1. Text: Ephesians 1:16-19
2. Title: I Keep Asking God
3. Audience: Villa Heights Christian Church, AM crowd, May 22, 2005, in the series ¡§Praying for Loved Ones¡¨
4. Objectives:
ľ for the people to understand that there are great things to ask as we intercede for those we love
ľ for the people to feel confident that asking for these items for a loved one is a great thing to do
ƒæ for the people to more carefully pray that their loved one¡¦s ¡§eyes might be opened¡¨ to see the good things God has for those who love Him
5. When I finish my sermon I want my audience to consider the great value of the helps we have from God, put this at the front of their own thinking when confronted with challenges, and to pray for their loved ones to have this same helpful experience
6. Type: Expository
7. Dominant Thought: Just realizing what we have in Christ can help any person overcome great obstacles in his life
8. Outline:
Intro ¡V There¡¦s a TV show called Antiques Road Show. It¡¦s pretty simple ¡V they show up with a bunch of antique experts. People show up with their old stuff. The experts appraise the peoples¡¦ stuff. Usually, the ones they show you are the people who find out something they own is really valuable. After hearing what it¡¦s worth, they all say the same thing: I had no idea! I think that¡¦s kind of the way this text from Eph 1:16-19 is. (please turn to it.)
The king of Aram was mad ¡V ¡§enraged¡¨ the NIV says. He was at war with Israel, but every time he would plan to attack the armies of Israel, they¡¦d somehow learn it ahead of time. It was like there was a spy, a mole, who was telling them every time he made a plan. ¡§Alright,¡¨ he finally said, ¡§Which one of us is on Israel¡¦s side?!¡¨ ¡§None of us is on Israel¡¦s side, but Elisha, the prophet, he can tell the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.¡¨
So, the king sent huge forces after one man ¡V 2 men really: Elisha, the prophet, and his servant Gehazi. The Arameans learned that Elisha was in Dothan, so they went and surrounded it at night.
2 Kings 6:(8-)15-23
15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. "Don’t be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Strike these people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked. Elisha told them, "This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for." And he led them to Samaria. After they entered the city, Elisha said, "LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see." Then the LORD opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.
And sure enough, there was Elisha, the man they were looking for! Only, they were smack in the middle of the capital city of their enemies!
What I want you to remember about this story this morning is the prayer of Elisha, and how the Lord answered it. Here was poor Gehazi, scared out of his wits. What do you do? Elisha prayed. He prayed for his servant. But I want you to notice, that the prayer wasn¡¦t to change their situation. Elisha didn¡¦t pray that the army of Aram would be swept away. He just prayed that Gehazi¡¦s eyes would be opened to see what he already had around him. And there, in the hills, were horses and chariots of fire all around them ¡V the armies of heaven, who have been there all along.
This sermon may apply to you directly this morning. It may be that you¡¦re needing just to be able to see what you already have at your side. And it may be that you have a loved one who you know that needs the same kind of help Gehazi needed. Once again, I want to turn to one of the letters that Paul wrote, to a church of people very dear to him, and consider what he prayed for them.
Paul had been praying for the Ephesians. He must have realized that in Ephesus, there were too many Christians whose Christianity wasn’t "working" for them. The Ephesians are Christ-followers trying to live out their faith in the middle of a very not-Christian city.
Now, we can relate to that. We know a little of what it’s like to live in a world that’s post-Christian. We know that God’s word is as relevant and vital to our lives as it ever was. And we know that being a Christian somehow addresses the great needs of the world we live in, but many of us are like Gehazi. We get to feeling surrounded and overwhelmed. We know that being in Christ is better, but we’re not sure how it’s better. Or, we get bogged down with doubts about whether it really is better. And we need someone to pray for us that the Lord will open our eyes to what¡¦s already around us. That¡¦s what Paul says he was doing in
Ephesians 1:17-19a
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 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 riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
Now, Paul prayed: that they’d have a spirit of wisdom and revelation; the kind of knowledge that comes from being close to God; that the eyes of their hearts might be enlightened. He wanted their eyes open to grasp 3 great works of God:
1) the hope to which He has called us
2) the wealth of His inheritance in the saints
3) the greatness of His power for us
I. The Hope to Which He Has Called You
God has called you. No matter who you are this morning, there¡¦s a sense in which God has called you. (SEB): v18 "To know the meaning of the hope of God’s invitation" - It’s an invitation! That’s why, at the end of this message, we’ll have "invitation time." We believe that God has invited everyone to real life in Jesus Christ! We believe that when He says, whoever wants to may come, He means it! We believe that the voice of God has invited everyone to come and receive life in Him.
