1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,400 I'd imagine that if you grew up in Sunday school, it's probably 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:05,840 a song that most of this room is familiar with. 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:08,960 If not, today's the day you get to learn. 4 00:00:09,120 --> 00:00:12,920 So very, very simple. In fact, there's only a couple 5 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:14,600 of words that I want you to remember. 6 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:19,920 The words deep and wide, OK, Where it's deep and wide. 7 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:21,760 And So what we're going to do, and I'm going to do this 8 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,320 nervously, but I'm going to sing the beginning of this song. 9 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,600 When I point to you, I need you to sing the words back to me. 10 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,840 OK. It goes deep and wide. 11 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:34,680 Deep and wide. There's a fountain flowing. 12 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:38,240 Beautiful. Doctor Hansford. 13 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:39,680 I don't know why your choir is not bigger. 14 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:44,240 You guys sound like angels. Now, here's what's interesting 15 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:47,160 about that song, at least to my knowledge. 16 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,000 That's it. That's all that was written. 17 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:53,920 Deep and wide. Deep and wide. 18 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:56,400 That's the whole song. There's a fountain flowing deep 19 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:59,640 and why to to my knowledge, there's not another verse, not 20 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,200 another lyric. That's all they wrote. 21 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:07,280 We sing about a about a fountain, though A a fountain of 22 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,160 what? A a fountain of God's love? 23 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,880 Is it a fountain of God's power? I I honestly, truly don't know 24 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:16,760 the answer. The theology of the song, the 25 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:20,800 lyrics of the song is not that specific yet regardless, for 26 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:24,720 years, my mom, my grandma, my great grandma all all sang that 27 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,000 song over me. It's a song my my family has 28 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,240 taught to elementary age students from all over the 29 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:32,960 globe. It's a song that sort of still 30 00:01:32,960 --> 00:01:35,040 echoes in the chambers of my memory. 31 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,680 It's a song that really teaches US one thing though. 32 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:43,600 There's a fountain. But in days of trial, you can 33 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,480 draw on that fountain. And that fountain is God. 34 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,600 It's a song that teaches that he, God, possesses more than 35 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,720 enough resource, more than enough love, more than enough 36 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:58,080 power to sustain me in seasons of difficulty. 37 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:02,240 It acts as a reminder to me personally on those difficult 38 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:04,360 days. And so as you open your Bibles 39 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,560 to Ephesians 3 this morning, it's where it's where we will 40 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:10,120 be. Ephesians chapter 3, I'd like 41 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:15,080 for you to maintain this image of a deep fountain, a fountain 42 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:18,680 of perfect love, a fountain of perfect resource, a fountain of 43 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,200 perfect sustenance, whatever it is. 44 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,120 Because you see, this passage that we are about to read 45 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:29,600 together is incredibly deep. It speaks to the realities that 46 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,280 get down into the very depth of your human soul. 47 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:34,600 Now this passage is also incredibly wide. 48 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,840 It as the scope of Paul's words and the things that he's talking 49 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:42,600 about extend infinitely outward outside the bounds of eternity. 50 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,520 This passage is deep and it is wide and it is meant to be a 51 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,640 source of deep spiritual strength. 52 00:02:50,640 --> 00:02:54,800 Because if I could remind you very quickly of where Aaron left 53 00:02:54,800 --> 00:03:00,160 us off last week in chapter 3, verse 13, he says so that I, so 54 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:05,680 I ask you not to lose heart. Paul's desire for the Ephesian 55 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:10,280 church in this passage is that they do not lose heart. 56 00:03:11,640 --> 00:03:16,000 And our passage today is the deep fountain of spiritual 57 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,960 inspiration meant to sustain the Ephesian church so that they do 58 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:24,520 not lose heart. This passage is a deep fountain 59 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,920 of spiritual resource. It is a wide fountain of 60 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,000 spiritual sustenance. And so open your Bibles. 61 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,040 Ephesians chapter 3, beginning in verse 14 this morning. 62 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,440 That's the last little chunk of Ephesians 3 that we have in 63 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:40,400 front of us in this passage. It breaks down into four 64 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:43,840 different sections, a three-part prayer and a doxology. 65 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:47,640 The three parts to that prayer are that we would be 66 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,320 strengthened with power, would be have the strength to 67 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:53,400 comprehend, and that we would be filled with the fullness of God. 68 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:55,880 And then of course concluding with a doxology. 69 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:59,640 And that is the passage that Paul the apostle lays before us 70 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:03,280 today. And as we read this together, I 71 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:07,120 would like to ask for you to keep an eye out for those three 72 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,080 prayers to be strengthened with power, strength to comprehend, 73 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:13,000 filled with the fullness of God. Look for those three prayers. 74 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,400 And then of course, the doxology at the end. 75 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:18,600 If you are willing and able, I would like to ask you to stand 76 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,000 with me as we read God's Word this morning. 77 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,800 Ephesians chapter 3, beginning in verse 14. 78 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:28,640 It says, For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from 79 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:32,520 whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that 80 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:35,040 according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be 81 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,280 strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being. 