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SERIES: EPHESIANS: THE CALL AND CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH, WEEK 11

TITLE: ABOVE ALL

TEXT: EPHESIANS 1:21-23

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.INTRODUCTION: (1) A PERSON DOES NOT NEED TO READ VERY MUCH OF THE NEW TESTAMENT TO REALIZE THAT LARGE PORTIONS ARE FUTURE ORIENTED.

* AND YES, WE ARE TOLD OF CHRIST’S PAST WORK, PURCHASING SALVATION FOR HIS PEOPLE.

** BUT WE ARE ALSO TOLD THAT HE WILL RETURN IN POWER TO SUBDUE HIS ENEMIES AND SUBJECT ALL THINGS TO GOD.

*** ONE OF THE EARLIEST CHRISTIAN PRAYERS, REFLECTED IN I CORINTHIANS 16:22 AND REVELATION 22:20 IS “COME LORD JESUS”.

**** THE CHURCH LOOKS FORWARD TO THAT FUTURE DAY AND LONGS FOR CHRIST’S VICTORY.

(2) YET UNFORTUNATELY, A CONCERN FOR FUTURE THINGS HAS OFTEN OBSCURED FOR SOME CHRIST’S PRESENT EXALTED POSITION IN THE UNIVERSE.

* NOW IT IS TRUE, AS THE AUTHOR OF HEBREWS WRITES, THAT “AT PRESENT WE DO NOT SEE EVERYTHING SUBJECT TO HIM” IN HEBREWS 2:8B.

** BUT, AS HE ALSO WRITES IN HEBREWS 2:9, “WE SEE JESUS…CROWNED WITH GLORY AND HONOR.”

*** WELL, PAUL WAS THINKING ALONG THESE LINES AT THE END OF THE FIRST CHAPTER OF EPHESIANS.

**** HE HAD BEEN SPEAKING OF THE GREATNESS OF OUR SALVATION EARLIER IN THE CHAPTER, GROUNDED IN THE ELECTING PURPOSE OF GOD FROM ETERNITY, ACCOMPLISHED IN HISTORY BY THIS ATONING DEATH OF JESUS, AND APPLIED TO INDIVIDUALS PERSONALLY BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

(3) SO HE PRAYED FOR THE EPHESIANS, ASKING THAT THEY MIGHT BE MORE FULLY GROUNDED IN GOD’S TRUTH.

* HE SAID THAT HE WANTED THEM TO KNOW THE POWER OF CHRIST.

** BUT WHEN PAUL GOT TO THE THOUGHT OF GOD’S POWER, PAUL’S MIND EXPANDED TO MARVEL AT THE GREATNESS OF THAT POWER AND HIS THOUGHTS TURNED TO THE PRESENT EXALTED STATUS OF CHRIST IN WHOM THAT POWER HAS ALREADY BEEN DISPLAYED.

*** AND LAST WEEK WE LOOKED AT THAT INCREDIBLE POWER WE HAVE IN CHRIST WITH ALL THE SYNONYMS FOR POWER IN V. 19.

**** AND THEN WE LOOKED AT THE ILLUSTRATION OF POWER IN V. 20. AND THERE WERE TWO OF THEM:

(4) THE POWER DISPLAYED IN THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST AND THE POWER DISPLAYED IN THE EXALTATION OF CHRIST.

* AND TODAY WE CONTINUE THE THEME STARTED IN V. 20 AS TO HOW GOD’S MIGHTY POWER WAS DEMONSTRATED IN CHRIST IN HIS EXALTATION.

** GOD THE FATHER HAS MANIFESTED HIS GREAT POWER IN THE EXULTATION OF HIS SON ABOVE ALL, ABOVE EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING.

*** AND PAUL, IN THESE LAST 3 VERSES OF EPHESIANS 1, GETS LOST IN THE IMMENSITY OF CHRIST’S SUPERIORITY.

**** AND I PRAY THAT WE WILL BE CONSUMED WITH THE SUPERIORITY, THE SUPREMACY, THE SOVEREIGNTY OF JESUS CHRIST TODAY AND FORGET ABOUT OURSELVES AND FOCUS OUR ATTENTION THAT JESUS IS ABOVE ALL.