Ephesians 4:3-4
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called,
We’ve all received a calling from God. We joke about it. About the time I’m doing something that I really don’t care to do or fit into (like taking a turn in the nursery), someone will come along and say, "You’ve missed your calling!" In other words, we understand that God has something specific for each of us to do. But there’s a call that’s broader in scope -- one that everyone receives from God:
2 Timothy 1:9
[He] has saved us and called us to a holy life-not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace... (a call to holy living)
Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (a call to eternal living)
Hebrews 3:1
Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus¡K (a call to heavenly living ¡V with thoughts not just stuck on earthly stuff)
Lot of hopeless people around. I’ve been involved in over 100 funerals. I’ve seen both extremes. I¡¦ve seen families who celebrate that their loved one has gone to be with the Lord. They have a time of worship and celebration and say goodbye in hope. And I’ve seen family members weeping, so desperate that they have to be physically removed from the casket because they have no hope to ever see them again.
Ephesians 2:12
¡Kremember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world."
They had been W/O hope. But that was changed. They were now a people with a hope
Ill - Denver Rocky Mountain News: In the library of Columbine HS a killer pointed his gun at Cassie Bernall and asked her: "Do you believe in God?" She paused. The gun was still there. She said, "Yes, I believe in God." That was the last thing the 17-year-old Christian girl would ever say in this life. She must have had a hope beyond this life.
The real heroes of our generation are going to be the ones who remember that we have hope beyond this life. We can send our kids away from home, to school, with the hope that we will know them beyond this life. We can leave our homes ourselves because we know that no matter what happens to us, we have a hope beyond this life.
We are a people with a particular hope. What a change it makes in the way you face each day if you understand "the hope to which He has called you"!
And that¡¦s exactly the hope I want for the people that I love. If you¡¦re praying for your loved ones, here¡¦s an item to keep asking for them: that they will recognize the hope they have in Jesus. Gehazi¡¦s feelings changed really quickly when he saw the chariots of God¡¦s armies all around them. ¡§Those who are with us are more than those who are with them¡¨ Elisha told him. John reminds us of the same thing ¡V the one who is in you is greater than the one in the world.
Understanding our hope makes a difference in our lives! What do you hope for in heaven? No bills? No sickness?; No death? Being with old friends?; Being with Jesus? Having a perfect body? Living w/o Satan’s constant push to sin? I’m looking forward to no more 5:00 news.
Hope like that can see us through difficult times. It can help us remain faithful, to not give up, to keep ourselves straight - if we’d just ponder and understand it. No wonder Paul kept asking God that they would understand the hope to which He has called us...
So, we this have right prayer to offer on behalf of the ones we love: that they can think and live like people who have hope beyond this life.
Secondly, Paul wanted them to grasp
II. The Riches of His Glorious Inheritance (18b)
Ephesians 1:18
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 riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
What do you think of when you think of an inheritance? Some rich uncle leaving you a fortune? Not all inheritances prove to be that way. They may be a reflection of what the inheritor is worth in the eyes of the person who leaves the inheritance. Ill - In her will, a Philadelphia woman left her divorced husband $1 to buy a rope to hang himself!
There are 2 ways this text could be taken. It could be about what the Saints (that’s all of us) are going to inherit in Christ. That would fit with the rest of Scripture just fine; fellow-heirs with Jesus.
It also could be referring to what Jesus inherits in us - that fits with the first part of this chapter.
ASV takes vv11-12 and translates it "we were made a heritage." This gives an important twist to our usual thinking. What if it¡¦s talking about us being Christ¡¦s inheritance?
-Ill - remember choosing teams for games at school? The worst possible thing that could happen to your day was to be the last one chosen. It’s nice to be chosen!
Consider it this morning: If you could go on a shopping spree, what would you choose?
God chose us!
Of all of the things God could have to be with Him for eternity, He chooses us!
With all of the ways that God chooses to bring praise to Himself, He chooses us!
When God is writing up His Christmas list, you¡¦re at the top!
When God is picking players for His kickball team, he chooses you first!
When God is planning where He¡¦s going to visit, He makes His plans around a visit to your place!
When it comes to that thing for which God would make the greatest sacrifice, you¡¦re that thing!
When God goes to hang pictures in His hallway, He hangs up our pictures and says, "That’s my family."
Our relationship with God is wonderful because of all it brings us. In the midst of it, remember what God gets: US. For our part, we ought to be asking what we¡¦re doing about God¡¦s inheritance. What kind of a heritage will we be for our God Who loves us so much?
