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SERIES: EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH, WEEK 10

TITLE: THE PETITION OF PAUL'S PRAYER, PART II

TEXT: EPHESIANS 1:19-20

INTRODUCTION: (1) JUST BEFORE WORLD WAR II IN THE TOWN OF ITASCA, TEXAS, A SCHOOL FIRE TOOK THE LIVES OF 263 CHILDREN.

* THERE WAS SCARCELY A FAMILY IN TOWN WHICH WAS NOT TOUCHED BY THIS HORRIFYING TRAGEDY AND THE GRIEF AND SORROW THAT ACCOMPANIES IT.

** DURING THE WAR ITASCA REMAINED WITHOUT SCHOOL FACILITIES.

*** BUT WHEN THE WAR ENDED, THE TOWN LIKE MANY OTHERS, BEGAN TO EXPAND AND IN FACT BUILT A NEW SCHOOL WHICH FEATURED WHAT WAS CALLED “THE FINEST SPRINKLER SYSTEM IN THE WORLD”.

**** CIVIC PRIDE RAN HIGH. HONOR STUDENTS WERE SELECTED TO GUIDE CITIZENS AND VISITORS ON TOURS OF THE NEW FACILITY TO SHOW THEM THE FINEST, MOST ADVANCED SPRINKLER SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY COULD SUPPLY AND MONEY COULD BUY.

(2) NEVER AGAIN WOULD THIS TOWN BE VISITED BY SUCH TRAGEDY.

* WELL, WITH THE POSTWAR BOOM THE TOWN CONTINUED TO GROW AND 7 YEARS LATER IT WAS NECESSARY TO ENLARGE THE SCHOOL.

** BUT IN ADDING THIS NEW WING IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE SPRINKLER SYSTEM HAD NEVER BEEN CONNECTED!

*** NOW WHAT AN INCREDIBLE STORY! ITS FOLLY STRAINS OUR BELIEF. IT’S ACTUALLY HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT IT HAPPENED.

**** YET, THIS UNBELIEVABLE STORY IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN SO MANY CHRISTIAN LIVES.

(3) FOR THERE IS UNTOLD POWER, INCREDIBLE POWER AVAILABLE FOR EVERY BELIEVER IN CHRIST, BUT SO MANY NEVER HOOK UP, AND THEIR LIVES ARE THUS IMPOTENT AND SHAMEFULLY USELESS.

* WELL, IN PAUL’S PRAYER FOR THE EPHESIAN BELIEVERS, HE PRAYS THAT THE EYES OF THEIR HEARTS, THE EYES OF THEIR UNDERSTANDING WOULD SEE, WOULD BE ILLUMINED, LIT UP, SO THAT THEY COULD UNDERSTAND THE GREATNESS OF GOD’S POWER WORKING ON THEIR BEHALF.

** PAUL PRAYS THAT THE LORD WOULD GIVE THE EPHESIAN BELIEVERS UNDERSTANDING OF HIS GREAT POWER.

*** BELOVED PAUL PRAYED THAT THESE BELIEVERS WOULD HAVE BETTER SPIRITUAL VISION REGARDING GOD’S GREAT POWER TOWARD OTHERS, WORKING WITHIN THE LIVES OF CHRISTIANS.

**** AND WHAT A NEED THIS IS FOR US TODAY, FOR SOMETIMES WE FEEL WEAK, WE FEEL SO IMPOTENT SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING.

(4) WE SEE THE POWER OF THE FLESH, THE POWER OF THIS WORLD SYSTEM AND THE POWER OF SATAN, OUR 3 ENEMIES AND WE FEEL POWERLESS.

* SO WE SEE OURSELVES AS SPIRITUAL FAILURES BECAUSE OF THE POWER OF THE FLESH IS SO GREAT, THE TEMPTATIONS OF THIS WORLD SO OVERWHELMING AND OUR PROGRESS SO SLIM.

