“If You Only Knew”
Ephesians 1:15-23 October 19, 2008
OPEN: Ill of Randolph Hearst, wealthy newspaper publisher who spent a fortune collecting art treasures. He read of a particular rare piece of artwork which he determined he must have – His agents were sent abroad to find it. After months of searching and agent reported back that he had found the treasure It was in Mr. Hearst’s warehouse. Hearst had been searching for something he already owned. Had he opened his eyes and read the catalog of his treasures, he would have known it was already his.
This is a passage of Scripture that talks about opening our eyes so that we would know all that God has done on our behalf. Paul says in verse 18 – “I pray that the eyes of your heart would be opened in order that you would know…” It’s interesting that Paul would use these words – they echo the commission Jesus Christ gave to him on the road to Damascus.
“I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power
of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” (Acts 26:18) I can’t help but to think that as Paul was writing to the Ephesians that his mind went back to the time when he first met Jesus and heard these very words from the Lord.
It’s the responsibility of every bible believing church to be involved in a ministry of spiritual ophthalmology. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Cor. 4:4) Satan takes delight in causing spiritual cataracts to form over our eyes and our hearts. Paul makes an impassioned plea where he says “Of if you only knew…” In this section of Scripture that we are going to be studying today, Paul is just rejoicing in the blessing that God has given to us. He thanking God and overflowing with praise. – And this isn’t just what Paul wanted for the Ephesians – it is recorded in Scripture for a reason – it is what God wants for each one of us.
- a powerful prayer. - I think that so often so much of what we pray is often routine and dull. “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take.” “God is great. God is good. Let us thank him for this food. By his hand w all are fed. Thank you Lord for this daily bread. Amen” Routine prayers that we have memorized and kind of recite without really putting much into them. This prayer isn’t like that at all. It is flowing out of a heart that is just overflowing with praise and gratitude for who God is what he has done.
The Reason for the Prayer For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and
your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. (Eph. 1:15-16) Now note what Paul says is the reason for his prayer for them. “For this reason” points backward to this what he has just said in the previous verses. The long extravagant explanation of what God has done for us. His eternal sovereign saving purposes. God has flooded their lives with unimaginable blessings.
God The Father: Has Blessed Us - Has Chosen Us. Has Predestined Us To Be Part Of His Family.
In Christ We Have Redemption and Forgiveness - We Experience Lavish Grace - God’s Will is Revealed. The Holy Spirit Has Sealed Us. Guarantees There Is More To Come
Why is he praying? Because God is fulfilling His purposes in their lives. He’s not praying because he needs something – he’s not praying because he needs to inform them of something – he’s praying because the work of God is being effective in their lives. He’s thanking God for what God is doing in their lives. You see the first 14 verses of this chapter is talking about how God has blessed us – blessing from the Father – Blessings from the Son – blessings for the Holy Spirit and when he comes to verse 15 he says you know I just can stop thanking God not only for the blessings in we have in Christ – but the fact that the work of God is actually being effectual in your life.
What they really needed was the work of God in their life. Paul knew that they needed something way beyond anything he could offer them as an apostle, a teacher, a leader – they needed Christ. All any Bible teacher ever does is to point out the problem – (you don’t have enough of Jesus in your life) and the answer (you need more of Jesus in your life). If you want to know the secret of biblical counseling there it is. So if you want to meet in my office afterwards and talk about some deep problem you are struggling with here’s what I’m going to tell you. I’ll listen for a while and say, “Here’s the problem – you don’t have enough Jesus in your life. Here’s the solution – You need more of Jesus in your life.” You’ve all just been certified as biblical counselors. Now it might not be quite that simplistic but at the fundamental level that’s it. What the Ephesians needed more than anything else was more of Jesus and Paul says “I thank God because I see that growing in your life.” He’s talking to a church that is about fours years old at this point and he’s saying as I look back over the past four years – I thank God that I can see the evidence that you are responding to God’s blessing over your life. – They had grown over the last four years – That’s what Paul was thankful for.
