Sermon Central
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The Unfathomable Love Of Christ - A Closeup Look At Ephesians 3 & 4
Contributed by Clark Tanner on Jan 17, 2003 (message contributor)
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1. "I, Paul, Prisoner"
Contributed on Jan 17, 2003
He was not Rome’s prisoner, he was Christ’s! (#1 in The Unfathomable Love of Christ series on Eph 3 & 4) See the "Every Spiritual Blessing" series on Ephesians 1 & 2.
As we enter this third chapter of Ephesians, I want to remind you that when Paul wrote his letters, they were simply that. Personal letters to the churches, establishing doctrine, settling disputes, giving assurance, offering encouragement, requesting prayer, but over all else, exalting the ...read more
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2. "For This Reason"
Contributed on Jan 24, 2003
Why Paul prayed to the Father, for the Ephesians and therefore, for us. (#2 in the Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
Just last week we looked at this phrase briefly, from verse one. However, since it wasn’t our primary focus, we come back to it now, only in verse 14, following Paul’s parenthesis which encompassed verses 2 through 13. I’ll begin by refreshing your memory concerning his reference. When ...read more
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3. "Christ In The Heart"
Contributed on Jan 31, 2003
Christ wants to be the center of our lives, our personalities, our mind, our will. (#3 in the Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith...” We have come to a phrase of great significance that we cannot skip over lightly, thinking it has only a surface application and only joins one phrase or one thought to the next. If the reader is not careful, there is the ...read more
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4. "Rooted And Grounded In Love"
Contributed on Feb 10, 2003
The fruit we bear will be determined by the soil we’re rooted in (#4 in The Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love...” I feel it is very important to remind you first of all today, that this is a prayer, and it is a prayer for you. But that does not say it all. Keep in mind who it is who is ...read more
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5. "Understanding The Love Of Christ"
Contributed on Feb 21, 2003
Understanding the breadth, length, height and depth of Christ’s love only comes from the Holy Spirit (#5 in the Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“...that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge...” That’s a pretty ambitious title for a sermon, isn’t it? Some might even say ...read more
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6. "Filled Up With God"
Contributed on Feb 28, 2003
Paul prays that we might be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, so that we might know the unknowable, and be filled to the fullest (#6 in The Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“...that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.” The first thing I have an obligation to point out to you as we begin, is that we’re still in the middle of Paul’s prayer; a prayer for the church he’s writing to, but also, as we have said and agreed upon, for all who would come after, ...read more
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7. "The Working Of His Power"
Contributed on Mar 9, 2003
We must have the Spirit of Christ, to live the Christ life, to do the work of Christ (#7 in The Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
If you will remember back to our coverage of verse one, you know that Paul called himself ‘prisoner of Jesus Christ’, and then he broke from what he seemed about to say, and began a rather lengthy qualification for that terminology. When we read verses 2-7 we find that he is reiterating ...read more
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8. "Coat Of Many Colors"
Contributed on Mar 14, 2003
Through the church and through His Christ, God has manifested His many-faceted wisdom. (#8 in The Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now ...read more
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9. "To God Be The Glory"
Contributed on Mar 21, 2003
The power that is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we can ask or think, is the same power that works in and through us, to bring glory to God. (#9 in The Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“Thou art coming to a King; Large petitions with thee bring; For His grace and power are such, None can ever ask too much.” -John Newton We are on the threshold of the portion of this epistle that deals with the Christian’s walk. To this point, Paul has laid out very clearly and ...read more
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10. "Walking Worthy"
Contributed on Apr 26, 2003
We are called to walk in a way that is consistent with our calling as God’s holy ones (#10 in the Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” As we move through this epistle we come to a slight bend in the road. As we travel along it, the farther we go the more likely we will be to lose sight of what came ...read more
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11. "The Mark Of The Christian"
Contributed on May 2, 2003
In admonishing the believer to walk according to what God has called them, Paul lists the primary things that set the Christian apart (#11 in the Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of ...read more
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12. "One And Many"
Contributed on May 8, 2003
We are one and united in Him, yet we are many, each gifted according to grace (#12 in the Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ‘s gift.” According to ...read more
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13. "Captivity Led Captive"
Contributed on May 23, 2003
Sin made us captives to Satan. Grace made us captives to Christ. (#13 in the Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“Therefore it says ‘When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men’. (Now this expression, ‘He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the ...read more
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14. "Construction Equipment"
Contributed on Jun 6, 2003
God gave gifts for the building up of the Church. Apostles prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers. (#14 in the Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, ...read more
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15. "Body Language"
Contributed on Jun 20, 2003
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the ’body language’ that must be spoken in love, for the lost to be saved.(#16 in the Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom ...read more
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16. "Darkness: Not Just The Absence Of Light"
Contributed on Jul 5, 2003
The world is in a darkness that is total and powerful. Only the true Light can dispell it. (#17 in the Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; ...read more
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17. "If You Have Heard Him"
Contributed on Jul 27, 2003
We need a renewed mind to see ourselves as newly created in the likeness of God, then put on the new man daily. (# 18 in the Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in ...read more
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18. "In The Likeness Of God"
Contributed on Aug 15, 2003
We were recreated in His likeness; what was lost in the Fall was restored. Holiness, righteousness, and truth. (#19 in the Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“…and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” We spent the last several minutes of the last sermon in this series, talking about having our minds renewed as to the difference between our old corrupt nature, and the ...read more
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19. "Satan The Opportunist"
Contributed on Aug 22, 2003
Satan specializes in crimes of opportunity. We’re supposed to deprive him of opportunities! (#20 in the Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. The more than a century of feuding between the McCoys of ...read more
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20. "Do Not Grieve The Holy Spirit"
Contributed on Aug 31, 2003
Practicing the ways of the ’flesh’ grieves the Holy Spirit in us, Who is in the process of sanctifying us. (#21 in the Unfathomable Love of Christ series)
“He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the ...read more