RECEIVING THE FULLNESS OF GOD

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Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

15 from whom every family[c] 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 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—

that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints

what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,

that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able

to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,

according to the power at work within us,

21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus

throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:14 ESV

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

‘For this reason’

Here we see this phrase again

Let’s look back at verse 1

Ephesians 3:1 ESV

1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—

This ‘for this reason’ → points back to Eph 2:19-22

Gentiles are →

No longer strangers & aliens

Fellow citizens with all the saints

Members of the household of God

Jews & Gentiles are being built up together into a dwelling place for God

Paul is saying:

Gentiles are a part of the covenant people of God

Jews & Gentiles incorporated into one body

All of humanity unified

‘For this reason’

Paul was made a minister to the Gentiles

Paul was made to suffer

And it is for this reason…he prays for them

Ephesians 3:14 ESV

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

Most common posture for prayer was standing

This came to be known as the Orans posture.

This posture was prevalent in many cultures:

ancient Israel

Greece

Egypt

early Christianity

Standing was the posture used during public or corporate prayer

1 Timothy 2:8 ESV

8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;

He Paul bows his knees before God, the Father

Kneeling is a posture that expresses extraordinary humility

Kneeling during personal prayer

Paul is praying a sincere & personal prayer.

What does your prayer life currently look like?

Be more organized with prayer

Plan to pray.

“If you fail to plan…you might as well plan to fail.”

Friends, I want to invite you…

Plan to pray.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Ephesians 3:14-15 ESV

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

15 from whom every family[c] in heaven and on earth is named,

Greek word is ‘patria’ → lineage

From whom every lineage gets its name

From whom every family line is named

God named every tribe

God decides

He is the Father of all believers

He is the creator of all things

And He has authority over all that He has created

We can speak freely with God

We can be confident that He hears us

We can be certain that He has the power to answer our prayers.

Ephesians 3:14-15 ESV

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

15 from whom every family[c] in heaven and on earth is named,

Ephesians 3:16 ESV

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,

A wealth of glory

More glory than can be counted or measured or known

Paul is asking God to allow these Ephesian Christians to have strength

This Greek word for strength is often associated with courage

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 CSB

13 Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous,[a] be strong. 14 Do everything in love.

Paul prays that God would give them fortitude.

He wants them to have courage

In their inner self

Contrast the inner self vs. outer self.

2 Corinthians 4:16 ESV

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self [man] is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

Outer self (physical body) is wasting away

Inner self is being renewed

Therefore, we are not discouraged

Paul prays that God would give them inner strength.

Ephesians 3:17-18 ESV

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—

that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

He will continue to dwell in our hearts through faith in Him

Even though this life is difficult…

Jesus is with us

We can remain hopeful

We can be courageous

Anchor of the soul (Heb 6:19)

Ephesians 3:17 ESV

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—

that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

He says, “You are…rooted and grounded in love.”

This is God’s love.

This love of God…is the fertile soil → You are rooted

This love of God…is the solid foundation → You are grounded

This love of God…is the source of our inner strength.

Ephesians 3:17 ESV

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—

[I pray] that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

Ephesians 3:18 ESV

18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints

what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

Ephesians 3:19 ESV

19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,

that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

To know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge!

How massive is the love of God for us in Christ Jesus!

God loves us!

John 15:13 NASB

13 Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.

Romans 5:8 ESV

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16-17 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world,[i] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

1 John 3:1 NIV

1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

Romans 8:38-39 ESV

38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Love of God

The love of God is greater far

than tongue or pen can ever tell;

it goes beyond the highest star,

and reaches to the lowest hell;

Could we with ink the ocean fill

and were the skies of parchment made,

were every stalk on earth a quill

and every man a scribe by trade,

to write the love of God above

would drain the ocean dry;

nor could the scroll contain the whole,

tho' stretched from sky to sky.

Paul wants us to know the great love that Jesus has for us

Individually & together as His people (the church)

Paul knows discouragement will come

This is why he prays

Ephesians 3:19 ESV

19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,

that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

God’s fullness →

His moral excellence

His life

His power

When we are filled with all the fullness of God, there is no room for other things

The fullness of God pushes out all that is not of Him

This is what Paul prays for

That they would become the humans God designed them to be

Truly human

Made in the image of God

To know God

Jeremiah 9:23-24 ESV

23 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, 24 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.”

What Paul is praying for is not small

But God is able