in there, right? Sometimes God changes the direction of our life Well, I left the church under some difficult circumstances very difficult circumstances And the Lord would not let me go straight to serve on church staff somewhere else.

I had to get a real job You know pastors and ministers they just get paid to read their Bible in there, right? For about three or four years there I worked in the real world and I hated it The only thing the Lord would say to me was this Psalm 40 verses 1 2 & 3 wait patiently the waiting part I had the patiently part I did not But here's what I had to learn.

I had to learn to trust in the power of God to sanctify me during that time Oh, I understood the power of God to save me But I struggled to understand the power of God to enable me to live the Christian life in a victorious manner Even when I did not like the circumstances of my life and there are people here who know I tried to change the Circumstances of my life outside of being disobedient to the Lord and I had to get to the place where I said Lord I'll trust in your power to sanctify me even when I don't like what's happening in my life. You see And some of you need a spiritual Illumination of God's great power which is towards you.

Isn't that what we see in verse 19? So much so that his power enables you to live in victory not self-absorbed Not in all of this. Whoa is me? Introspection not in this defeat and wallowing if he has the power to save you He has the power to sustain you and to sanctify you no matter where you are Now let's continue I want us to see fourth That Paul asks for a working knowledge of God the Son We see this in verses 21 to 23 Paul asked God to give these Ephesian Christians a knowledge this spiritual Illumination and understanding of who God the Son truly is Now if we pay attention to verses 19 to 20 and then as we get into verses 21 to 23 We do see a shift.

It took me a little while to see it Paul is moving from presenting Christ and his great power to presenting Christ and his person And Paul presents Christ Jesus here in several ways three to be specific now before we get into the specifics. What's going on here? What's happening? Paul was praying for a work of the Holy Spirit to give them a spiritual understanding this Illumination as to the person of Christ He was explaining certain things Even deep things about Christ and he was praying that God would take these truths and give them this spiritual Understanding Paul was wanting them to have the eyes of their hearts open as to who Christ is Now question, what are these three specifics that Paul was focusing on?

First Paul was presenting to them Christ high and exalted He is presenting Christ to them high and exalted Now it's found here in verse 21, but I want to back up to verse 20 That he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right end of the heavenlies Far above all rule and all authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named Not only in this age, but also in the age or the one to come Now we need to look at a few words here these words rule power in dominion They were traditional Jewish words that were used to speak of the rank and the power of angelic beings those in heaven In using those words Paul was presenting Jesus as having dominion over all powers Either on earth or in the heavenlies Paul was presenting Jesus even above every name and also in all times Now get this Jesus isn't barely above every power.

He is far above every power He is far above every name He is far above every power and every name from eternity past all the way into eternity future Do you see that in the verse verse 21? And then second he was presenting Christ in all of his power See he was presenting Christ high and exalted now He's presenting Christ in all of his power this is verse 22 and Paul is simply quoting Psalm 8 verse 6 and He put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church Paul is adding to what he's just said he is emphasizing Christ universal rule in saying that all things are under his feet And he is over all things and this just doesn't speak of all men and all heavenly things This is an all encompassing dominion which includes all creatures and even Animate and inanimate objects everything and then third he was presenting Christ Over his church you see Paul was presenting to them Christ hot exalted He was presenting Christ to them in all of his power and now he is presenting Christ to them as over his Church we see this at the end of verse 22 in verse 23 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church Which is his body the fullness of him who feels all in all Now if you do some study here, you're gonna see that there is some debate about what some of these things mean here now We could get neck deep in all of the debates, but I'm gonna make it a shorter version But here we need to see that there is a lot going on here Notice Paul was saying first He is presenting Christ as head of his church But not only that he is the head or the Lord of the church But that he is the source or the beginning of the church Christ is Lord of his church and more he is everything to the church and this comes from his one-of-a-kind intimate relationship with those that he has chosen to redeem on the cross you see and then second Paul is presenting the church as Christ's body Paul is presenting the church as a living organism connected to the head it's beginning its source and that is Christ himself and Then third Paul is presenting the church as the fullness or the complement of Christ That which completes Christ and I know that sounds unusual Now it's not that Christ is imperfect.

No, it's not that Christ is incomplete No, but just as a human body is completed With the head so it is with the church the church manifests Christ's glory Therefore filling up or complementing Christ where in the world and all throughout eternity Now what's happening here? How does this all fit together? Paul was presenting Christ to them as Far and above all powers in the heavenlies and on earth He was presenting Christ to them in all of his power.

His name is above all names in all time and all throughout Eternity as he and he is presenting Christ as Lord of the church He has this intimate unique relationship with those that he's redeemed and they are to bring him glory all throughout time and in eternity Now an application we need to ask ourselves two or three questions here And this is all centered this application is all centered around two words the word head and the word body First is the church collective We must ask how we're doing and our submission to his headship You see we should ask and we must ask how we are doing and our submission to his headship His lordship over this local body and you know what so much of that question lays where at the feet of the leaders If you want to know what happened with the Ephesian church just flip on over to Romans or excuse me Revelation chapter 2 They had a lot of things right everything right, but they had one thing wrong They had forsaken their first love They were Orthodox hard-working.