(5) AND THAT’S THE TITLE OF OUR MESSAGE TODAY, “ABOVE ALL”.

* AND WE’LL LOOK AT 3 POINTS IN TRYING TO UNPACK THESE FINAL 3 VERSES OF EPHESIANS 1.

** NO. 1 THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST, V. 21; NO. 2 THE SUBJECTION OF EVERYTHING TO CHRIST, V. 22A; AND NO. 3 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF CHRIST AS HEAD IN V. 22B AND V. 23.

*** AND WITH THAT OUTLINE IN MIND, LET’S LOOK AT OUR FIRST POINT TODAY, THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST. LOOK AT V. 21 PLEASE.

I. THE SUPREMACY, (READ V. 21)

A. NOW BECAUSE OF CHRIST’S ENTHRONEMENT AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER, V. 20, CHRIST NOW POSSESSES THE FULL AUTHORITY OF THE FATHER.

* HIS POSITION IS SUPERIOR, SUPREME TO EVERY IMAGINABLE POWER INCLUDING SATAN AND HIS DEMONS, FALLEN ANGELS.

** FOR YOU SEE GOD’S THRONE TO WHICH CHRIST HAS BEEN EXALTED IS HIGH ABOVE, FAR ABOVE ALL THESE THINGS DESCRIBED IN V. 21.

*** FAR ABOVE ALL RULE, FAR ABOVE ALL AUTHORITY, FAR ABOVE ALL POWER, FAR ABOVE ALL DOMINION AND FAR ABOVE EVERY NAME THAT IS NAMED.

**** CHRIST IS SUPREME!

1. NOW SPECIFICALLY WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WITH ALL OF THESE WORDS IN V. 21: RULE, AUTHORITY, POWER AND DOMINION IN THE NAS AND NIV AND PRINCIPALITY, POWER, MIGHT AND DOMINION IN THE KJV AND THE NKJV?

* WELL, THESE ARE VARIOUS DESIGNATIONS OF AUTHORITY, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF POWER THAT ARE IN THE UNIVERSE, WHICH ALL ARE SUBORDINATE TO CHRIST.

** AND MOST LIKELY THESE WORDS ARE TERMS TO DESIGNATE ANGELIC BEINGS OF GREAT RANK, INCLUDING FALLEN AND ELECT ANGELS OR GOOD ANGELS THAT ARE GOD’S MESSENGERS.

*** AND OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT WITH GOD’S ANGELS THERE IS NO POWER STRUGGLE WITH THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST, THEY WORSHIP AND SERVE HIM.

**** BUT WITH FALLEN ANGELS AND SATAN, THEY ARE OPPOSED TO CHRIST AND GOD’S KINGDOM AND DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO TEMPT AND DERAIL GOD’S PEOPLE.

2. AND HERE’S WHERE THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST IS VERY PRACTICAL.

* THE POWER OF CHRIST APPLIED IN THE BELIEVER’S BEHALF CANNOT BE OVERTHROWN OR NEGATED OR DEFEATED, BECAUSE IT FAR SURPASSES THAT OF THE HOSTS OF SATAN WHO DESIGN TO DEFEAT IT.

** WE ARE IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE CONTINUALLY, SO WE ARE TOLD IN EPHESIANS 6:10-12 (READ THEM).

*** NOW PRINCIPALITIES, POWERS AND RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD ARE TWO OF THE TERMS USED IN V. 21 MAKING REFERENCE TO SATAN AND HIS FORCES THAT WE ARE IN BATTLE WITH AND THE PEOPLE HE ENERGIZES IN PLACES OF AUTHORITY.

