Prayer from a Prison Cell (Eph. 1:15-19)
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
· Please open with me once again to Ephesians 1.
· Last spring I was taking a walk through Morongo Preserve on the simple loop that stays on the boardwalk. Was about three quarters of the way through where it begins to open back up into a clearing with fields on the left, palm trees lining the boardwalk, and a nature center on the right. I was walking along when I realized a woman was standing nearby totally still. She said to me look behind you. I looked back and realized there were about a dozen deer. She said they were eating eucalyptus branches that had blown down from a wind storm the night before.
· Had it not been for that lady, I may have walked right by those deer and never even seen them. They were there, but I was unaware of it. Sometimes, the greatest blessings are sitting right in front of us, if only we have eyes to see.
· This is one of the reasons for the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They get our eyes back on Christ, and cause us to think deeply about spiritual things.
· Today in Ephesians, Paul shares how he has been praying for the Ephesian church - that God will help them to see what is in front of them.
· Review: We are continuing a theme that we began last week on prayer. Last week we discussed corporate prayer. Acts 2:42 continually devoting themselves to apostles teaching, breaking bread, fellowship, and prayer. Imitates the early church and it empowers other ministries. Today we continue that theme of prayer and see how Paul prayed for his church members and ministry partners.
· We can divide our passage into two points: a prayer of thanksgiving and a prayer for wisdom.
Prayer of Thanksgiving (15-16)
Prayer of Thanksgiving (15-16)
· Your faith in the Lord.
· Faith is at the heart of the gospel. Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
· Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
· Galatians 2:16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
· Having been saved by faith, we are to continue walking by faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
· Faith is not something tangible that you can see. Nevertheless, it is evident in your worship, in your prayers, in your trials. And according to Paul, this faith was growing.
· I am amazed that Paul could know so much about a church, before telephones or social media. Here he is in Rome, sitting in prison, 1,000 miles away, halfway across the Mediterranean sea. As your shepherd, I love to hear how you are doing, where you are struggling, when you are rejoicing, and how you need prayer. We need to make more of an effort of making our faith visible and report it.
· Your love toward all the saints.
· The distinguishing mark of a Christian. 1 John 4:7–11 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
· George and Roberta Wilson’s hospitality. Free walnuts. I can already picture these in some chocolate brownies. Actually, I have a special recipe. An hour later, they knocked on the door of my room and invited me over for brownies and ice cream. Their hospitality was like a tiny demonstration of God’s love.
· What would Paul say of our church? What would he say of today? What reports would he hear?
· Would it be 2 Thessalonians 1:3 … your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.
· Or perhaps more like Sardis? Revelation 3:1 “… ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
· I think Phil. 1:6 is a worthy goal – that he who began a good work in you is being faith to complete it….
· Other people are watching. Word travels faster than you might think. Every day you have the opportunity to put the gospel on display, and to motivate people toward godliness, or otherwise, you could risk causing the word of God to be reviled (Titus 2:5).
· Even more importantly, Christ is watching. He is the Son of Man who stands in the midst of the lampstands. And he will one day he will open up the books, tell you everything you have done, and every word you have spoken, and you will give an account.
Prayer for Wisdom
Prayer for Wisdom
· The heart is an amazing organ pumping blood through your body right now. It has chambers. It has valves. But did you know you have eyes in your heart?
· Proverbs 27:19 As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.
· Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
· Mark 7:20–23 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
· In our parenting, we want to always aim for the heart. Not mere outward behavior. We don’t want little Billy to stop hitting his sister. We want him to understand this behavior dishonors God, and that God has created him to love and protect others. Not hurt them. All counseling should aim for the heart.
· The importance of knowing God. Jeremiah 9:23–24 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
· The hope to which he has called you
· The riches of his glorious inheritance
· The immeasurable greatness of his power
· The spiritual nature of Paul’s prayer. He is not occupied mainly with physical things, a long list of illnesses and ailments, surgeries and
Conclusion
Conclusion
· Elisha’s vision of the angelic armies