** BUT THE ANSWER TO THIS OUTLOOK IS TO UNDERSTAND THE GREATNESS OF GOD’S POWER. FOR THE POWER WITHIN US IN CHRIST IS THE SAME AS THAT WHICH GOD USED WHEN HE RAISED CHRIST FROM THE DEAD AND SEATED HIM AT HIS RIGHT HAND.

*** AND HOPEFULLY TODAY FROM OUR STUDY, WE WILL BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE MIGHTY POWER AVAILABLE TO US, AND BE HOOKED UP SO WE CAN LIVE IN THE POWER OF GOD’S MIGHT.

**** AND THAT IS PAUL’S PRAYER FOR THESE BELIEVERS, AND IS GOD’S WILL FOR US TODAY THAT KNOW CHRIST.

(5) AND TODAY BY GOD’S GRACE WE’LL CONTINUE OUR STUDY OF THE PETITION OF PAUL’S PRAYER HERE IN EPHESIANS 1, PART II.

* AND WE’LL LOOK AT TWO THINGS IN EPHESIANS 1:19&20. NO. 1 THE INCREDIBLE POWER, V. 19; AND NO. 2 THE ILLUSTRATION OF POWER, V. 20.

** AND WITH THOSE TWO POINTS TO HANG YOUR THOUGHTS ON, LOOK AT V. 19 WHERE WE’LL SEE OUR FIRST POINT TODAY, THE INCREDIBLE POWER. LOOK AT EPHESIANS 1:19 PLEASE.

I. THE INCREDIBLE POWER, (READ V. 19)

A. NOW UNDERSTAND THAT PAUL DOES NOT PRAY THAT THESE BELIEVERS HE’S WRITING TO BE GIVEN GOD’S POWER, BUT THAT THEY WOULD BE AWARE OF THE POWER THEY ALREADY POSSESSED IN CHRIST AND USE IT.

* IN FACT, LATER ON IN EPHESIANS IN CHAPTER 3 PAUL WILL PRAY AGAIN FOR THESE BELIEVERS ABOUT GOD’S POWER.

** HE SAYS IN EPHESIANS 3:16 – “THAT HE WOULD GRANT YOU, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GLORY, TO BE STRENGTHENED WITH POWER THROUGH HIS SPIRIT IN THE INNER MAN.”

*** AND THEN 4 VERSES LATER IN EPHESIANS 3:20 HE SAYS: (READ IT).

**** NOW AGAIN PAUL WANTS THESE PRECIOUS SAINTS AND ALL BELIEVERS INCLUDING US TODAY, THAT OUR EYES WOULD BE OPENED AND THAT WE SEE WHAT KIND OF POWER IS THERE FOR US IN LIVING OUT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

1. AND BELOVED, THE GREATEST POWER SHORTAGE TODAY IS NOT IN OUR POWER GENERATORS OR IN A LACK OF OIL, OR IN OUR POWER GRIDS THAT CAN SHUT DOWN, AS OVER 50 MILLION PEOPLE JUST EXPERIENCED RECENTLY.

* BUT THE GREATEST POWER SHORTAGE IS IN OUR PERSONAL LIVES AT TIMES AS WE LIVE DEFEATED LIVES AND DO NOT THINK WE CAN BE USED BY CHRIST IN A POWERFUL SUPERNATURAL WAY.

** BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THE PROBLEM FOR MANY OF US LIKE THAT SCHOOL I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER THAT HAD A WORLD CLASS SPRINKLER SYSTEM IS WE MUST BE HOOKED UP.

*** FOR THE SYSTEM IS IN PLACE, THE POWER IS THERE, BUT IT IS DYSFUNCTIONAL BECAUSE OF IGNORANCE OR SIN OR UNBELIEF.

**** AND IF WE ARE NOT EXPERIENCING GOD’S POWER AS WE OUGHT TO, PAUL’S PRAYER IS THAT THE EYES OF OUR HEARTS WOULD BE ENLIGHTENED IN ORDER THAT WE MAY KNOW HIS INCREDIBLE INCOMPARABLE POWER FOR US WHO BELIEVE.

