The Power of Our Faith

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?