Sermon Notes: Ephesians 3:14-21, Part 1 – Paul Prays
These are the notes of a sermon preached by Andy Evans on the morning of the 9 January 2011 at Firwood Church. Click here to download or stream the sermon audio.
Ephesians 3:14–21
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family 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.
1. INTRODUCTION – THE PRAYER-MOTIVE
a. The Connection
As we considered (a couple of months back), in Ephesians Chapter 3, verse 1, we see the Apostle Paul distracted,
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles… (Ephesians 3:1)
It is as though he is about to do or say something, ‘For this reason, I now do this-‘, before then embarking upon a lengthy digression.
Chapter 3, verse 14, provides the bookend to this digression. The ‘For this reason’ of verse 14 deliberately points back to verse 1 and we see Paul pick up where he left off.
But the digression of verses 1 to 13 was not without purpose. Paul wants believers in Ephesus to understand three things.
i. His glorious grace
Firstly, Paul wants believers, and particularly Gentile believers, to comprehend the magnitude of the grace of God at work towards them in and through Christ Jesus. Paul reminds them that,
…the mystery of Christ […] was not made known to the sons of men in other generations… (Ephesians 3:4,5)
And, as a result of this grace revealed in and through Christ Jesus, even Gentiles, those firmly on the outside, are made to be,
…fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (Ephesians 3:6)
ii. The mystery revealed
Secondly, Paul wants believers to see the necessity of the grace of God for the salvation of all men and, in particular, Gentiles. Paul reminds the church that God’s purposes and dealings with his creation are at once glorious and mysterious. Although he reveals himself everywhere and at every time and in every place, our ability to rightly perceive him and appropriately respond is hindered by sin. Indeed, Paul earlier reminds us that before Christ radically intervened we were, in fact, spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1).
This is why the intervention of God is necessary. And the Apostle Paul is the perfect illustration of this truth. Elsewhere, Paul reminds us of his credentials outside of Christ,
If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. (Philippians 3:4-6)
The point Paul is making is that he was the religious fundamentalist who never missed church, attended every event, attended to every religious observance and went above and beyond all that was expected. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews.
He was utterly confident with regards to his own righteous standing.
But this confidence, this self-righteousness, is corrosive to the soul. Ultimately, Paul’s pursuit of self-righteousness led him to persecute, imprison and oversee the execution of Christians.
Nothing less than a miraculous intervention of God could possibly have broken this stranglehold of religious delusion. This is why the intervention of the Son of God was necessary.
As Paul was travelling to Damascus, ‘still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord’ (Acts 9:1), the resurrected and ascended Jesus confronted him and revealed himself as he truly is, the glorious eternal Son of God.
Paul reminds believers in Ephesus of the effect and outcome of this intervention in his own life. He reminds them and us that,
…the mystery [of Christ] was made known to me by revelation… (Ephesians 3:3)
Supernatural revelation is necessary, for the Hebrew of Hebrews and Gentiles alike.
iii. A steward of grace
And thirdly, Paul reminds believers of the nature of his role in the advance of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul understands that the grace revealed to him in and through Jesus Christ now shapes his identity. He is made to be a steward of grace. As a recipient of grace, Paul is now compelled to be-grace others. Paul assumes that believers in Ephesus and elsewhere understand this dynamic for this is how the gospel reached them and how the gospel reached you and I. Paul reminds us of the,
…stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you (Ephesians 3:2)
There is, of course, in all of this a clear application for both you and I: we receive grace that we might be-grace others. God reveals himself to us and lavishes grace upon us in and through Christ Jesus that we might communicate, proclaim and persuade people of the truthfulness of the gospel.
To do, or, more properly, to be, anything less is to fail in our calling and to belie the grace which was so richly lavished upon us.
Indeed, the Lord Jesus reminds his disciples of this very point,
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. (Matthew 10:8).
b. The grateful heart
Verse 14, ‘For this reason’, refers us to this and all that has gone before. Paul has reminded believers of the glorious grace of God at work towards and in them in and through Christ Jesus. Paul himself recalls all that God has done in him and all that God has done through him.
As Paul remembers these believers in Ephesus he responds emotionally.
The first such emotional response is found in the first of Paul’s great prayers which punctuate this letter (which, incidentally, begins with the same construction, ‘For this reason‘),
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you… (Ephesians 1:15,16)
Paul hears of the genuineness of the faith of the believers within the church in Ephesus (evidenced by their love for Jesus and each other) and responds with an outpouring of gratitude and praise to God.
We are in a blessed position at Firwood Church as we have seen unbelievers come to saving faith in Christ Jesus and we have seen lives transformed. We are in a hugely privileged position to have seen such moves of God on numerous occasions even in the past year.
My fear, however, is that we would become accustomed to such grace and, as a result, our gratitude might wane. My prayer is that such divine interventions would appear to us as they are: supernatural acts of divine kindness.
Consider the situation of the Apostle Paul. His conversion came about in extraordinary and miraculous circumstances. God then used him to heal the sick, cast out demons, undertake miraculous acts of power and, through him, convert thousands of men and women to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The truth is that the Apostle Paul experienced God move in a degree of power that you and I are unlikely to ever see and yet he never lost his sense of wonder and amazement with regards to the goodness of God.
And now we find him, nearing the end of his ministry, hearing rumours of lives being transformed and he still feels the same sense of excitement. He still responds with the same sense of gratitude.
My prayer for 2011 is that we would be known as a people who are overflowing with gratitude and thankfulness.