God chose you to be His heritage!
If we could begin to grasp how valuable we are to our God, what kind of lives would we lead?
Right now, whatever you¡¦re doing financially is going to determine what kind of an inheritance you leave. That¡¦s how you decide. Once our time comes to pass out of this life, what will we have left for our God? What will He inherit when the Christian church enters into His heaven? The answer to that is: what kind of person are you being now?
If only we could grasp this, how spotless a bride we would be! Life isn’t just about the name we make for ourselves or what we’ll leave behind for our children. Life is about what we do with it and leave to God.
So, we need to be praying for our loved ones ¡V praying that they¡¦ll have some insight into this ¡V so that they¡¦ll be living their lives like a gift for God.
The 3rd work of God to consider here is
III. His Incomparably Great Power for us who believe
Language at this point is exhausted trying to touch on the power of God:
Look again at the words in v.19: immeasurable, greatness, power, working, strength, might ¡V it¡¦s where we get our words: mega, dynamite, energy. Paul is praying that the Ephesians will get some grasp of God¡¦s power for us who believe.
The Bible gives us some pretty good pictures of it on different occasions ¡V parting the Red Sea, making the sun stand still, sending the 10 plagues, and providing manna from heaven. They¡¦re all displays of God¡¦s power. The psalms remind us too:
Psalm 33:6-9
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
That power created the universe, with a word! That’s powerful! Do you realize you have access to that power?
Ill ¡V Returning from Thanksgiving in Indiana, we were tooling down the interstate across Illinois toward St. Louis. Our van has this nifty overhead information center that tells you things you need to know ¡V like the temperature outside and what kind of gas mileage you¡¦re getting. There¡¦s also a specific range indicator. Based on how much gas you have, it will tell you how far you can go. At least, it¡¦s supposed to. The tank was a little low, so I checked the information center. It said we could still go 80 some miles, so I planned our next gasoline stop for the exit 25 miles down the road. No problem. About 10 miles later, it was saying we could go 60 miles or so. The math didn¡¦t make sense, but I figured we were OK. (You can hear what¡¦s coming.) Pretty soon, it was saying 55 miles was all we could go, and then, without warning, we were coasting without power. Out of gas. Needless to say, I don¡¦t trust the range indicator on our information center anymore. If it starts saying I have 60 miles before I need gas, I start to look for a source. When the tank is low, you drive differently. You have a different attitude.
On the other hand, most of us don’t worry too much about the sun running out of fuel in our lifetime. Scientists predict that it will burn out after several thousand years. Most of us go on living like we expect it to not run out. There’s a big difference between the sun and an almost-empty minivan!
If we could begin to understand our real Power Source, we wouldn’t live like it was running out!
Quote - Calvin Miller - "The world is poor because her fortune is buried in the sky and all her treasure maps are of the earth." Power isn’t all about who has the biggest armies or the greatest technology. There’s a much greater power than that ¡V one that is able to forgive us of our sins, and one that¡¦s working through us.
I want for my loved ones to understand this. I want for them to realize that the God we serve is a never-ending supply of power that works through us if we allow Him to do so.
Ill - Imagine, I have given my sons a job to do ¡V cutting wood ¡V and I¡¦ve given them both a chain saw to get it done. But when I check on them later, I see them both out sawing (without starting up the motors). I¡¦d want so badly for them to realize the power that¡¦s at their disposal. I wonder if sometimes God doesn¡¦t feel the same way about us, wanting us to just get a clue about the power we have to use.
We ought to pray about it. We can pray that we¡¦ll realize it ourselves, but we can also follow the example of Paul here and ask God to help our loved ones understand at least some glimmer of God¡¦s power.
Will we live like our power source is more stable than the sun, or like a car about to run out of gas? What will we let Him do here at Villa Heights? How much can our God do?
3:20 says He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
So, we have good reason to pray this for our loved ones. That God will enable them to understand the power that¡¦s available to them.
Conclusion
The hope of our calling, The wealth of His inheritance in us, The great power He works in us -
In a world that likes results, these are what make Christianity work! Without ever thinking about them, without ever trying to grasp them, our life in Christ is more like a prophet and his nervous servant surrounded by the armies of our enemies.
Maybe this morning you¡¦re feeling that way. You need to focus once again on the hope of your calling, what God will inherit in you, and what God can do through you by His great power.
The calling that everyone receives is the continuing invitation of Jesus to new life in Him.