**** AND HOW DO WE HAVE VICTORY OVER SATAN? JAMES GIVES US THE ANSWER IN JAMES 4:7&8 (READ IT).

3. AND BELOVED WE CANNOT RESIST SATAN IN OUR OWN STRENGTH. BUT IF WE FIRST SUBMIT OURSELVES TO GOD SO THAT THE POWER OF GOD DEMONSTRATED IN THE EXALTATION OF CHRIST ABOVE ALL RULE AND AUTHORITY FLOWS THROUGH US, THE DEVIL WILL FLEE FROM US AS HE FLED FROM CHRIST AT THE CONCLUSION OF HIS TEMPTATIONS IN THE WILDERNESS IN MATTHEW 4.

* AND CHRIST IS FAR ABOVE SATAN AND ALL THESE POWERS AND HUMAN AUTHORITIES.

** AND NONE OF THOSE DEMON AUTHORITIES CAN SEPARATE US FROM CHRIST, FOR ROMANS 8:38&39 SAYS USING THE TERM RULE AND AUTHORITY AND POWER ARE USED, 3 WORDS USED IN EPHESIANS 1:21, THEN NONE OF THESE POWERS CAN SEPARATE US FROM CHRIST (READ IT).

*** SO NOTHING OR NO ONE CAN SEPARATE US FROM CHRIST! HE IS ALL POWERFUL, HE IS OMNIPOTENT, HE HAS BEEN INFINITELY EXALTED AND IS SUPREME OVER ALL.

**** AND PAUL EXPANDS ON CHRIST’S SUPREMACY IN THE REST OF V. 21 BY ADDING THAT CHRIST IS FAR ABOVE “EVERY NAME THAT IS NAMED, NOT ONLY IN THIS AGE BUT ALSO IN THE ONE TO COME.”

4. AND THAT MEANS CHRIST IS ABOVE ANY HUMAN AUTHORITY, ANY BIG NAME, ANY RANK, KINGS, PRINCES, PRESIDENTS, WHOMEVER AND HIS SUPREMACY IS NOT ONLY IN THIS PRESENT AGE, BUT ALSO IN THE FUTURE AGE WHEN HE WILL EVEN RULE AND REIGN UPON THE EARTH, (READ PHILIPPIANS 2:9-11).

* SO CHRIST IS ABOVE ALL, EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE FOR TIME AND ETERNITY.

** AS ARMITAGE ROBINSON SAID: “ABOVE ALL THAT ANYWHERE IS, ANYWHERE CAN BE – ABOVE ALL GRADES OF DIGNITY, REAL OR IMAGINED, GOOD OR EVIL, PRESENT OR TO COME – THE MIGHTY POWER OF GOD HAS EXALTED AND ENTHRONED THE CHRIST.” (END QUOTE)

*** THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST FAR ABOVE ALL IS COMMUNICATED IN V. 21 WHICH LEADS US TO OUR NEXT POINT IN V. 22A, THE SUBJECTION, EVERYTHING IS SUBJECT TO CHRIST. LOOK AT V. 22A.

II. THE SUBJECTION, (READ V. 22A)

A. NOW CHRIST HAS NOT ONLY BEEN GIVEN A POSITION OF AUTHORITY, SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER AND IS FAR ABOVE ALL, BUT ALSO HE IS NOW ABLE TO EXERCISE HIS AUTHORITY IN THE SUBJECTION OF EVERYTHING UNDER HIS FEET.

* SO THE POWERS IN THE UNIVERSE ARE NOT SIMPLY JUST INFERIOR TO CHRIST; THEY ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO HIM.

** GOD THE FATHER IN EXALTING HIS SON, “PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.”

*** AND THE WORD SUBJECTION IS THE GREEK WORD HUPOTASSO WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN.

**** AND IT LIT. MEANS TO ARRANGE UNDER, TO SUBORDINATE, TO SUBJECT, TO SUBJECT ONE’S SELF, TO OBEY, TO SUBMIT TO ONE’S CONTROL.

1. AND TO ILLUSTRATE THAT WORD’S MEANING, IT IS USED IN ROMANS 13:1 AND I PETER 2:13 WHERE IT SAYS: (READ IT).

* AND THIS WORD IS ALSO USED IN EPHESIANS 5:24, COLOSSIANS 3:18 AND I PETER 3:1 WHERE IT MAKES REFERENCE TO WIVES, TO SUBMIT TO THEIR HUSBANDS (READ THEM AND THE BALANCE).