What was the evidence that they were responsive to God’s blessings? There were two things that showed they were responding properly to what God had done for them.
Faith in the Lord Jesus. They were trusting rightly. Everybody lives by faith. Did you hear what I said? Everybody lives by faith. I’ve never met a person who doesn’t live by faith. Some have faith in their own ideas – some have faith in philosophy – some have faith in false gods – some have faith in their own goodness. Everybody puts their faith in something. Paul is not thanking God that they have faith – but that they have in Jesus. Ill. - a short story about a young girl who was ice skating. She skated over some thin ice and it collapsed and she fell into the icy water. Some people tried to crawl across the ice to rescue her, but as they got near her, the ice began to crack and they were afraid, and nobody would go out and rescue her. But, there was one man who had lived there a long time, and he went around behind her and approached the broken ice from another direction. He crawled out to her and rescued her and, of course, he was a hero. They said, “My friend, you must have a lot of faith!” He said, “Well, it wasn’t faith that kept me up it was the ice that kept me up. I just knew where the thick ice was.” That’s a good story about our faith in Jesus Christ. If you trust in anything else besides Jesus – it’s like walking on thin ice – it might hold you for awhile – but you’re still in danger and ultimately it will not hold. Their faith was in Jesus and Paul thanked God for that.
Love for all the Saints – They were responding rightly. Notice he says all the saints A-L-L. He doesn’t say for most of the saints; he doesn’t say for some of the saints; he doesn’t say for the people that love you back. He said, “You have a love for ALL Christians.” You are a healthy Christian if you love all brothers and sisters in Christ. In fact, that’s a mark to determine whether or not you’re even a Christian at all, because in 1 John 3:14, the Bible says, “By this you can know you have passed from death unto life if you have love for all the brethren.” If you do not truly love all brothers and sisters in Christ regardless of their race, regardless of their background, regardless of their nationality if you do not love all Christians, you cannot claim to be a child of God. He’s thanking God for an indiscriminant love. – Sometimes We’ll hear say something like, “I love him in the Lord.” Which seems to imply that they have no personal affection for nor commitment to the needs of the individual. Basically it means, “I tolerate that person because I have no choice.” Let me ask you a question it that kind of “spiritualized” love real? Of course it isn’t - it’s pretense. If you’re really going to love somebody “in the Lord” you’re going to be willing to get down and wash their feet. You’re going to meet needs. You’re going to be willing to make sacrifices for that person.
The Content of the Prayer
He makes one primary request. Think of all the things that Paul could have prayed for - financial provision – protection from persecution – bigger Sunday meetings in Ephesus. Paul had one sweeping pervasive desire that they would have a deeper knowledge of God. He prays that their knowledge of God would deepen. After outlining all these spiritual blessings in chapter 1 he doesn’t pray for new spiritual blessings but a deeper more intimate understanding of what God has already provided. What he’ really praying for is “I’m going to pray right now that you really get it.” People say , “I don’t get it. I don’t understand.” He’s saying I thank God that I see that you got it! – And what I’m going to continue to pray about is that you really get it.
Ill. by Tony Compello – bouncing his child on his knee and having his child say over and over again – “Do it again daddy! Do it again!” The longer you do it – the higher they want to go. At the end they say – Wow! That was great! That was fun!” That’s what Paul is saying, “God I see what you’ve been doing in their life – do again. Take them higher – take them deeper. Make you love more expansive for them. Reveal your power in a greater way! Keep them growing so that say WOW every time they meet with you.”
Is there a WOW factor in your walk with God?