82 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:40,720 That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 83 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:43,520 That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have 84 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:46,840 strength to comprehend with all the Saints what is the breadth 85 00:04:46,840 --> 00:04:50,160 and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ 86 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,400 that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the 87 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:57,240 fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far 88 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:00,120 more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the 89 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:04,200 power at work within us, to Him be the glory in the Church and 90 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:07,800 in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. 91 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:10,360 Amen. Father, you, you promise that 92 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,760 your word will not return empty or void, and we ask you this 93 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,080 morning to hold true to your promises. 94 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,920 May it be that Your Word does not return empty or void, where 95 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:22,560 we ask that You sanctify us in the truth and we know that Your 96 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,080 Word is truth. Amen. 97 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:31,560 You may be seated as we begin to put this prayer in its proper 98 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:36,280 framework. Consider this passage the the 99 00:05:36,280 --> 00:05:37,960 mountain summit of the whole book. 100 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:41,520 Everything in the book before this leads to this point. 101 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:45,680 Pretty much everything after the book flows away from it. 102 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:49,160 How do we know that? Well, Paul, he gives you really 103 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:51,840 3 clues in these first couple of verses. 104 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:54,080 There. There are three elements of the 105 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:57,920 and details in these first couple of verses that dovetail 106 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:01,560 wonderfully into the preceding portion of this book. 107 00:06:01,840 --> 00:06:06,120 First clue in verse 14, he says for this reason, if you've paid 108 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:09,400 close attention to the movements of Paul throughout the book of 109 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:13,840 Ephesians, this is the third time that phrase is mentioned in 110 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:18,280 Ephesians 115. He says for this reason, I do 111 00:06:18,280 --> 00:06:21,760 not cease giving thanks to you. That's his first prayer. 112 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,160 And shortly thereafter he delves into one of the mountaintop 113 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:30,240 passages at all of the Bible about grace in chapter 3, verse 114 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:32,040 1. He says for this reason, I, 115 00:06:32,280 --> 00:06:37,440 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles, for 116 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,640 this reason. And then he rattles off of 14 117 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:44,400 verses about the mystery of the gospel and almost that serves 118 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:46,760 almost like a parenthetical phrase like, Oh yeah, by the 119 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:51,120 way, this as well, only to return here in verse 14 where he 120 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:55,240 says for this reason, this is the reason. 121 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,640 This is the reason he has been leading to. 122 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:02,720 The second theme has to do with the universal power of God. 123 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,800 He is God over all people everywhere, always. 124 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:10,640 Verse 15 describes God from whom every family in heaven and on 125 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:14,080 earth is named. And again, for those who have 126 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:19,000 paid attention, Paul has been describing his ministry to the 127 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:23,000 Gentiles. Most of chapter 3, as I just 128 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:26,480 described, was dedicated to describing the mystery of the 129 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:28,400 gospel. What is the mystery of the 130 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,800 gospel? Well, Ephesians 36 is very 131 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:32,040 clear. This mystery is that the 132 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:35,360 Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and 133 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:39,520 partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 134 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:44,400 Saving grace and Jesus Christ's redeeming blood is not just for 135 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:48,560 the Jews is what He says, it is also for the Gentiles. 136 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:52,880 This is why he emphasizes in verse 15, every family in heaven 137 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:55,560 and on earth is named. He is the God of all families, 138 00:07:55,560 --> 00:08:00,120 Jews and Gentiles, not just the Ephesian church, not just their 139 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:04,120 families. He wants to remind us that He is 140 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,960 the God of every family. The third theme you see in verse 141 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:12,960 16 He said where he says according to the riches of his 142 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:16,480 glory. Now the the the riches of God 143 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:22,120 are a wonderful theme, wonderful motif that that flows throughout 144 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:25,360 the book of Ephesians. Here some of these words in 145 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:27,800 Ephesians 17. It says in Him we have 146 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:31,240 redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our 147 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:35,080 trespasses according to the riches of His grace. 148 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:38,720 Listen to verse 18, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, 149 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,640 Chapter one, verse 18. That is, having the eyes of your 150 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,960 heart enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which 151 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:48,440 He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious 152 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:52,800 inheritance and the Saints? Ephesians 27 So that in the 153 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:56,080 coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his 154 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:59,320 grace. Ephesians 3/8 To me, though I'm 155 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,080 the least of the of all the Saints, this grace was given to 156 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:07,080 preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. 