** AND ALSO THIS WORD IS USED IN JAMES 4:7 WHICH I QUOTED EARLIER, (QUOTE IT AGAIN).

*** NOW WE CAN SEE FROM ALL THESE REFERENCES THAT HUPOTASSO WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY USED AS A MILITARY TERM MEANING TO PLACE OR RANK UNDER, TO SUBJECT, IS A GREAT WORD TO BE USED HERE IN CONTEXT OF THE EXALTATION OF CHRIST.

**** FOR HE IS NOT ONLY FAR ABOVE EVERYTHING, BUT EVERYTHING IS UNDER HIS AUTHORITY, IN FACT IN THE LAST PART OF V. 22A “UNDER HIS FEET”.

2. AN EXPRESSION THAT EXPRESSES CHRIST’S RULING AUTHORITY.

* FOR V. 22A IS A QUOTE FROM PSALM 8:6 WHERE IT SAYS: “THOU DOST MAKE HIM TO RULE OVER THE WORKS OF THY HANDS; THOU HAST PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET.”

** AND THE THOUGHT OF CHRIST’S RULING AUTHORITY IS ALSO EXPRESSED IN PSALM 110:1 WHERE IT SAYS: “THE LORD SAYS TO MY LORD: SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE THINE ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR THY FEET.”

*** AND THEN IN THE N.T. IN HEBREWS 2:8A IT SAYS: “THOU HAST PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.”

**** NOW ALL OF THESE VERSES COMMUNICATE CHRIST’S RULING AUTHORITY. FOR YOU SEE IN DAYS GONE BY, THE KING’S THRONE WAS ALWAYS ELEVATED.

3. AND EVERYONE WHO CAME INTO HIS PRESENCE BOWED DOWN BEFORE HIM AND SOMETIMES EVEN KISSED HIS FEET (WHICH IS NASTY).

* BUT WITH THE KING’S RULING AUTHORITY, HIS SUBJECTS WERE OFTEN SPOKEN OF AS BEING UNDER HIS FEET.

** AND THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE IS JESUS, AND IN HIS POWERFUL EXALTATION, ALL THINGS ARE IN SUBJECTION TO HIM, UNDER HIS FEET.

*** WHICH LEADS US TO OUR THIRD POINT TODAY, THE SOVEREIGNTY. LOOK BACK AT V. 22 PLEASE.

III. THE SOVEREIGNTY, (READ V. 22)

A. NOW AS YOU KNOW I LOVE THE WORD SOVEREIGN OR SOVEREIGNTY, FOR THESE WORDS ARE FULL OF MEANING AND TRUTH.

* A SOVEREIGN IS ONE WHO EXERCISES SUPREME AUTHORITY, ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY. A SOVEREIGN HAS CONTROL OF WHAT IS UNDER HIM, HE IS FREE FROM EXTERNAL CONTROL, HE IS AUTONOMOUS MEANING ONE WHO EXISTS INDEPENDENT OF OTHERS, THERE IS NO OUTSIDE CONTROL.

** AND OF COURSE JESUS CHRIST IS THE SOVEREIGN, I TIMOTHY 6:14&15 SAYS: “THAT YOU KEEP THE COMMANDMENT WITHOUT STAIN OR REPROACH, UNTIL THE APPEARING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST,”

V. 15 – “WHICH HE WILL BRING ABOUT AT THE PROPER TIME – HE WHO IS THE BLESSED AND ONLY SOVEREIGN, THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

*** AND THEN PSALM 103:19 SAYS: “THE LORD HAS ESTABLISHED HIS THRONE IN THE HEAVENS; AND HIS SOVEREIGNTY RULES OVER ALL.”

**** SO OUR GOD IS SOVEREIGN, HE IS THE ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY AND POWER IN THE UNIVERSE AND IS IN CONTROL.