2. THERE IS NO POWER SHORTAGE WITH GOD, HE IS OMNIPOTENT, HE IS ALL POWERFUL, HE IS THE CREATOR AND SUSTAINER OF THE UNIVERSE, READ PSALM 147:4&5.

* AND BELOVED WE ARE PROMISED GREAT POWER THAT ENABLES US TO SERVE, READ ACTS 1:8, ROMANS 1:16, I CORINTHIANS 1:18, I CORINTHIANS 2:4&5,

II TIMOTHY 1:7.

** AND PAUL SERVED HIS LORD AS A MINISTER OF CHRIST THROUGH THIS KIND OF POWER ACCORDING TO EPHESIANS 3:7 WHERE HE SAID: “OF WHICH I WAS MADE A MINISTER, ACCORDING TO THE GIFT OF GOD’S GRACE WHICH WAS GIVEN TO ME ACCORDING TO THE WORKING OF HIS POWER.”

*** AND BY THIS POWER, WE ARE ETERNALLY SECURE IN CHRIST, FOR I PETER 1:5 SAYS (READ IT).

**** NOW MY POINT FROM ALL THESE POWER VERSES IN THE N.T., WHICH USE THE GREEK WORD DUNAMIS FROM WHICH WE GET OUR ENGLISH WORDS DYNAMITE, DYNAMO AND DYNAMIC, USED 120 TIMES IN THE N.T., MY POINT FROM THESE VERSES IS POWER IS NEVER LACKING WHEN IT COMES TO GOD OR AS A RESOURCE THAT WE HAVE THROUGH HIS SPIRIT WHO INDWELLS US.

3. AGAIN THERE IS NO POWER SHORTAGE, WE JUST NEED TO BE AWARE OF IT AND USE IT!!

* NOW LET’S GO BACK TO V. 19 WITH THAT CHALLENGE IN MIND AND LET ME TRY TO UNPACK THIS VERSE WHICH EMPHASIZES THE GREATNESS OF THE POWER THAT IS AVAILABLE TO US.

** AND THERE ARE A LOT OF POWER WORDS AND SYNONYMS USED TO TALK ABOUT THIS POWER IN V. 19.

*** AND THE FIRST WORD I WANT TO LOOK AT IS “IS EXCEEDING” IN THE KJV AND NKJV, TRANSLATED INCOMPARABLE IN THE NIV AND SURPASSING IN THE NAS.

**** AND THIS PARTICULAR GREEK VERB USED 3 TIMES IN THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS LIT. MEANS TO “THROW OVER OR BEYOND”.

4. AND IN THE N.T. IT IS ALWAYS USED METAPHORICALLY WITH THE IDEA “TO EXCEED, TO SURPASS, TO TRANSCEND”.

* AND IT SPEAKS OF POWER HERE THAT IS BEYOND MEASURE, MORE THAN ENOUGH, OF SURPASSING POWER.

** BUT NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE SURPASSING POWER, BUT SURPASSING GREAT POWER, FOR THE WORD GREATNESS OR GREAT FOLLOWS THIS WORD SURPASSING.

*** AND THIS PARTICULAR GREEK WORD COMES FROM THE WORD MEGAS FROM WHICH WE GET OUR ENGLISH WORD MEGA. SOMETHING HUGE, LARGE, BIG.

**** NOW WE CONNECT THOSE TWO WORDS, SURPASSING AND MEGAS TO GOD’S POWER. AND THE WORD POWER IS THE GREEK WORD DUNAMIS WHICH I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.

5. WE HAVE SURPASSING MEGA DYNAMITE KIND OF POWER AVAILABLE TO US.

* BUT THE DESCRIPTION OF THE INCREDIBLE POWER DOESN’T STOP HERE, FOR THERE ARE 3 MORE SYNONYMS IN V. 19 TO EMPHASIZE THE GREATNESS OF THAT POWER, THE WORD WORKING, THE WORD STRENGTH OR POWER DEPENDING ON WHICH TRANSLATION YOU HAVE, AND THE WORD MIGHTY OR MIGHT DEPENDING ON WHICH TRANSLATION YOU HAVE.