How does a deeper knowledge of God come about? That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. (NASB) Scholars are a bit divided on how to understand what Paul is meaning here when he uses the word “spirit.” Should it be capitalized and mean Holy Spirit? Or should it be a lower case “s” and mean “mindset or attitude? It will vary according to the translation. I don’t think it refers to the Holy Spirit for two reasons. One all believers already possess the Holy when they are saved. Their bodies become a temple for the Spirit. Secondly normally the definite article would appear before the word “spirit” indicating “The Holy Spirit” Even though some translations supply the definite article “the” before the word spirit – it doesn’t exist in the original. Some translators (KJV, NIV) supply the word to make it read easier but it’s not really there. deep
What he’s praying for is a spirit of wisdom (a disposition of wisdom) and revelation? He’s praying for deeper insight and fuller understanding - that we might more fully grasp God’s purpose and live accordingly. Sometimes we say things like, “you know I just can’t get my mind around this” Meaning that something is too big or too hard to understand that it’s hard to completely understand it. He’s saying I want you to get your mind around what God has done – I want you to get your heart around how God is blessing you.
Are you praying this prayer for other people? If your children aren’t getting it, are you praying that God would open their eyes? If you’re not getting it; are you praying God give me a spirit of wisdom – give me a spirit or revelation? Let me encourage you to adopt Paul’s prayer for yourself. Adopt this prayer for your family. The reason this prayer in the Word of God is this is how God wants you to be praying. It’s a model for us to follow. God is eager to reveal himself – he is not reluctant.
What is the difference between wisdom & revelation? - wisdom and revelation must go hand in hand as we seek to understand God. Wisdom comes from what we learn intellectually, from studying God’s Word and learning from other believers. Revelation is the spiritual insight that comes to us from the Holy Spirit as we pray, meditate and reflect on the Scriptures. To have something revealed is to have it uncovered – to have it opened up.
The difference between wisdom and revelation is the difference between a casual Christian and an on-fire, born-again, spirit-empowered – You’re-not-going-to-stop-me-cause-I’m-moving-forward-with-Jesus-believer.
- Ill of optical illusions. - THREE SLIDES
-elephant – how many legs does he have?
- what color are the dots where the lines intersect?
- what is this a duck or a rabbit?
- you need to open your eyes if you’re going to see these – and that’s what Paul prays
Three Areas God Wants Us to Comprehend
1. The Hope of His Calling: I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you. The hope of his calling takes them back to the point when they first came to know Jesus as Lord and Savior and it takes them forward to the point of when the work of redemption will be complete and they receive their reward in the glory of his presence.
Paul is saying - If you only knew what God has in store for His children. If you only knew the glory that awaits us as children of God. You see, it would correct the false attitude that we have towards the world and the things of the world. If you only knew the hope of your calling – you would never grieve when a believer faces death.
If you only knew the hope of your calling – you would never be tossed around like a cork on an ocean because you would understand how God is carrying through. “God, enlighten them as to the hope of their calling. Let them know God, what You have got in store for them. They won't become discouraged anymore, Lord. They only know the glorious things that await them when they get to the end of the road.”
Ill - Alexander the Great was going over the Himalayas as he was moving to conquer India, having conquered the Persian Empire and all of its wealth. And he saw this one young fellow whose horse was heavy laden, and the horse was weakening under the load and beginning to sort of stumble along. And he was doing his best to help the horse, and finally the horse just collapsed. And so this young boy took the load that was on the horse and put it on his shoulders, and he began to strain and struggle with that load. Alexander the Great became curious, what in the world does he have in those sacks that he is trying so hard to carry them on? Why doesn't he just leave them along the path? And he went up to him and he said, "Young man, what in the world do you have in those sacks that you are trying so hard to get to camp with them?" And he looked at him and he said, "Sir, I bear in these sacks the treasures of Alexander the Great." Alexander shook his head and said, "When we make camp, take them to your tent, they now belong to you." Don't you know, they got a lot lighter. All of a sudden it wasn't nearly as heavy, "Great, now it's mine, wow."
The Lord says, "When we make camp it is all yours." The hope of your calling, the glorious, eternal riches of God's kingdom. When I realize what God has waiting for me. I tell you, it gives me the strength, the energy, the courage, all that I need to go on. If you only knew the hope of your calling.