I Mean they were a picture-perfect church except for one thing they had forsaken their first love and what does the Lord Jesus do? He addresses the angel the pastor the elder of the church there and he says fix it repent And so what I'm showing you is this we must constantly ask ourselves how we're doing and our in our lordship and our submission to his headship and lordship and So much of that falls at the feet of the elders and the leaders of the church And then second as the church We must ask ourselves if we see our local church as his body And listen this term body this relates to our purpose I Think John MacArthur helps us see the purpose here help me He says and I'm quoting as a head must have a body to manifest the glory of that head He's using a physical illustration So the Lord must have a church to manifest his glory you see let me say it again As a head must have a body to manifest the glory of that head So the Lord Jesus must have the church to manifest his glory and that helps us see our Purpose as a church is to manifest or make known the glory of God where all throughout the world Starting in your home Starting at where you work starting at where you school starting in our town and in our County and starting wherever we go all Throughout the world you see But on a more personal level We should look at our personal struggles our problems and our difficulties through these verses Let me ask you a question here If Jesus is the ruler of all far above all power and authorities in heaven and on earth And if he is the head of his body having died to purchase the church for himself Can he not take care of you through your struggles and trials?

You might say pastor Why you keep coming back to these struggles and trials? You see if you were struggling the problem is not with Christ the problems with you Did he not die for you? Yeah, look if you're part of the body he died for you You're in you see and the problem the struggle is not with Christ the problem was with you I'll tell you a preacher story that will help illustrate this a little this is not for my life Years ago.

I heard the story of a pastor who was serving in a church and he had the opportunity to move to another church This church happened to be in another country And he described the circumstance he prayed and walk with the Lord through it You know He just prayed in obedience and he felt led of God and he walked all the way through all the way through that that Circumstance all the way through that experience and right at the last minute it fell through And he found himself in this deep pit this deep trial this deep time of confusion And he told the story that his wife came to him and tried to console him And he looked at his wife and he said do not rob me of my trial Basically, he said leave me alone This trial is of God and I will find God in this trial What is the point if we are struggling in difficulties and problems?

The problem is not with a weak Christ He had the power to die on the cross for his church for the body And so if we're struggling here and we're part of the body the problem isn't with the head the problem is with Us you me I started to say you but I had to say we us Because I can be just like you Now I want to close out this chapter by making some broad observations that'll help us here.

I Know we've taken quite a bit of time to get through these verses, but I want to step back I don't really want us to take any notes here I just want you to listen and this will be how I'll wrap up this section This section in the previous section wrapping up the chapter First we have seen that Paul gave the theological Oh those deep theological truths in verses 3 to 14 These are some of the deepest most mysterious legal theological truths concerning what God's plan for the salvation of man And he gave these believers some of the deepest the most mysterious theological truths found in the scriptures Paul gave him the Ephesians, right At second we have seen that Paul gave the experiential in verses 15 to 13 These are some of the most descriptive verses concerning the experiential side of the Christian life He gave this church some deep and mysterious truths and he is writing and praying that they would understand these things Experientially now, let me give you the proof of my position here Look at verse 17 and verse 18.

I'll emphasize the experiential He's praying right verse 16 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory May give you What the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation and the knowledge of him the Spirit of wisdom and the Revelation of the knowledge of him and that is applied to all that is right here before us in the chapter now get this church.

I Thought about this a lot If there were only two or three things that I wanted you to get out of chapter one what I'm about to share with you is on the list The great theological truths in all of chapter one in all of the Ephesians Can and must be understood in the experiential part of the Christian life They must be experienced in the heart and in the life. They must be studied.

They must be examined They must be prayed over remember where to be ambitious and they must be understood experientially not just intellectually Paul did not give these theological truths just to be stored up in the mind He did not intend what is taught in chapter one to become intellectual Christianity bookshelf Christianity only Sunday school Christianity Paul intended all that he wrote here to be in their minds and intellectual understanding yes But he also intended all that he gave the deep theological truths to be made alive in their hearts by the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit of God in their life And he prayed and he wrote so that these great theological truths these spiritual realities May be experienced in their hearts and in their lives by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit of God in them Remember what Matthew Henry said not warm affections So many people read through this and they have warm affections little fuzzies and they move on We're to be ambitious and knowing Christ and knowing God and all that is here Now notice what we have here Paul teaches these great doctrines concerning God's plan for the salvation of man in verses 3 to 14 and Along the way we see Paul's heart a praise and blessing and worship to God and then Paul praises He brags on the Ephesian Christians He writes to them and he prays for them and he desires that all of these things may be Experienced in the heart in the life.

He prays that God would enlighten their hearts to understand these things spiritually and Experientially therefore they would possess these things in the heart and life and he does all of this in two ways First he does it with authority as an apostle But then second he does this with the heart of a pastor in that right heart of a pastor So what do we have here? The title that I have written all the way through these verses Paul's praise and prayer for the Ephesians Let's pray. Let's commit what we've studied.

Let's commit it to the Lord and let's ask God to do this work in all of us And I know that that would bring him the glory in our lives that he deserves. So let's pray