** AND THE FIRST SYNONYM IS THE WORD WORKING. AND FROM THIS GREEK WORD WE GET OUR ENGLISH WORD ENERGY WHICH LIT. MEANS OPERATIVE POWER, THE INWARD PROPULSION OF POWER, SUPERHUMAN POWER.

*** THE 2’D SYNONYM IS STRENGTH IN THE NAS AND NIV, AND TRANSLATED POWER IN THE KJV AND NKJV. AND THIS GREEK WORD IS NOT THE WORD DUNAMIS TRANSLATED POWER, BUT THE GREEK WORD KRAT-OS WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN.

**** AND THIS WORD LIT. MEANS FORCE, MIGHT, GREAT POWER, SOMETHING MIGHTY, A MIGHTY DEED, MANIFESTED STRENGTH.

6. AND THEN THE 3’D SYNONYM FOR POWER IS THE WORD MIGHT OR MIGHTY AND IT LIT. MEANS ABILITY, FORCE, STRENGTH, POWER AS AN ENDOWMENT.

* NOW AS WE PUT ALL THESE WORDS, THESE POWER SYNONYMS TOGETHER, CAN YOU SEE THAT INCREDIBLE POWER, THE STUPENDOUS POWER THAT IS TALKING

ABOUT IN V. 19?

** AND WHO POSSESSES THIS KIND OF POWER?

*** WELL LOOK BACK AT V. 19. IT IS TOWARD US WHO BELIEVE, IT IS FOR ALL BELIEVERS.

**** AND BELOVED, ALL TRUE BELIEVERS, ALL TRUE CHRISTIANS POSSESS THIS KIND OF POWER IN CHRIST THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO INDWELLS US.

7. PAUL DID NOT PRAY FOR POWER TO BE GIVEN TO BELIEVERS. HE PRAYED THAT THEY BE GIVEN A DIVINE AWARENESS OF THE POWER THEY ALREADY POSSESSED IN CHRIST.

* AND THEN LATER IN EPHESIANS, IN CHAPTERS 4-6, PAUL ADMONISHED THEM TO EMPLOY THAT POWER IN FAITHFUL LIVING FOR THEIR LORD, WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO.

** WE HAVE INCREDIBLE POWER FROM THE LORD AS COMMUNICATED IN V. 19 AS PAUL STACKS ALL THESE POWERFUL WORDS ONE UPON ANOTHER.

*** BUT MOVING ON, IN V . 20, PAUL MOVES FROM THIS GREAT TRUTH OF GOD’S INCREDIBLE POWER TO AN ILLUSTRATION OF THIS INCREDIBLE POWER.

**** HE MAKES THE TRUTH OF GOD’S GREAT INCREDIBLE POWER COME TO LIFE WITH TWO WONDERFUL ILLUSTRATIONS. LOOK AT V. 20 PLEASE.

II.THE ILLUSTRATION OF POWER, (READ V. 20)

A. NOW THE ILLUSTRATIONS USED HERE IN V. 20 OF GOD’S INCREDIBLE POWER ARE THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST AND THE ASCENSION AND EXALTATION OF CHRIST TO BE SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER, A POSITION OF AUTHORITY.

* AND V . 20 IS LINKED, CONNECTED WITH V. 19 BY MEANS OF AN ADJECTIVAL CLAUSE, THE PHRASE, “WHICH HE BROUGHT ABOUT IN CHRIST”.

** AND WHAT A WONDERFUL CONNECTION TO ILLUSTRATE GOD’S POWER.

*** AND FIRST THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD. AND THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE ILLUSTRATION OF POWER, FOR ROMANS 1:4 DECLARES: (READ IT)

**** AND BASICALLY RESURRECTION POWER IS LIKE CREATIVE POWER, FOR BRINGING LIFE TO THE DEAD BODY OF JESUS WAS LIKE AN ACT OF CREATION.

