If you were to compare modern English translations you would notice some differences of opinion. I wonder, Christian, have you paused to contemplate the love that the Father has lavished upon you in Christ Jesus? If our love for God is sincere, we will pray. Instead, the answer will be found in the passage before the previous one, that is to say,  Ephesians 2. The roots grow together, intertwining with each other and creating a stabilizing root bed that helps each tree continue to stand. Hey guys. During my childhood and youth I remember those folks in my church who we did things with besides sit in the pews. Notice also that our passage for today begins with the words, “For this reason…” We should probably pause to ask the question, for what reason, Paul? Paul told the Church at Ephesus that they should be “rooted and grounded in love.” Like the Redwood trees our faith will be stronger when we are tangled with others in close proximity. In the previous lesson we saw where Paul was about to start his second prayer for the Ephesians in Ep 3:1... a. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:15–17, ESV). Everywhere we look — be it up or down, before us or behind us, or to this side or that, we see evidence of Christ’s love. Scripture: Ephesians 3:14–21. And so here sin 3:14-21 we have the conclusion to the doctrinal portion of Paul’s letter. The scriptures tell us to “do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). Yes, he was a great missionary and church planter. Yes, he was a gifted leader within the early church. Check out these helpful resources He was devout. Never should the Christian be self-righteous, proud or aloof. He leads us in paths of righteousness. Sermon Transcript Sermon Audio Subscribe to Podcast. They were a part of something much greater and the love of Christ within them would reach beyond their wildest imaginations. And members, are we praying for one another, “that according to the riches of [God’s] glory he may grant [us] to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in [our] inner being, so that Christ may dwell in [our] hearts through faith… being rooted and grounded in love…” Once more, if we are praying according to that prayer that Christ taught his disciples, which is commonly called The Lord’s prayer, then we will pray for others in this way, for Christ did not teach us to pray saying my Father, but “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Get your church set-up with online giving, sermon streaming, and more in under 24 hours. Again, the ESV says, “from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.”  The NKJV says, “from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.” And the NIV84 says. In Ephesians 2:22 Paul said, “In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” In 3:17 Paul reported to pray that “Christ may dwell in [our] hearts through faith…” And here in 3:19 Paul reports to pray that the Christian be filled “with all the fullness of God.” We have been redeemed by the blood of Christ so that God the Father, Son and Spirit might dwell with us and in us by the agency of the Spirit, for we are his temple. Is your love for God and Christ  increasing? Text: Ephesians 1:15-23 Sermon Series: Soul Food: Ephesians for the 21st-Century If you have been to Yosemite or Sequoia National Park you have enjoyed the beauty of the majestic Redwood. How Can We Be Clothed with Power? There Paul prays that the Ephesians would “have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge…” (Ephesians 3:18–19a, ESV). But the Christian should be humble and reverent — deeply devoted to God and to the things of God. Tell me friends, do you sense God’s presence with you? A lone Redwood tree growing by itself wouldn’t last long, but a Redwood forest can last for thousands of years. If we really believe what we say we believe, we will pray. Thanks.”. In the ESV the “that” is found in the middle of verse 17, but it goes with the petition found in verses 18 and 19. Yesterday and next Saturday there are two weddings which involve church families. “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Downloads & Resources. God the Father, by his mercy and grace, has set his name upon those he has redeemed in Christ. You will notice the Trinitarian structure of Paul’s temple talk. Are you praying that “God by His grace, would make [you] able and willing to know, obey, and submit to His will in all things, as the angels do in heaven” (Baptist Catechism, 110). I should say before moving on that these three petitions of Paul are interrelated. He convicts us of sin. Mar 22, 1981. I suppose Paul could have simply chosen one of these terms to describe greatness of Christ’s love. God has established the forest, which we call the church in which we are to grow. And please notice that Paul brings this doctrinal portion of his epistle to a conclusion with prayer. But notice this: Paul was a man of prayer. I went to summer camp with other youth. “You see Sir, I haven’t had much of a chance to be normal, that’s why we need each other.”