Ephesians 1:15-23
Subject: Faith
Theme: pray that we believers will appreciate the privileges we have in
Christ, experience God deeply, have hope in His grand calling, and daily
experience His matchless power by faith.
Introduction:
Can you think of someone who has a powerful
faith? What are the evidences of his or her faith? At the very foundation of
Christian belief and behavior, we find ‘faith.’ Like the Washington Monument in
the District of Columbia clearly looms over all other structures in the city,
Christ regards faith as the supremely desirable quality. It far surpasses all
others except charity (1Cor. 13:13).
To understand its significance to Christian
experience we only need to perceive the value Christ placed on it. The
superiority of faith is demonstrated by the Syrophoenician woman who possessed
incredible determination as she appealed to the Lord Jesus for her daughter’s
deliverance (Matt. 15:21-28). Faith’s weight can be seen when the Roman centurion
who was distinguishingly humble approach the Lord on behalf of his sick servant
(Matt. 8:5-13).
And you may also recall the supremacy of faith as Bartimaeus, the blind man,
who was conspicuously earnest and sincere despite the obstacles asked Jesus for
sight (Mark 10:46-52). But what about each of them captured Christ’s
attention? He was even delightfully amazed in some of these instances! What is
it that repeatedly opens His generous hands to grant requests? Unmistakably, it
was their powerful faith. It was this
Christ centered confidence that brought them to Him in the first place—a conviction
that Jesus will make all the difference
in the world. Faith will evidence perseverance, faithfulness, humility,
earnestness, and myriads of other holy qualities. But, essentially faith crafts
and cultivates a certain lifestyle—one in which the believer daily experiences
God in powerful ways.
Message:
Now, because we
possess monumental spiritual blessings
in Christ, we need enlightenment regarding them. Like all believers, these
blessings include election, predestination, adoption, purpose, acceptance,
redemption, forgiveness, grace, insight into the mystery of God’s will, an
inheritance, and sealing by the Spirit for additional assurance (Eph. 1:3-14). Beyond this we like Paul should yearn to
know God most personally, intimately, experientially, and powerfully. In fact
this is what he prayed for the Ephesians. Note…
I. How Paul Responded to the Ephesian
Believers’ Privileges (Eph. 1:14b-16).
A. He praised God for their
salvation blessings (v. 14b, 15a).
B. He heard of their faithfulness in
the Lord Jesus (v. 15).
C. He heard of their love for all
the saints (v. 15).
D. He thanked God for them
ceaselessly (v. 16a).
E. He prayed for their spiritual
enlightenment constantly (v. 16b).
II. What Paul Prayed for the Ephesian
Believers’ Progress (Eph. 1:17-23).
A. Whom He Prayed to: He Addressed
God for Them (v. 17).
1. To the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ (v. 17).
2. To the Father of Glory (v. 17).
B. What He Prayed for: He Appealed to
God for Them (v. 17-23).
1. That God would give them knowledge
of Himself through the Spirit (v. 17b).
i. A deep and practical knowledge of
Himself (v. 17).
ii. An experiential and intimate
knowledge of Himself (v. 17).
2. That God would enlighten them to
know the hope of His calling for believers (v. 18).
3. That God would give them factual knowledge
of the wealth of glory in His inheritance (v. 18).
i. God’s inheritance is within the
sphere of His saints.
ii. God views His inheritance as
valuable and precious.
4. That God would give them knowledge
of His dynamic power towards believers (v. 19-23).
i. God’s mighty power glorified
Christ as Supreme (v. 19b-22a).
a. This is resurrection power (v.
20).
b. This is ascension power (v. 20).
c. This is enthroning power (v. 20).
d. This is supreme, universal, and enduring
power (v. 21).
ii. God’s mighty power placed Christ as
the comprehensive Head over all creation (v. 22a).
iii. God’s mighty power gave Christ to
the church to be its glorious Head and share His kingdom dominion (v. 22b-23).
a. To be Christ’s body (v. 22, 23).
b. To be filled by Christ like He
fills the universe (v. 23).
Conclusion:
Today we should be using the power of faith to believe, accept, and live in light of the fact that God’s
dynamic power is immediately available to us believers (Eph. 1:19-23). Like Paul, we must cry out to
God in prayer to grasp this life transforming reality. Not that we might
receive this power, but that we would recognize it is already available to each
of us by faith. Personally, I want an entire catalog of accounts of the powerful
faithfulness of God through multiplied experiences with him throughout my life.
Don’t you want to experience God in powerful ways?