**** FOR IN THE O.T., PEOPLE MEASURED GOD’S POWER BY HIS CREATION.

1. AND ALBERT BARNES IN HIS COMMENTARY ON EPHESIANS COMMUNICATES THIS TRUTH AND IDEA.

* HE SAID AND I QUOTE, AND THIS MAY SOUND A LITTLE DIFFERENT BUT HE MAKES A GOOD POINT: “THE POWER WHICH WAS EXERTED WAS AS GREAT AS THAT OF CREATION” (SPEAKING OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST).

** “IT WAS IMPARTING LIFE TO A COLD AND MANGLED FRAME. IT WAS TO OPEN AGAIN THE ARTERIES AND VEINS, AND TEACH THE HEART TO BEAT AND THE LUNGS TO HEAVE.”

*** “IT WAS TO DIFFUSE VITAL WARMTH THROUGH THE RIGID MUSCLES, AND TO COMMUNICATE TO THE BODY THE ACTIVE FUNCTIONS OF LIFE. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CONCEIVE OF A MORE DIRECT EXERTION OF POWER THAN IN RAISING UP THE DEAD.” (END QUOTE)

*** SO WHAT A GOOD ILLUSTRATION OF POWER, THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

2. GOD THE FATHER EXERTED, GOD BROUGHT ABOUT, GOD WROUGHT THIS WORK OF POWER IN CHRIST.

* AND THE GREEK WORD FOR BROUGHT ABOUT, EXERTED, OR WROUGHT IS THE VERB FORM OF THE GREEK WORD USED IN V. 19 FROM WHICH WE GET OUR ENGLISH WORD ENERGY.

** AND HERE IT LIT. MEANS THAT GOD THE FATHER PUT FORTH POWER TO DO THIS, THIS POWER WAS OPERATIVE, WAS AT WORK IN CHRIST IN HIS RESURRECTION.

*** BUT NOT ONLY WAS IT OPERATIONAL WHEN GOD THE FATHER RAISED GOD THE SON FROM THE DEAD, IT WAS ALSO MANIFEST IN THE ASCENSION AND EXALTATION OF CHRIST.

**** WHEN GOD SEATED JESUS AT THE RIGHT HAND IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES.

3. AND THE RESURRECTION PROCLAIMS JESUS LIVES, AND THAT FOREVER; BUT THE EXALTATION OF CHRIST PROCLAIMS THAT HE REIGNS, AND THAT FOREVER.

* AND CHRIST’S BEING SEATED BY THE FATHER POINTS TO THE COMPLETION OF HIS GOD-GIVEN TASK; HIS EARTHLY MISSION WAS ACCOMPLISHED.

** AND WHEN JESUS SAT DOWN AT THE FATHER’S RIGHT HAND, IS AS SIGNIFICANT AS THE FACT THAT HE SAT DOWN.

*** FOR TO BE AT SOMEONE’S RIGHT HAND IS TO BE IN THE POSITION OF SPECIAL HONOR AND PRIVILEGE.

**** FOR IN THE O.T. THE LORD’S RIGHT HAND IS THE POSITION OF FAVOR, VICTORY AND POWER.

4. FOR CHRIST, THEN TO BE SEATED AT GOD’S RIGHT HAND MEANT SHARING THE FATHER’S THRONE. HE IS LORD OF HEAVEN AND OF EARTH. HE IS THE EXALTED ONE, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

* AND SO THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST AND THE EXALTATION OF CHRIST DISPLAY GOD’S POWER.

** THE RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION POWER, THE DIVINE ENERGY THAT LIFTED CHRIST FROM THE GRAVE TO THE EARTH AND FROM THE EARTH TO HEAVEN IS AT OUR DISPOSAL FOR LIVING FOR GOD’S GLORY.

*** AND BELOVED AT TIMES ALL OF US ARE TEMPTED TO DOUBT, TO WONDER IF GOD CAN DO A CERTAIN THING FOR US OR THROUGH US.

**** BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT GOD THE FATHER BROUGHT ABOUT IN CHRIST THROUGH HIS INCREDIBLE POWER, WHAT GROUND DO WE HAVE FOR DOUBTING?

