I am Empowered
Notes
Transcript
Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters God’s Love, God’s Power—In Us (Ephesians 3:14–21)
Prayer brings together love and power: the relation of love that grows up between God and the person who prays, and the flowing of power from God to, and especially through, that person.
Our world is afraid& discouraged.
Our world is afraid& discouraged.
Think coronavirus-19. Think politically. Relationships are marred by fear to the point we don’t really relate with one another. We have racism still rampant in our day, just maybe a little more sophisticated. We de-humanize those who are different from us in part because of fear.
Other words may include: despair, hopelessness, dissatisfied with life.
Prayer is our response to fear.
Prayer is our response to fear.
All people are created in God’s image.
All people are created in God’s image.
Pray for strength in our souls.
Pray for strength in our souls.
We need to be aware of Christ in us.
We need to be aware of Christ in us.
We need community.
We need community.
Our idea of self-sufficiency, of which I am terribly guilty of, needs to be thrown away. Being “in Christ” and having “Christ in us” requires us to be with others. God has not just saved individuals to be better version of themselves. He has called individuals to collectively be His body.
Christ’s love is beyond measure.
Christ’s love is beyond measure.
Truth: we are rooted in Christ’s love.
Truth: we are rooted in Christ’s love.
Think of the Redwood trees out west with deep roots that interconnect with other redwoods.
Truth: we are established in Christ’s love.
Truth: we are established in Christ’s love.
Christ’s love is the foundation which can withstand all things.
God can do way more than we expect.
God can do way more than we expect.
God’s power is in us.
God’s power is in us.
Paul says that God’s power is already at work in us.
Why do we not see this more often?
Why do we not see this more often?
This is a logical question after a statement like Paul’s. He makes it clear that if we are in Christ the power of God is at work in us. Yet, in many areas of life we Christians are no different than those who do not know Jesus. We gossip as much as they do. We have addictions and affairs at similar rates. We engage in overeating at the same rate. We do not love our neighbors any better and at times are more judgmental than those who are not in Jesus.
We are content with who we are.
We are content with who we are.
We are unwilling to let Christ change us.
The Church belongs to God.
The Church belongs to God.
I am empowered! I am an overcomer!
I am empowered! I am an overcomer!