Sermon Tone Analysis

Seeking God and His Glory

Ephesians 3:14-21

 

! Introduction

            We had been driving for over 3 hours and it was a hot day.

The air conditioning was not keeping up and when we got to the lake there was only one thing we wanted and that was to cool off in the water.

Before we set up camp we headed for the beach because that was what we needed more than anything else.

What do we need more than anything else?

If we are thirsty, we need something to drink.

If we are tired, we need rest.

If we are discouraged, we need an encouraging word.

What do we need more than anything else if we have an incredible message to proclaim to people who don't necessarily want to hear it and we are shy or fearful or unskilled?

In Ephesians 3:14, Paul transitions from what he has been saying previously with the words, "For this reason."

He has been talking about the good news which is now available to all people.

He has spoken of his commitment to make that message known.

Because of that message and the need to communicate it, Paul sees that what is needed more than anything else is prayer and for this reason Paul prays for the believers in Ephesus and gives us a model of prayer for one another.

He uses an interesting phrase to speak of prayer when he says, "I bow my knees before the Father."

The normal posture for prayer among Jewish people was standing, but kneeling was not unknown.

The kneeling posture implies submission to God and a desperate seeking for the One who can answer.

We sometimes talk about being driven to our knees and that is some of the implication of this phrase.

There are times when prayer is what we need more than anything else.

As he addresses God in prayer, he addresses him as the "Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name."

This introduces two ideas which encourage us that this kind of a prayer will be effective.

The words, "Father" and "heaven and earth" remind us that the God to whom we come is sovereign and rules over all.

The unusual mention that He is the "Father of every family in heaven and earth" communicates the idea that He cares about every person on earth.

Although we are used to thinking about God as the Father of believers, He is also in a sense the Father of everyone, since He has created everyone.

Therefore, we recognize that there is no one who is outside of God's concern and care.

So since God is sovereign and cares, we can be sure that this prayer will be heard.

There are three requests that are made in this passage.

In Greek the word "ἵνα" is a little word which is translated, "in order that."

In this passage, in most translations, it is translated, "I pray that."

Although not every English translation makes it very clear, this little word appears three times in this passage.

Each of those times introduces one request.

Neufeld says, "The first is that believers might be renewed at the core with power and love…The second is that they might have the power to grasp reality and the love of Christ…The third request is that believers might experience the fullness of God."

If we have strength, understanding and are filled with God, surely we will have all we need to make the gospel message known.

What a great prayer to be prayed by us for each other in our need, particularly as it relates to the mission God has given us.

!

I.       Prayer For Strength

            Would you not agree that we are weak?

I often falter in regards to the will to engage actively in God's mission.

I lack the wisdom to know how to do it.

I do not have the power to accomplish what God wants me to do.

As much as I would like to, I know that I can't make a person believe in God.

Because we are weak, we need God's strength and so Paul prays for strength.

What a great prayer for us in our own weakness or for a weak church.

The request for strength is founded upon a wonderful hope.

Paul says "I pray that, according to the riches of His glory."

What it seems that Paul is doing is giving a word of encouragement that God has all the resources needed to answer our prayer.

But the phrase seems unusual.

Why would he speak about "the riches of His glory."

It would seem to make more sense if he said, "according to the riches of his power, or love or wisdom."

Yet the riches of His glory is really an appropriate way of stating that we have great hope that this prayer will be answered.

When those who are weak are helped by God's great strength, God receives glory.

So to ask for strength because God will be glorified by giving strength, gives a wonderful assurance that God will answer this prayer.

God desires nothing more than His glory and if we pray for strength and God answers, He will be glorified.

Therefore, we have hope that the strength we need will come from God.

So Paul asks God that the Ephesians will be "strengthened in your inner being with power."

He is praying that they will have the strength of character and the power within that is needed to be God's people.

He asks for the strength to live in holiness, the power to be bold enough, committed enough and courageous enough to do God's work.

As he prays, he acknowledges that this power comes to every believer through the Holy Spirit.

This also is a word of assurance.

When we are weak, we are not nearly at the end of hope.

As followers of Jesus, we have been given the Holy Spirit and it is the Spirit who will provide us with the power we need.

In verse 17, he repeats in some sense, but brings Jesus into the picture.

The Spirit who indwells us is the Spirit of Jesus.

The Christian life is a life lived in Jesus.

He is the one who changes our hearts and empowers us to obey God and to be actively engaged in God's work.

This prayer seeks God's presence through the Spirit and through Jesus as the source of the power necessary for living the Christian life.

This powerful presence of God is not something we conjure up by gritting our teeth and making it happen.

God has already promised to be present with us and to help us and empower us.

The means by which His presence and power is our is, as the text says, "through faith."

God never forces His way into our life or ministry.

He waits for us to seek Him and by seeking Him to trust Him.

How often I have sought to accomplish things by my effort and strength of will when I would have accomplished much more by trusting in Jesus.

Such strength comes to us as "we are being rooted and grounded in love."

Paul uses two images, agricultural and architectural.

The agricultural image says that root that allows us to trust in Christ is the knowledge that we are loved.

The architectural image says that foundation of the building which allows us to trust in Christ is the knowledge that we are loved.

So do we feel strong and able and skilled to walk obediently, to do God's work and to be successful as a Christian?

Probably not.

Probably we feel weak, but feeling weak is not a reason to become discouraged and give up.

We have a God who seeks His glory through giving us the strength and power we need to be what He wants us to be and to do what He wants us to do.

Instead of feeling like giving up when we are weak, such weakness becomes a motivation to pray.

So let us pray for ourselves and for one another that we will have the strength within and be filled with the Spirit and with the presence of Jesus.

Otto and Lidia Funk, missionaries whom we support, express such a request in their prayer letter.

They manifest weakness and ask for just such a prayer when they ask us, "Pray that we will never get tired of being Christians."

!

II.

Prayer For Understanding

            One of the things that makes us weak is that we see so many things that seem beyond us.

We know that the Word of God is powerful and that if people read it, their lives can be changed.

In the news lately we have heard that many school divisions do not permit the Gideon's to distribute Bibles to grade 5 students any more.

We feel powerless against this opposition to the Word of God.

We have friends who are going to teach English in a restricted access country.

When we write them we have to be very careful what we talk about and how we refer to their upcoming service.

In publications their initials are used, but not their names.

These are illustrations of the kind of things in the world around us that make us feel weak and inadequate especially when it comes to making the name of Jesus known.

Paul's second request is that God will give them the ability to see a different reality.

!! A.   How Big is God!

The song, "How big is God" has some great words that give us a glimpse into that larger reality.

Though men may strive to go beyond the reach of space

To walk beyond the distant glimmering stars.

This world's a room so small within my Father's house