. Paul was speaking to people who had no church structure. He said he wouldn’t feel right selling a puppy that was less than normal. The Realm is our church's online network. We need to be “knit together in love” to grow strong, to be stable and to be able to stand as people of faith. Our hope is that you will make Emmaus your home and that you will begin to grow with us as we study the scriptures and, through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, live in a way that honors our great King. This passage that is before us today brings the first half of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians to a conclusion. The core thing for which Paul prayed was that the believers in Ephesus would be “strengthened with power… in [their] inner being.” You are aware of this, I am sure, that there is an outer man, and there is an inner man. And there are few points of application that I might draw from this. A chapter by chapter and verse by verse study of Ephesians taught by Pastor Paul LeBoutillier of Calvary Chapel Ontario, Oregon. Again, we must remember the theme of “temple” that has developed within Ephesians. Ephesians 1-3 Overview – Your Riches in Jesus Christ The Spirit of God is our Helper. We use this tool as our primary means of communication. That leaves only one step to prepare one for this ultimate goal of life. Notice that Paul piles up terms to describe the greatness of Christ’s love for us. He has adopted these children — both those who are alive today on earth, and those who have gone to glory and are with God in heaven — in Christ, the eternal Son of God come in the flesh. And this was in fact the way that Paul spoke of his own strivings. Unity & Diversity: Gifts from Ephesians 4:7–12. Paul concludes his description of our identity in Ephesians 3:14-21 by teaching that we have been strengthened in Christ. Three, Paul’s prayer to the Father was that the Ephesians would be strengthened through the Spirit so that “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…” You’ll notice the Trinitarian structure of this passage, I’m sure. And we must learn to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called. Strength in the inner man does not just happen. Prayer for the Presence of God: Ephesians 3:14–21. That one was not very healthy. In the Greek it is has the form of a song. 43430 E. Florida Ave. #F329Hemet, CA 92544. In Christ we know God truly, but we do not know him exhaustively. Earlier in this epistle Jewish and Gentile believers were said to be stones in God’s temple, with the Apostles and Prophets being foundation stones, and Christ himself being the cornerstone. Satan would rather have me study my Bible than pray. A Sermon on Ephesians 3:14-15 Prayer for Spiritual Strength For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, (ESV) How important is prayer? And to love Christ, is to keep his commandments. Hymn Lists. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:15–17, ESV). 3:14-21 (ESV) For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, [15] from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, [16] that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] … Here Paul’s prayer is that by God’s grace we would be strengthened in the inner man through the Spirit so that “Christ would dwell in our hearts through faith”. You must be in prayer. Thanks for this opportunity to open God’s word with you. We sink our roots into the local body and become entwined with each other’s lives. These trees, which reach so high you can’t see their tops, have a very shallow root system. Interested in becoming a member? In worship this week, Pastor Dave was emphasizing that all of our actions as members of the body of Christ are rooted and grounded in love. There were several committee meetings here this past week. 10:00am Sunday Mornings This passage of Ephesians 3:14-21 refers totwo important stages in reaching such heights of love. Ephesians 3:14-21 | Sermon Pray to Comprehend the Depths of Christ's Love November 28, 2018 Telos: Pray to Comprehend the Depths of Christ’s love. I’m Dan Absalonson one of the interns. Yes, Paul was a skilled writer — a theologian par excellence. When we pray for ourselves and others that we be strengthened in the inner man, we should pray as Paul did, beseeching the Father that he would graciously grant us this strength according to his power and glory. It is the belief of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church that God's Word (in conjunction with the Church body) are sufficient to bring believers to a place of mental healing, relational harmony, and spiritual peace. 4:00pm Sunday Evenings His habit was to “bow [his] knees before the Father.”. Grounded in Love “…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.” – Ephesians 3:17. Our lives were intertwined and we celebrated our victories together and mourned our tragedies together. Some of the sermons on Ephesians also contain MP3 Audio files. That you would grow in faith and in you love for God and one another. The little boy told the store manager that he wanted the puppy in the corner. ... Ephesians 3:14–21 Prayer for Spiritual Strength. Yes, this means we must examine ourselves to see if there is anything lacking. Sep 29, 1985. A thirty-nine lesson study through “Know the Truth, A Handbook of Christian Belief” by Bruce Milne. And faith itself is a gift from God. Jesus tells us, “by this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). “Mr.,” he said, “That little puppy needs me and I need him.” The store manager replied, “But, I don’t feel right selling you a puppy who doesn’t have much of a chance.” The little boy then rolled up his pants leg, revealing a brace on his leg. He spoke of the fact that though we were worldly, rebellious, fleshly, children of wrath by nature and dead in our sins, God has made us alive in Christ. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. Petitions of Paul ’ s love for them worship the Lord of hosts ), [ please any! Lord of hosts sermons children ’ s the way it should be humble and reverent — deeply devoted to concerning... God the Blessing of God ( 3:19b ) the pews — a theologian par excellence with! 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