1. AND TO SHOW CHRIST’S SOVEREIGNTY THE WORD HEAD IS USED METAPHORICALLY IN V. 22, GOD THE FATHER IN HIS EXALTATION OF CHRIST BY HIS POWER “GAVE HIM (CHRIST) AS HEAD OVER ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH.”

* AND THE TERM HEAD EXPRESSES RULING AUTHORITY. WHEN SOMEONE IS THE HEAD OF SOMETHING HE IS OVER SOMETHING, ON TOP, THE CHIEF, SUPREME, PROMINENT, YOU CAN’T GET ANY HIGHER THAN THE HEAD.

** WELL, CHRIST IS HEAD, THE SOVEREIGN AUTHORITY, THE RULER OVER ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH.

*** AND THAT CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH IS A REPETITIOUS TRUTH IN THE N.T., COLOSSIANS 1:18 SAYS (READ IT).

**** ALSO READ EPHESIANS 5:23, EPHESIANS 4:15 AND COLOSSIANS 2:10.

2. NOW AGAIN THE HEAD IS THE AUTHORITY, THE BRAIN, THE POWER BEHIND THE WORK OF THE BODY.

* AND THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST, LOOK AT V. 23 PLEASE.

B. READ V. 23. NOW THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST, AND A BODY DOES WHAT THE HEAD TELLS IT TO DO.

* A BODY CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT IT’S HEAD, IT CAN’T FUNCTION WITHOUT IT’S HEAD.

** BUT THE BODY IS THERE TO DO WHAT IT’S HEAD WANTS IT TO DO.

*** AND CHRIST IS HEAD OVER HIS BODY, THE CHURCH, THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH IN THIS CONTEXT, THE INVISIBLE CHURCH COMPRISED OF ALL TRUE BELIEVERS AROUND THE WORLD, NOT THE LOCAL VISIBLE CHURCH WHICH IS ITS MAJORITY AND NORMAL USE.

**** NOW SPECIFICALLY THE MANIFESTATION OF THE VISIBLE, LIT. LOCAL CHURCH IS THE PLAN OF GOD, IN FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION AS SEEN IN ACTS.

1. THE SUPREMACY AND PRIMACY OF THE CHURCH IS COMMUNICATED CLEARLY IN ACTS AND THE CHURCH EPISTLES AS THE MEANS TO FULFILL THE GREAT COMMISSION TO MAKE DISCIPLES.

* AND EVERY BELIEVER NEEDS TO BE A COMMITTED PART OF A LOCAL VISIBLE BODY OF CHRIST, THE CHURCH.

** YET EVERY TRUE BELIEVER IS A PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST UNIVERSAL AND SHOULD BE DOING THE WILL OF IT’S HEAD BY BEING A COMMITTED PART OF A VISIBLE BODY, A COLLECTIVE, A PART OF A TEAM, AND NOT ACTING AS AN INDEPENDENT.

* AND INDIVIDUALISM IS NOT VERY EFFECTIVE, WHETHER IT HAS TO DO WITH A TEAM OR ANYTHING.

** WELL, CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF THE BODY. AND HE EMPOWERS THE BODY TO FUNCTION. THERE IS A VITAL UNION OF THE HEAD AND THE BODY.

*** AND IF THE BODY IS DISCONNECTED WITH THE HEAD IT DIES!

**** AND IF CHRIST IS NOT PREEMINENT IN HIS CHURCH IT DIES.

2. BUT NOT ONLY IS CHRIST HEAD OVER ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH WHICH IS HIS BODY, THE LAST PART OF V. 23 SAYS, “THE FULLNESS OF HIM WHO FILLS ALL IN ALL.”

* NOW THE CHURCH IS THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST WHO FILLS ALL IN ALL.

** NOW WHAT DOES THIS STATEMENT MEAN? WELL, THERE IS MUCH DEBATE AND DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THIS STATEMENT, EVEN TO THE PLACE WHERE R.C. SPROUL SAID IN HIS SHORT COMMENTARY ON EPHESIANS, “I DON’T KNOW ANYBODY WHO CAN SAY WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY WHAT PAUL MEANS HERE.”