157 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:12,280 And again here in 316 Paul. Paul says that according to the 158 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:16,400 riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened 159 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:21,520 with power. The riches of Christ, a 160 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:25,400 beautiful theme that that that this book speaks to. 161 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:29,440 And it's only after that he establishes these three ideas 162 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,360 that he says, I, I grant you to be strengthened with power. 163 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:36,520 You see, these opening lines of this prayer prove to be the 164 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:41,000 culmination of everything Paul has talked about in the book of 165 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,600 Ephesians. The undercurrent of this whole 166 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,360 book has been flowing to this moment, this prayer where he 167 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:53,120 says be strengthened with power. However, he particularly 168 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:56,680 highlights, and I would like to particularly highlight that you 169 00:09:56,680 --> 00:09:59,920 be strengthened with power through the riches of his glory. 170 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,920 Again read 16 with me that according to the riches of his 171 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:07,120 glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through 172 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:13,200 his spirit in your inner being. What are the riches of God? 173 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:18,640 What what does that mean? How how rich is God? 174 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:24,600 Consider as a mental exercise, all the world's net worth 175 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:30,200 combined into one the The financial experts that Google 176 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:34,680 led me toward estimate that there is about 450 to $500 177 00:10:34,680 --> 00:10:36,960 trillion of total net worth around the world. 178 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:41,040 If all 8 billion people liquidated all their assets and 179 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:43,840 compiled their net worth into one giant pot, it would be worth 180 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:48,160 somewhere between 450 to $500 trillion. 181 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:52,120 And so naturally I asked ChatGPT what I could buy with that kind 182 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:55,760 of money. They gave me 5 frivolous things 183 00:10:56,160 --> 00:11:02,880 I could I could spend $450 trillion on 1st. 28.3 million 184 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:09,440 private islands 2nd. 5.7 trillion Gulfstream G700 private 185 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:14,320 jets. Third, 13.7 trillion nights and 186 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:20,360 seven star luxury hotels around the world. 4th, 77.6 billion 187 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:25,320 Bugatti Divos or if you prefer manual American manufacturing in 188 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:28,040 F1 fifties. That's like 4 tanks of gas. 189 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:36,800 But 5th and probably best, you could buy 248 trillion lbs of 190 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:39,080 premium Italian white truffle chocolate. 191 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:42,080 I don't even know what that means, but it's sounds 192 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:44,840 wonderful. All of the globe's wealth could 193 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:47,120 be condensed into those things. All of it. 194 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:52,160 And yet God is not impressed in the slightest with that kind of 195 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:55,320 wealth. He created all of it. 196 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:59,040 In fact, His riches extend beyond human conception. 197 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:02,440 He's wealthier far more than you and I could ever comprehend. 198 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:05,360 He owns everything. Abraham Kuiper, in one of my 199 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:08,120 favorite quotes, says there's not a square inch in the whole 200 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:11,520 domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is 201 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:14,240 sovereign over all, does not cry Mine. 202 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,280 Yes, God's. God owns all. 203 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:21,560 God is over all. And yet God is not rich like we 204 00:12:21,560 --> 00:12:26,600 are, because the Bible records that instead of trillions of 205 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:31,880 dollars, God is rich in grace. God is rich in mercy, He is rich 206 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:34,640 in glory. And our passage today in verse 207 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:40,280 16 tells us that it is according to these riches that we are 208 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:44,920 strengthened with power. That's Paul's first prayer, that 209 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:47,760 they would be given a strength anchored upon me, the 210 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:52,320 inexhaustible resources of God. Yet the beauty of this passage 211 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:56,160 still is not found in the the glorious riches of Christ. 212 00:12:56,160 --> 00:13:00,280 It is found in the connection that God's infinite resource 213 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:05,800 holds with your soul. Read 16 and 17 again with me, 214 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:09,000 that according to the riches of his glory, He may grant you to 215 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,120 be strengthened with power through His Spirit and your 216 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:15,760 inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your heart through 217 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:20,960 faith. God's eternal riches connect 218 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:26,560 with your inner being. God's infinite wealth becomes 219 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:29,520 intimate. That which is cosmic in scale 220 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:32,120 becomes personal. And herein lies the power of 221 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:34,000 God. And the beauty of the gospel is 222 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:38,320 that God Himself has by His decree, taken the riches of his 223 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:41,280 own glory and placed them in your heart. 224 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:47,760 God has taken His most prized possession, Jesus Christ, and 225 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:51,480 placed him in your inner being by His Spirit. 226 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:53,840 So now, friend, you are the rich one. 227 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:59,320 If you have Christ in you, you are worth far more than $450 228 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:02,720 trillion. In our Isaiah series, we often 229 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:07,560 said that God has two addresses. First, his address is on high 230 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,800 and in heaven. Second, his address is wherever 231 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:17,800 you are, Christ lives in you. The riches of God's perfection 232 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:22,960 have been imputed to you, dear Christian, and Christ himself 233 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:25,080 lives in your heart through faith. 