5. HOW CAN WE FEEL POWERLESS? WE HAVE POWER TO OVERCOME SIN, WE HAVE POWER TO SERVE, WE HAVE POWER TO LIVE THE SANCTIFIED LIFE.

AND AS I WRAP UP THINGS TODAY (1) I WANT TO SUMMARIZE THE TRUTH AND MAKE ANOTHER APPLICATION.

* PAUL PRAYED THAT WE WOULD HAVE BETTER SPIRITUAL VISION REGARDING 3 THINGS IN EPHESIANS 1:17-20. NO. 1 THE GREAT HOPE TO WHICH HE HAS CALLED US, THAT WE WILL SHARE IN HIS GLORY.

** NO. 2 THAT OUR EYES WOULD BE OPENED TO THE RICHES OF HIS GLORIOUS INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS.

*** AND NO. 3 THAT GOD’S ALL-SURPASSING POWER IS ON US, AND THAT OUR EYES WILL BE OPEN TO THAT GREAT TRUTH.

**** BELOVED, WE HAVE ALL THE POWER WE NEED, WE JUST NEED TO BE CONNECTED. WE NEED NOT DOUBT, WE NEED NOT LET SIN DISCONNECT US, WE NEED NOT FEAR, WHY? READ II TIMOTHY 1:7.

(2) AND NOW I’M GOING TO GET REAL PRACTICAL HERE IN APPLICATION. WE DO NOT NEED TO PRAY FOR MORE POWER TO EVANGELIZE, FOR WE ALREADY HAVE THE POWER TO WITNESS, THE GOSPEL IS POWERFUL. READ ROMANS 1:16 AND ACTS 1:8.

* AND THEN IN I THESSALONIANS 1:5A IT SAYS: “FOR OUR GOSPEL DID NOT COME TO YOU IN WORD ONLY, BUT ALSO IN POWER AND IN THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WITH FULL CONVICTION.”

** SO WE DO NOT NEED MORE POWER TO EVANGELIZE AND WITNESS.

*** AND BELOVED WE DO NOT NEED TO PRAY FOR MORE POWER TO DO GOD’S WILL FOR PAUL SAID IN PHILIPPIANS 2:13 – “FOR IT IS GOD WHO IS AT WORK IN YOU, BOTH TO WILL AND TO WORK FOR HIS GOOD PLEASURE.”

**** AND PHILIPPIANS 4:13 SAYS: (READ IT).

(3) AND IT’S NOT THAT WE CAN’T DO GOD’S WILL, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, BUT WON’T. FOR WE HAVE THE POWER TO DO EXACTLY WHAT GOD WANTS US TO DO.

* AND MY POINT IS, OUR PRIMARY NEED IS NOT POWER, BUT FOR WISDOM AND OBEDIENCE TO APPROPRIATE THE INCREDIBLE POWER THE LORD HAS ALREADY GIVEN US.

** OUR PROBLEM IS NOT LACK OF POWER, BUT LACK OF WISDOM AND INSIGHT TO APPROPRIATE WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN CHRIST.

*** AGAIN UNCONFESSED SIN DISCONNECTS, IGNORANCE AND LACK OF APPLICATION OF TRUTH DISCONNECTS, AND DISBELIEF DISCONNECTS.

**** MAY WE NOT BE LIKE THAT SCHOOL THAT HAD A WORLD CLASS SPRINKLER SYSTEM THAT WAS NOT CONNECTED.

(4) WE HAVE ALL THE POWER WE NEED FOR LIFE AND GODLINESS. MAY WE BE CONNECTED.

* MAY PAUL’S PRAYER BE ANSWERED IN OUR LIVES TODAY? MAY GOD GIVE TO US A SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION IN KNOWING HIM.

** AND MAY OUR EYES BE TO SEE THE BLESSINGS OF GOD’S CALLING, GOD’S RICHES IN OUR INHERITANCE AND GOD’S POWER. (LET’S PRAY)