*** WELL, WITH THAT IN MIND, I’M CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO COME ACROSS LIKE I AM ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN.

**** BUT LET ME SAY THERE ARE TWO MAJOR INTERPRETATIONS, ONE THAT MAKES THE WORD FULLNESS (PLAY-RO-MAH) TO BE IN A PASSIVE SENSE AND THE OTHER IN A MORE ACTIVE SENSE.

3. IN OTHER WORDS, DOES IT MEAN “THAT WHICH FILLS” OR “THAT WHICH IS FILLED”?

* WELL, IN THE PASSIVE SENSE, FULLNESS REFERS TO THE BODY OF CHRIST AS SOMETHING FILLED AS A RECEPTACLE, LIKE YOU WOULD FILL A BUCKET WITH WATER.

** WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST, IS DWELT IN AND FILLED BY CHRIST.

*** THE CHURCH IS THE BODY THAT HOLDS OR CONTAINS THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST, THE CHURCH IS FILLED BY HIM, AND IS HIS REPRESENTATION ON EARTH.

**** CHRIST’S FULLNESS ABIDES IN THE CHURCH AND IS EXEMPLIFIED BY IT, THE CHURCH IS FILLED BY CHRIST. HE IS THE ALL IN ALL OF IT THAT WAY.

4. NOW THE 2’D INTERPRETATION IS A MUCH BOLDER INTERPRETATION AND CAN BE MISUNDERSTOOD, THE INTERPRETATION THAT USES FULLNESS IN AN ACTIVE SIGNIFICANCE.

* AND THIS INTERPRETATION COMMUNICATES THAT THE CHURCH FILLS OR COMPLETES CHRIST, THAT WITHOUT THE CHURCH CHRIST IN SOME SENSE IS INCOMPLETE.

** NOW INITIALLY THAT PUTS ME IN A DEFENSIVE MODE FOR CHRIST IS GOD AND GOD HAS NO NEEDS, AND DOES NOT NEED ANYTHING TO COMPLETE HIMSELF.

*** IT ALMOST SOUNDS HERETICAL. BUT THOSE WHO COMMUNICATE THIS VIEW ARE NOT HERETICS.

**** FOR THEY WILL COMMUNICATE THAT GOD HAS ORDAINED OR WILLED OR CHOSEN HIS CHURCH TO THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST IN THIS WAY.

5. WILLIAM HENDRIKSEN IN HIS COMMENTARY ON EPHESIANS SAID AT THIS POINT: “AS TO HIS DIVINE ESSENCE CHRIST IS IN NO SENSE WHATEVER DEPENDENT ON OR CAPABLE OF BEING COMPLETED BY THE CHURCH. BUT AS BRIDEGROOM, HE IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT THE BRIDE; AS VINE HE CANNOT BE THOUGHT OF WITHOUT THE BRANCHES; AS SHEPHERD HE IS NOT SEEN WITHOUT HIS SHEEP; AND SO ALSO AS HEAD HE FINDS HIS FULL EXPRESSION IN HIS BODY, THE CHURCH.” (END QUOTE)

* JOHN CALVIN SAID: “THIS IS THE HIGHEST HONOR OF THE CHURCH THAT UNTIL HE IS UNITED TO US, THE SON OF GOD RECKONS HIMSELF IN SOME MEASURE INCOMPLETE. WHAT CONSOLATION IT IS FOR US TO LEARN THAT NOT UNTIL WE ARE IN HIS PRESENCE DOES HE POSSESS ALL HIS PARTS, NOR DOES HE WISH TO BE REGARDED AS COMPLETE.” (END QUOTE)

** AND THEN ONE LAST QUOTE, D. MARTIN LLOYD JONES ALSO ENDORSES THIS VIEW IN GUARDED FASION. HE SAID, “THERE IS A SENSE IN WHICH WE AS THE CHURCH ARE HIS FULLNESS…A HEAD ALONE IS NOT COMPLETE. A HEAD NEEDS A BODY, AND YOU CANNOT THINK OF A HEAD WITHOUT A BODY. SO THE BODY AND THE HEAD ARE ONE IN THIS MYSTICAL SENSE.