234 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:29,960 The first movement of Paul's prayer is that the Ephesian 235 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:33,240 church would be strengthened with power, the power of his 236 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:36,720 riches. There's no strengthening power 237 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:39,560 greater than the riches of Christ dwelling in you. 238 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:43,360 For the Christian, he is the greatest source of spiritual 239 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:48,560 sustenance, especially for those who have lost heart. 240 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:55,240 So I ask you just very gently, have you lost heart? 241 00:14:57,040 --> 00:15:01,320 Know that it is the power and riches of God that are 242 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:04,720 sufficient to sustain you? Consider, take stock of your own 243 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:08,000 life. Is your marriage in shambles 244 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:10,640 today? You feel like you've lost all 245 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:15,240 opportunity for reconciliation. Do you made me feel like you've 246 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:19,880 lost any chance or with of at hope or intimacy with your 247 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:21,720 spouse? Are you simply looking for joy 248 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:28,160 in your marriage again? First of all, praise the Lord 249 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:32,080 that He is kind enough to to show you those things. 250 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:37,640 Second of all, my exhortation to you is to be strengthened with 251 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:39,880 power to the riches of Jesus Christ. 252 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:46,680 What more could you ask for? What further fuel do you require 253 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:48,680 for endurance? Dear brother and sister, Christ 254 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:50,120 dwells in your heart through faith. 255 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:54,240 He's the Prince of Peace, He's the King of heaven, the Lord of 256 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:56,240 all, and He has been given to you, to you. 257 00:15:56,640 --> 00:16:01,440 You have power in you. Endure work hard at your 258 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:05,680 marriage with the power of God at at your side with the power 259 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:09,240 of God inside of you, with Jesus Christ himself inside of you. 260 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:12,640 Young men, college students, do you find yourself struggling 261 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:16,960 with laziness when you have time that's meant to be dedicated to 262 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:21,840 to hard work and doing at at your school or your job? 263 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,840 Do you get distracted by worthless things? 264 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:30,800 First, again, praise the Lord that He shows you those things. 265 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:37,040 Second, may you be strengthened by the power of God, which 266 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:40,280 compels you to get up and work hard as unto the Lord. 267 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,200 What more again could you ask for? 268 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:49,000 What further fuel do you require for your endurance? 269 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:52,520 Heritage Church here, this message. 270 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:56,880 The power of Christ in you touches every area of your life. 271 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:00,920 It affects your marriage, your work, your family, your money, 272 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:04,640 your joy, all impacted by the power of Christ in you. 273 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,400 And may you be strengthened by it as well. 274 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:13,599 As we continue to move through this text, I'd like to remind 275 00:17:13,599 --> 00:17:17,319 you that Paul's prayer for the Ephesians has a few different 276 00:17:17,319 --> 00:17:19,800 anchor points. Again, as we've just talked 277 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,319 about #1 is that you would be strengthened with power. 278 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:27,000 The second is that you would have the strength to comprehend. 279 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:30,320 Highlight just the very beginning of verse 18 May have 280 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:35,040 strength to comprehend. That's the section we are 281 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:37,800 beginning now. Paul prays that they would have 282 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:43,640 the strength to comprehend. Comprehend what? 283 00:17:45,120 --> 00:17:48,960 Comprehend What is it that requires such strength to 284 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:51,200 comprehend? I'll answer that question for 285 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:55,960 you very quickly. Love, love read with me the 286 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:59,400 beginning in the second-half of verse 17. 287 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:03,000 It says that you being rooted and grounded in love may have 288 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,680 strength to comprehend with all the Saints what is the breadth 289 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:10,480 and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ 290 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:13,960 that surpasses knowledge and see very quickly with me how love 291 00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:17,040 brackets this section of the prayer. 292 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:20,320 And at the end of verse 17. He says that you being rooted 293 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:23,240 and grounded in love. The beginning of verse 19 he 294 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:27,360 says and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. 295 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:31,600 Love is what Paul desires us to know and to be extremely 296 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:35,560 obvious, our culture is misguided to as to what love 297 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:39,280 really is. For our purposes this morning, 298 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:42,320 suffice it to say that love is not transactional. 299 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:47,480 It is not dependent on what you want or feel entitled to 300 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:51,160 receive. Love, according to this passage 301 00:18:51,360 --> 00:18:54,400 and according to the Bible, is far beyond that. 302 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:58,200 In fact, this idea itself is a little mind bending. 303 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:02,480 Paul himself even says in the middle of 18 that you would have 304 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:05,760 the strength to comprehend in the middle, at the beginning of 305 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:09,160 19 that surpasses knowledge. There's a there's a degree to 306 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:14,320 which this love is unknowable. What a curious phrase, though, 307 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:18,000 because this is something that we cannot know. 308 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,280 Paul's prayer is that we would come to know something that by 309 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:23,560 its own definition cannot be known. 310 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,320 Can can you know what can't be known? 