Sermon Central
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Tapped In To The Powerful Love Of Christ Series
Contributed by Daniel Devilder on Nov 15, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: As Ephesians transitions from the "theological" to the practical, it hinges on a crucial prayer of Paul for them to be filled with power to know God’s love. It is this indwelling of the HS/Christ that enables us to walk in love and all that we are admoni
Tapped In to the Powerful Love of Christ
Love is All you Need—the Beatles
Love can be a powerful force
Hug Video (other examples in my life? getting a note from my 6th grade girlfriend. Or patience from my wife of 15 years though I don’t deserve it)
Human Love only goes so far
• I love those who love me
• Break Ups
• Divorce Neil Simon quote, p. 81 in The Unusual Suspect
• Enemies—Did Jesus REALLY say we should love them?
• Tired/Irritable/Defensive/In Jail (??!!! . . . .Paul. Implication that we called to love even if circumstances suggest/show we are left “high and dry” by those we love or we are just plain given a “raw deal” and a “happy face” would seem to any ordinary folk to be just plain impossible, if not idiotic)
I WANT to be not only more lovable, but to be a better lover (wink)
As followers of Jesus, we also have Scriptural commands that tell us to love (like mentioned earlier.)
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. (NKJV)
Examples of Calls to Love in Eph:
fellow church members
wives/husbands
children
slaves toward their bosses
“Love may be all WE NEED”, but
How am I supposed to DO all this even 40-50% of the time, much less 80 or 90 or 100%
TEXT: Ephesians 3:14-21
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
How am I able to love the way God wants me to love? Paul says, we have to be given the power to know Christ’s love, in the first place.
Big Idea: Only God can tap me into the Powerful Love of Christ.
1. Only God Can Give His Powerful Love
People can Love without God, but it only goes so far. Real love comes from God. We can’t buy, steal, imitate, or grab God’s love.
v.19 this love that surpasses knowledge
I can not come by it only on my own. It is unknowable—and yet we are to KNOW it!
v. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
It is something that comes out of the store rooms of God. He rooms of treasure.
Some of you may remember a scene in Richie Rich where untold riches were overflowing, spilling out in a secure cave. Or think of a secret Pirate cave where riches from many centuries were piled up, gold and jewels and crowns and diamond necklaces all spilling out of treasure chests, forming a sparkling menagerie as far as the eye can see.
Only God’s treasure room does not come from selfish and opportunistic capitalist grabbing, or from smelly, bad-toothed, one-handed, murderous pirate thievery.
It comes from who HE IS. He IS powerful, holy, good, loving, giving, like no other.
And so,
God can supply our needs "as lavishly as only he can" (257, Obrien).
The phrase in NIV “glorious riches” may obscure the depth and quality of his riches, discovered a bit better by the translation riches of His glory
His glory is his "radiance and splendor", conveying "perfection" (PTO). Someone too bright, too perfect to gaze upon with our human vision—causing Moses to glow so much it startled people and he covered himself with a veil.
Phil 4:19 "And my God will fully meet every need of yours in accordance with his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
“Tap” is not a word used in the Bible—at least not here, but I think it is an apt description with one possible flaw:
The aptness comes from the description in verse 16 he may strengthen you with power
I get the idea of a power supply. I take something that is pretty useless on its own, without power, like a lamp, and when I plug it in—tapping in to the power source, what happens? I get power, and the lamp is useful. It works wonderfully!