2. The Riches of His Glorious Inheritance in the Saints. the riches of his glorious inheritance in
the saints Now this is interesting. Watch this closely now. He is not talking about your inheritance here. He is talking about His inheritance. Our inheritance is Jesus. But what is His inheritance? You are. If you only knew how much God treasured you. I have never thought much of that. I have thought a lot about my treasures in God. But God treasures me? Do you remember Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man going through a field and discovering a treasure.” (Matthew 13:44). Now when you attribute that parable, the treasure turns out to be you. And the person who gave everything to buy the field, the world, in order to obtain the treasure is Jesus. He values you so highly that He gave His life to redeem you, to purchase you. You are His treasure.
Peter said, “We are His peculiar treasure,” God's treasure. If you only knew how much God treasured you, you would never treat yourself cheaply again. You would never look down at yourself again. “Hey, I am God's treasure. I am God's inheritance. God values me. God treasures me, glory.” Personally, I don't think He is getting much of a deal, but I like it that He likes it. The riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.
– a prophetic promise for the nation of Israel but also to all who the Lord has chosen to make his own - The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. 3 You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. He gives us new names and teaches us how he sees us. (Isa. 62:2-3)
4 No longer will they call you Forsaken, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah,
(my delight is in her) and your land Beulah [b] ; (married) for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. 5 As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons [c] marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. (Isa. 62:4-5)
- for many of us we had the former names – forsaken and desolate - empty and alone in our day to day experiences We can easily identify with the hopelessness and despair of those who are forsaken. But Christ has blessed us by giving us a new identity and a new name. We have the name of our Savior.
- He delights over us He rejoices over us. How many people find their joy in you? On earth there is probably only a small handful of people that would - not many find us as the focus of their joy. But God does. The God who created the universe and who rules in holiness power and glory finds His joy in you. He sees you as a glorious inheritance.
3. The Incomparable Power Which is Yours. Paul has talked about the hope of their calling – he’s talked about his they are a treasured inheritance and now he wants them to try to grasp the immensity of the power that is available to them. He uses very emphatic language - the surpassing magnitude of God’s power – the over-the-top massiveness of God ability. He’s talking about unlimited omnipotence without constraint – without boundaries – no limitations. He uses
Power is something that is on everybody’s mind today. How are we going to power our nation in the future? Every day someone is saying we need to develop alternative energy sources if we are going to survive in the future. I believe there is a power shortage in most people’s lives. Not power that comes from a gas tank or a generator. But power to face everyday life. So many people feel powerless to face the circumstances they are confronted with. Powerless to change. Powerless to forgive. Here’s the truth folks – Our power shortage is nothing new. We’ve always been in a power crisis. That’s why we needed the cross of Christ.
He uses four Greek synonyms for power in two verses (19-20) to help us get a handle on what is actually available to us: and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
Dunamos – power we get dynamite and dynamo from it. It’s a permeating power like from the sun
Energia – we get the word energy from it. Working power - ability to do work
Kratos – concentrated power – like from a laser – the ability to focus
Ischus – potential power – ability to do whatever a person wishes.
How do we really grasp this power that is available to us? It’s the power that raised Jesus from the dead. The bible declares that the wages of sin is death. And from the fall of man forward – nothing had been able to change that. Sin had entered this world – sin had ravaged this world – but at the resurrection, God’s saving plan was revealed in power when Jesus rose from the dead. Paul says do you want to get an idea of what this power is really like? It took Jesus from the lowest depths of the earth and lifted him to the highest of the high.
Verse 22 tells us that nothing is able to resist or stand in the way of that power. 22And God placed all
things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
- All things includes what? It includes all things. Every disappointment, every failure, every curve ball you didn’t see coming at you, every change, every stress, every anxiety – every problem you face. Whwere are these things? Under the feet of Jesus. Where is He standing? Over everything. Church what are you going to come up against that’s too big for you?
Close: If you only knew the greatness of the Person that lives within you! Then you will not only see your problems as they really are – but also have the power to work them out.
* PowerPoint slides may be available for this message. Some slides I use have copy write restrictions on them - others are slides, which I’ve created. If this sermon has slides I’ve created, I’d be glad to pass them on to you for your use. Please feel free to email me at: timvamosi@charter.net