311 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:32,480 And I mean, for centuries there have been things that we have 312 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:36,640 said could not be known. There's a time in our world 313 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:40,120 where we could not know what it was, look what it was like to 314 00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:43,360 look on the ground from the skies because flight was 315 00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:46,120 impossible. We could not know what was on 316 00:19:46,120 --> 00:19:48,640 the other side of the universe because it was too far away. 317 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,840 We could not know what was at the bottom of the Mariana Trench 318 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:54,560 because it was too far down on the ocean floor. 319 00:19:56,120 --> 00:20:00,000 But I I beg you to consider that our lack of knowledge and 320 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:03,400 ability to understand. Came from an insufficient 321 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:06,520 technology. Because you build me an airplane 322 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:08,080 and now I can see the world from up above. 323 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,920 You build me the Hubble telescope and I can see light 324 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:12,800 years away. You build me a nice submarine 325 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:15,640 and I could touch the ocean floor, not be crushed by the 326 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:18,200 pressure of the ocean. No. 327 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:22,320 Paul indicates that ours is an issue of insufficient capacity. 328 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:27,360 This surpasses knowledge. This is something that cannot be 329 00:20:27,360 --> 00:20:30,600 understood. It is beyond human category. 330 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:34,440 It is completely and wholly alien to anything that you or I 331 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:38,080 understand or know or feel. Even the world that God has 332 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:40,800 given us. He has given us some pictures of 333 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:44,400 love that are close, maybe, but they're insufficient. 334 00:20:45,360 --> 00:20:48,760 Marriage is close, but it's not the same. 335 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:52,200 Parents and their relationship with their children is is close. 336 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:58,200 It's not the same. We cannot know this love. 337 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:02,360 And yet the irony of all ironies is that Paul prays that you 338 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:06,640 would know it, that you would know God's love. 339 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:09,320 May he prays that may you understand this thing that 340 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:12,080 cannot be understood. May you know this thing that 341 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:17,120 cannot be known. How then go back to our previous 342 00:21:17,120 --> 00:21:20,000 question. How is it that I can know that 343 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,320 which can't be known? How is it that I can know love 344 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:26,920 that surpasses knowledge? The answer is only through 345 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:32,280 Christ, only by Christ in you, only by His, only by reveling in 346 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:37,320 His work, lingering in His person, saturating yourself with 347 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:40,640 His character. Only then can you know this 348 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:44,640 love. Consider John 1512 through 13 349 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:49,000 with me It says, this is my commandment, that you love one 350 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:53,080 another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than 351 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:57,160 this, that someone laid down his life for his friends. 352 00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:03,280 Christ said that perfect love is displayed through sacrifice, and 353 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:07,200 sacrifice himself He did by going to the cross, atoning for 354 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:13,560 our sins, praise the Lord. Yet still this love that you 355 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:18,880 experience from Christ is just a a shadow of ultimate love 356 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:23,560 because you see, Jesus Christ himself is a part of the 357 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:27,640 greatest love story that the universe has ever known. 358 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:30,360 And here's what I mean. The love that exists between 359 00:22:30,360 --> 00:22:35,040 each member of the Trinity far surpasses human understanding. 360 00:22:36,120 --> 00:22:39,640 The passage that we study today, it actually uses some 361 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:42,040 Trinitarian language, and I think that's on purpose. 362 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:46,560 Verse 14 refers to the Father. Verse 16 asked that we would be 363 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:51,040 strengthened by the Spirit. Verses 17 and 919 mentions 364 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:54,960 Christ the Son. All three of them play a role 365 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:59,120 together in this prayer and scholars and theologians point 366 00:22:59,120 --> 00:23:02,840 out that where these three are present you refer to, you can 367 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:07,920 speak of the Divine glory dance. The Divine glory dance. 368 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:13,760 This is a simple term used to describe the eternally perfect 369 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:17,640 and loving relationship between Father, Son, and Spirit. 370 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:22,000 What that means is that in eternity past, each member of 371 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,720 the Trinity loved the other with such deep love, glorified the 372 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:29,960 other with such deep reverence in this cycle of love and glory 373 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:34,080 had perpetuated itself for an eternity prior to Genesis 1. 374 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:40,600 And that love, it overflowed, it spilled out onto the canvas of 375 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:42,760 creation. And you, church, when you have 376 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:47,040 Christ in you, you are brought right into the middle of that 377 00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:50,960 glory dance between the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. 378 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,520 This eternally increasing perfection. 379 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:58,400 You get to taste it through Christ, you have access to it. 380 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:02,000 Church, the greatest love story the universe has ever known is 381 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:06,280 the perfect love that exists within the Trinity that that 382 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:08,320 cannot be comprehended by you or me. 383 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:12,920 This is why Paul says in verse 18 that you may have strength to 384 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:15,200 comprehend with all the Saints what is the breadth and length 385 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:19,440 and height and depth. It is a never ending, eternally 386 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:23,600 significant, always in motion, forever growing kind of love. 387 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:26,160 It is God's perfect love that washes over us. 388 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:28,840 It spurs us on. It's the kind of love that knows 389 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:31,880 no boundaries. It stretches across the 390 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:34,120 universe. It touches the corners of 391 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:36,400 galaxies. It extends to the deepest parts 392 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:38,440 of the ocean. It climbs over the highest 393 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:40,800 mountains. Oh, to understand the breadth 394 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:42,720 and the length and the height of God's love. 395 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:46,760 What man could know? Who could understand? 