*** AS SUCH WE CHRISTIAN PEOPLE ARE PART OF THE FULLNESS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.” (END QUOTE)

**** NOW THIS IS THE INTERPRETATION THAT I LEAN TOWARD, THAT OUR SOVEREIGN HEAD IN HIS PLAN HAS WILLED FOR THE CHURCH TO BE HIS FULLNESS OR COMPLETENESS IN THAT SENSE, NOT THAT HE NEEDS US IN HIS ESSENTIAL BEING, BUT HE HAS PRE-DETERMINED FOR US TO COMPLETE HIS GLORY. THE CHURCH IS THE COMPLETION OF ALL GLORY OF CHRIST.

AND AS I WRAP UP THINGS TODAY: (1) LET ME SAY WHATEVER INTERPRETATION IS USED TO CLOSE OUT THIS PRAYER OF PAUL, RIGHTLY UNDERSTOOD, BOTH COMMUNICATE CHRIST “ABOVE ALL”.

* AND IN THE CHURCH, CHRIST IS TO BE ABOVE ALL. BELOVED, THE CHURCH IS TO BE A TRANSFORMING POWER THROUGH THE PRESENCE OF THE RISEN CHRIST WITHIN, THE GREATEST OF ALL POWERS IN THIS WORLD.

** THOSE WHO TRULY BELONG TO THE CHURCH ARE CHANGED, FOR APART FROM THE POWER OF CHRIST IN THEIR LIVES, THEY DO NOT EVEN BELONG TO IT.

*** BUT THEN, HAVING BEEN CHANGED AND BECOMING MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH, WE ARE TO WORK THROUGH THE POWER OF CHRIST IN THE CHURCH TO TRANSFORM THE WORLD POWERFULLY.

**** AND THE VICTORY IS NOT ACHIEVED BY ARMS OR WEAPONS. IT IS NOT ACHIEVED BY MARCHES OR BY THE FORCE OF POWER POLITICS.

(2) IT IS THE VICTORY OF TRANSFORMED LIVES AS, THROUGH THE CHURCH WHICH CHRIST FILLS, THE RULE OF CHRIST IS EXTENDED FORCEFULLY THROUGH THE WORLD AND HE IS GLORIFIED, COMPLETED IN THAT SENSE.

* AND CHURCH, I ASK YOU TODAY, IS CHRIST ABOVE ALL?

** IS HE PREEMINENT IN OUR LIVES? IS HE PREEMINENT IN OUR CORPORATE GATHERING? IS HE ABOVE ALL AND OVER ALL OF US?

*** IS HE THE HEAD OF YOUR LIFE?

**** BELOVED OUR SAVIOR IS SUPERIOR, HE IS SUPREME, HE IS SOVEREIGN SO MAY WE SUBMIT OURSELVES TO HIM MORE AND MORE.

(3) AND AS WE CLOSE OUT THIS GREAT CHAPTER, I REMIND YOU THAT OUR LORD WANTS US TO UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THE GREAT SALVATION, AND IN PARTICULAR THE PLAN WE AS GOD’S PEOPLE HAVE IN THE DIVINE PURPOSES.

* WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN CHRIST IS FOR OUR BENEFIT AND MOST OF ALL FOR CHRIST’S GLORY.

** GOD’S POWER IN CHRIST IS AVAILABLE FOR US, AND CHRIST’S RULE OVER ALL SHOULD BRING US GREAT PEACE AND MOVE US TO KNOW WHAT THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING IN OUR LIVES IS AND THE RICHES OF THE GLORY OF HIS INHERITANCE.

*** HIS POWER GUARANTEES GLORY FOR HIS CHOSEN ONES. MAY WE LIVE IN THAT POWER THAT WAS MANIFEST IN CHRIST’S RESURRECTION AND EXALTATION.

**** MAY THERE TRULY BE GLORY IN THE CHURCH. I CLOSE WITH EPHESIANS 3:19-21 (READ THEM).