396 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:51,200 In my house growing up, one of my dad's favorite hymns was 397 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:53,280 called The Love of God. I'm sure many of you probably 398 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:56,200 know it by Frederick Lehman. Allow me to read you some of the 399 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:58,960 lyrics. Verse one begins, the love of 400 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:02,000 God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell. 401 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:06,600 It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell. 402 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:08,880 The guilty pair bowed down with care. 403 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:11,880 God gave his Son to win his erring child. 404 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:15,280 He reconciled and pardoned from his sin. 405 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:19,040 Verse 3 is probably my favorite. Could we with ink the oceans 406 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:21,680 fill, and where the skies of parchment made, Where every 407 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:25,640 stalk on earth a quill, and every man ascribed by trade to 408 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:29,880 write the love of God above, would drain the ocean dry. 409 00:25:31,120 --> 00:25:34,960 Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though it stretched from 410 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:38,160 sky to sky. The chorus is simple. 411 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,960 Oh, the love of God, how rich and pure, how measureless and 412 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:45,480 strong it shall forevermore endure. 413 00:25:46,120 --> 00:25:53,240 The Saints and angels song. It is that love, this love that 414 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:59,240 we speak of, that you get to be a part of if Christ is in you, 415 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:02,880 You swim in an ocean of love that that that truly knows no 416 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:05,960 boundaries. It's the kind of love that 417 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:08,920 tastes sweeter than honey. It's the kind of love that stuns 418 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:11,920 your eyes more than a million starry nights ever could. 419 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:15,080 It's the kind of love that brings feelings of comfort, like 420 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:16,840 the warmth of a roaring fireplace. 421 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:19,800 Church. This is the great paradox of the 422 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:22,360 Christian life. You get to know the love of God 423 00:26:22,360 --> 00:26:25,760 that cannot be known. It's one of the deepest 424 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:29,800 pleasures of being a Christian to know the love of God that 425 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:31,880 cannot be known deep in your inner being. 426 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:35,480 Commenting on this verse here, the words of Martyn Lloyd Jones. 427 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:39,200 There is no more staggering statement in the whole range of 428 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:43,280 Scripture than this. We are here face to face with 429 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:47,040 the ultimate experience, with the highest doctrine of all. 430 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:50,880 We must approach it with a sense of awe and total inadequacy, and 431 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:53,640 yet with a sense of keen anticipation. 432 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:59,040 Church, this is my prayer for you that you would know the love 433 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:03,720 of God that surpasses knowledge. It's my prayer for my Wednesday 434 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:07,000 night small group. It's my prayer for my basketball 435 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,280 players that follow me around everywhere They that they would 436 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:14,680 have the strength to comprehend and to know the love of Christ 437 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:22,360 that surpasses knowledge. This idea leads directly into 438 00:27:22,360 --> 00:27:26,440 this final prayer of Paul at the end of verse 19. 439 00:27:27,120 --> 00:27:32,800 He says that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 440 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:37,680 We've talked about being strengthened with power in 441 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:40,240 knowing Christ. We've talked about comprehending 442 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:44,320 this vast ocean of God's love. And at the culmination of this 443 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:48,520 passage is here being filled with the fullness of God, the 444 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:53,840 fullness of God found in his unending riches, and His perfect 445 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:57,120 incomprehensible love. The theology of this passage of 446 00:27:57,120 --> 00:27:59,000 this portion is really quite simple. 447 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:04,000 At the cross section of his power and His love. 448 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:05,840 And when you are filled with those things, you are filled 449 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:10,400 with His fullness. 1 commentator on this passage says that Christ 450 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:14,440 is both power and love, and when we are filled with those things, 451 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:19,080 we belong to Him. This whole passage has built to 452 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:21,760 this moment. This phrase that you might be 453 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:26,160 filled with the fullness of God is the beating heart of this 454 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:28,920 prayer. It is the powerhouse of this 455 00:28:29,120 --> 00:28:31,360 prayer. Paul's prayer is truly and 456 00:28:31,360 --> 00:28:35,120 ultimately that the church in Ephesus will be filled with the 457 00:28:35,120 --> 00:28:39,800 fullness of God. Friends, I hope you hear this 458 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:43,440 today. That this, the fullness of God, 459 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:47,240 is the purpose and end of all theology. 460 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:51,920 If you zoom out, consider this book from a macro perspective. 461 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:55,600 The the first 3 chapters are all a kind of theological 462 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:57,920 instruction. We studied the doctrine of 463 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:00,160 election in chapter 1, the doctrine of depravity and 464 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:02,240 salvation and grace in chapter 2. 465 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:05,080 We studied the mystery of the gospel in chapter 3. 466 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:10,200 This is the impetus of theology. The purpose behind all this 467 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:14,640 labored, detailed, faithful instruction is that you may be 468 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:17,800 filled with all the fullness of God. 469 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:22,840 Now, may this serve as a warning to some, but theology itself 470 00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:27,960 does not exist in a vacuum. Theology itself does not exist 471 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:33,160 for the sake of moral ascent or mental high grounds. 472 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:38,600 In my studies this semester, I I, I've learned about the 473 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:41,320 circumstances surrounding surrounding the, the, the 474 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:45,120 cannons of Dort. And so so that we all understand 475 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:47,760 the cannons of Dort are are are where Calvinist doctrines and 476 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:51,840 ideas were codified in ways that are in ways that we recognize 477 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:54,960 them today. The these cannons came as a 478 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:59,440 response to the five Remonstrant articles which were put forward 479 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:02,680 to promote a more Armenian theology of free will of 480 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:04,720 salvation understanding. And in the middle of this 481 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:08,080 debate, there were Calvinists who held political power and 482 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:11,840 because of their positions through some of the Armenian 483 00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:14,600 adherents and jail because of their beliefs. 484 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:18,240 And as I sit here today and study these men and the war over 485 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:21,320 their theology, I shake my head in disappointment because they 486 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:25,200 missed it. Their theology is not a tool to 487 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:29,000 be wielded. This theology is meant to be a 488 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:32,680 vehicle of worship. It is meant to help you be 489 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:36,400 filled with the fullness of God. Your your theology is meant to 490 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:39,360 be a fountain to draw from so that you never lose heart. 491 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:41,000 It is never meant to be a bludgeon. 492 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:46,120 Those of you in the room with theological inclinations, may it 493 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:49,720 be that you are first and always filled with the fullness of God. 494 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:54,440 But what does it look like to be filled with the fullness of God? 495 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:58,440 How do we take this theology and live as though we're filled with 496 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:01,960 the whole fullness of God? To borrow time from Aaron's 497 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:04,840 sermon next week, very quickly look at chapter 4, verse one. 498 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:08,600 It says, I therefore a prisoner of the for the Lord, urge you to 499 00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:12,160 walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been 500 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:14,320 called. This introduces the next three 501 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:18,440 chapters of Ephesians, which are ethical exhortations answering 502 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:22,760 the question, How do I live? What does the fullness of God 503 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:25,520 look like in the church? What does the fullness of God 504 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:28,320 look like in your speech? What does the fullness of God 505 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:31,320 look like in your marriage? What does the fullness of God 506 00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:33,880 look like in your home? What does the fullness of God 507 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:36,560 look like in the middle of spiritual warfare? 508 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:39,440 Ephesians 4 through 6 speaks to all those things. 509 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:41,440 So if you want to know what it looks like to be filled with the 510 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:43,560 fullness of God, come back, please. 511 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:47,320 In fact, the rest of the book, the rest of the book of 512 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:50,560 Ephesians, serves almost as a commentary on this phrase. 513 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:53,320 May you be filled with the fullness of God. 514 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:59,520 They show us what it means to be filled with God's fullness 515 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:02,240 always. Church, may you, all of you 516 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:05,200 always be filled with the fullness of God. 517 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:09,160 As Lloyd Jones said earlier, there is no more staggering 518 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:12,080 statement in the whole range of Scripture than this. 519 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:17,680 Paul concludes this section where we will conclude here 520 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:21,520 momentarily. He ends with a short doxology. 521 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:23,320 Read verses 20 through 21 with me. 522 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:26,320 It says now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than 523 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:29,800 all that we ask or think according to the power at work 524 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:34,680 within us to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus 525 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:37,840 throughout all generations forever and ever. 526 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:41,480 Two brief observations I would like to make about this short 527 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:45,560 section. First, Paul maintains A literary 528 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:48,240 pattern that we need to pay attention to as good faithful 529 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:51,680 Bible readers throughout our entire text today, not just in 530 00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:54,720 this section, but the whole the whole text this morning. 531 00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:58,120 Paul has had a tendency to multiply words. 532 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,600 Now, often if, if you know, if you're familiar with Paul's 533 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:05,680 writings, he is succinct, systematic in his approach to 534 00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:09,560 theology, especially in these theological instruction portions 535 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:12,720 of the Bible, especially when you compare him to other New 536 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:14,880 Testament authors. That's not the case here. 537 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:19,000 That is not what he does. He multiplies words by repeating 538 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:20,640 information. Look at verse 20. 539 00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:23,920 He says far more abundantly. It's a little redundant than all 540 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:27,520 that we ask or think. Verse 21 to him be the glory 541 00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:29,840 throughout all generations, forever and ever. 542 00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:32,680 Again, consider verse 18 as well. 543 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:34,800 You have the strength to comprehend what is the breadth 544 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:38,760 and length and height and depth. He uses some of this redundant 545 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:43,400 language to expand worship and praise. 546 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:46,520 He multiplies words in a way that is typically foreign to him 547 00:33:46,520 --> 00:33:48,520 because that's what God is doing in his heart. 548 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:52,840 The beauty and wonder of God expands into eternity in a way 549 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:54,680 that just simply cannot be contained. 550 00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:58,600 Christ has so stirred his affections that he doesn't have 551 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:01,040 enough words to describe his joy. 552 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:04,920 Paul was so moved by Christ that language itself is insufficient 553 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:09,600 to express his emotions. That's the first observation. 554 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:13,560 The second observation. Paul's worship highlights God's 555 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:18,239 glory coming from two places. Read 21 with me to him be glory 556 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:21,040 in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all 557 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:25,159 generations, forever and ever. Daryl Bach says that you and I 558 00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:28,560 are God's faithful representatives here on this 559 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:31,159 world. Here on this world. 560 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:33,600 God's glory comes through the church. 561 00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:36,920 You and I, the church, are God's representatives here on this 562 00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:42,159 world, here in this world. We as a collective church is one 563 00:34:42,159 --> 00:34:46,080 of the many ways in which God expresses himself here in this 564 00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:49,159 realm. Do you want to know God come to 565 00:34:49,159 --> 00:34:53,120 church? Second, God's glory comes in 566 00:34:53,159 --> 00:34:57,080 Christ Jesus. All of Christ's actions, all of 567 00:34:57,080 --> 00:35:01,600 Christ's words, all of Christ's thoughts, everything Jesus does 568 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:05,760 is meant to bring glory to God. The first question of the 569 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:07,840 Westminster Catechism is really simple. 570 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:09,840 You've, I'm sure many, most of you have heard it. 571 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:13,600 What is the chief end of man? To glorify God and enjoy him 572 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:15,880 forever. Did you know that is also the 573 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:19,720 chief end of the church? That is also the chief end of 574 00:35:19,720 --> 00:35:23,440 Christ Jesus to glorify God on high in heaven forever. 575 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:27,080 Jesus Christ is glorified in you when you are filled with the 576 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:29,200 fullness of God. Jesus Christ is glorified in 577 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:32,560 what you do Jesus Christ is glorified in everything that he 578 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:35,240 does. In fact, Jesus Christ is the 579 00:35:35,240 --> 00:35:38,600 hero of this passage. This morning we've talked about 580 00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:41,280 Paul's prayers. First, he prayed that you would 581 00:35:41,280 --> 00:35:44,480 be strengthened with power so that Christ would dwell in your 582 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:48,720 heart through faith. Second, he prayed that you would 583 00:35:48,720 --> 00:35:51,880 have the strength to comprehend the love of Christ. 584 00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:54,720 Third, he prayed that you would be filled with the fullness of 585 00:35:54,720 --> 00:35:57,640 God. The fullness of God is Jesus 586 00:35:57,640 --> 00:35:59,520 Christ. Jesus Christ and his infinite 587 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:02,000 power is the foundation of this passage. 588 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:05,960 Jesus Christ and his unending love is the joy of this passage. 589 00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:08,200 And being filled with the fullness of God. 590 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:11,560 That's the great promise of this passage. 591 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:17,120 The glory of God through Christ Jesus is the ultimate end of all 592 00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:21,200 theology. I mentioned this at the onset of 593 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:25,480 our time together that Paul was riding so that the Ephesian 594 00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:29,720 church would not lose heart in reference to 3/13. 595 00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:35,080 He prayed that you would be strengthened because there's no 596 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:38,760 greater strength than that which comes from the power and the 597 00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:42,600 love of Jesus Christ. The power and love of Jesus 598 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:45,240 Christ is a fountain that flows. It is forever deep. 599 00:36:45,240 --> 00:36:47,440 It is forever wide. We sang at the beginning, deep 600 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:50,560 and wide, deep and wide. There's a fountain that flows 601 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:53,840 deep and wide. Church, my prayer for you today 602 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:56,200 is that you would know this love. 603 00:36:57,040 --> 00:37:00,600 In fact, this love is made available for you today. 604 00:37:00,600 --> 00:37:03,840 My prayer is that everybody in this room, whether you are a 605 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:09,240 Christian or not, you would draw upon this fountain today, for 606 00:37:09,240 --> 00:37:13,040 its resource is never ending. It will never run dry. 607 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:16,480 It's breadth and length and height and depth will never be 608 00:37:16,480 --> 00:37:19,800 known by mortal man because as Frederick Lehman, the hymn 609 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:24,800 writer said, it goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the 610 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:26,960 lowest hell. And he did. 611 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:31,280 Jesus Christ came from high beyond the highest star, yet 612 00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:36,320 reached into the lowest hell to redeem your life for the glory 613 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:38,360 of God. Amen and Amen. 614 00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:44,440 Do you pray with me? Lord, again we plead Your 615 00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:48,600 promise. Do not let Your word return 616 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:52,520 empty or void. I pray for my brothers and 617 00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:55,520 sisters in this room right now that they would be strengthened. 618 00:37:56,360 --> 00:37:59,600 Lord, I pray that they would draw upon this fountain that is 619 00:37:59,800 --> 00:38:01,760 infinitely deep and infinitely wide. 620 00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:04,720 I want to pray for my friends in this room who do not know you. 621 00:38:05,040 --> 00:38:08,200 I pray that they also would come to this fountain that is 622 00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:11,320 infinitely deep and infinitely wide and that they would trust 623 00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:13,080 their life to you. Today. 624 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:16,760 Holy Spirit, do a mighty work in this room. 625 00:38:17,480 --> 00:38:19,920 We are grateful that you've gathered us here this morning. 626 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:23,440 Amen. Thanks for listening. 627 00:38:23,560 --> 00:38:26,120 To learn more about Heritage Church or if you'd like to 628 00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:28,560 respond to this sermon, visit our website at 629 00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:32,240 www.heritageshawnee.org.