My prayer is that as we see God move we, like Paul, would be driven and motivated to pray.
c. Paul the Pastor
But there is further dynamic underpinning these great prayers.
Although modern scholarship generally acknowledges Paul’s formidable reasoning and rhetorical skill, there is a tendency to regard him somewhat cooly. There is clear regard for his remarkable intellect, but somewhat less for the man himself.
To a certain extent, this coldness has percolated into the church. We embrace John as the Apostle of love, but very few people would think of Paul in these terms.
As we read the Epistles, however, it is clear that such views do Paul a great disservice. As we read it is clear that the Apostle Paul, evangelist, church planter and pastor of pastors, felt deeply for the churches.
Consider Paul’s heart for the churches,
I feel divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2)
I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? (2 Corinthians 12:15)
For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:8)
Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. (Philippians 4:1)
…you are our glory and joy. (1 Thessalonians 2:20)
…in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? (1 Thessalonians 3:7-10)
And,
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church (Colossians 1:24)
It is clear that Paul feels deeply for the churches. It is clear that Paul feels deeply for this particular church in Ephesus. And it is this depth of feeling, this pastoral weight, this godly affection, which draws him to his knees.
As Paul bows and prays for this congregation of believers, he prays for their good, he prays that they might know Jesus and that this might result in them being filled with power from on high.
As Paul remembers all that God has done for them, he remembers their continuing need for the grace of God and he is driven to his knees to pray for this people, his people.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and earth is named (Ephesians 3:14,15)
For those of us who are in positions of responsibility and leadership, it is important that we feel as Paul feels.
Youth workers, band members, Sunday School teachers, deacons, Bible Study leaders, evangelists, those involved in the cafe, Weigh Less and organising the social and outreach events.
And we can open this up further.
Wives are called to encourage, support and, yes, exhort their husbands. Husbands are called to love, pastor and protect their wives. Parents are called to disciple and pastor their children. Children are called to be a blessing and encouragement to their parents.
We are called to display the manifold wisdom of Christ in all of these areas. We are called to steward the grace so richly lavished upon us. We are called to be a blessing to others. The weight of this responsibility and our love for those in our care should drive us to our knees in prayer.
This morning, the Scriptures challenge us to examine our heart and our motivation. In order for us to shepherd those entrusted to us (whether it be a congregation or our children) we must have the heart of a pastor. We must feel the same love that Paul felt for this church. A love which puts their good above our own. A love which desires that they might grow in their love and affection for Christ Jesus.
Paul feels deeply and so must we.
And as we are filled with the love and grace of Christ Jesus for his saints, we will be driven to pray.
Paul prays. We must also pray.
2. THE PRAYER-DYNAMIC
a. Before the Father, before the King
Now consider how Paul prays:
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father… (Ephesians 3:14)
It is easy because of our familiarity with this kind of language for us to miss the radical nature of Paul’s prayer. There are two truths here which collide powerfully and inform the way in which we should approach the Almighty.
i. Humility
The first thing we note is the humility in Paul’s approach; he bows before the Father.
Although there are examples in the Old Testament of people prostrating themselves before God in earnest prayer, it was more usual in this period for people to pray while standing.[1]
To bow in this way signifies great reverence and humility. Paul recognises that he is approaching a holy and glorious King.
ii. Intimacy
The second aspect to Paul’s prayer is the intimate way in which Paul addresses this awesome King as Father.
This is, in fact, an illustration of the reality we find in Christ Jesus, a reality which Paul has already unpacked,
For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (Ephesians 2:18-19)
And then, later,
in [Christ] we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. (Ephesians 3:12)
This is the reality of the gospel: those of us who were far off and without a hope in the world are now called near and invited into the very household of God. We become heirs and coheirs with Christ Jesus (Romans 8:17, Galatians 3:7 and Ephesians 3:6).
We become children of God (1 John 3:1) and he invites us to call him Father. Indeed, the Lord Jesus teaches us to thus pray,
Pray then like this:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name. (Matthew 6:9)
Again note the same collision of intimacy and awe. Jesus teaches us to address the God of the Universe as Father and yet immediately reminds us that he is holy: ‘hallowed be your name’.
In truth, the distance between the role of father and the notion of reverence is greater than in Paul’s day. We live in a society in which the authority and dignity of the role of father has been somewhat eroded.
In the First Century, the term ‘Father’ had overtones of dignity and authority. The father was the one who governed and provided leadership for the family unit.
Indeed, the next verse indicates that Paul has this kind of model of fatherhood in mind,
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named (Ephesians 3:14,15)
Paul has just reminded us that our God, the God of the Bible, is the God who created everything,
To me […] this grace was given […] to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things (Ephesians 3:8,9)
The writers of the New Testament consistently assert that God is Creator, Paul here sets out the implications of this profound truth.
Paul understands that, as the Giver of Life, God is the Father of all creation. It is he who brings creation into being from nothing. It is he who regulates, governs and cares for all his creatures. Father God fathers creation.
Paul further understands that, with this, comes a weighty application for all of those who are his. Paul reminds us that he is the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named (Ephesians 3:15)
Paul’s point is that he is the pattern for fatherhood; that God creates everything and then institutes family and fatherhood, all of which is patterned after him.
For those of us who are fathers, this text becomes unbelievably weighty. The title, father, and our calling as fathers is patterned and modelled after Father God and we are called to father our children as Father God cares for and fathers his creation.
Moreover, in the incarnation of the Son of God, we see the love of the Father for the Son in full measure. We are called to imitate this kind of love: a love which seeks the ultimate good of our children and a love which desires for them to grow strong in the Lord.
Fatherhood (and motherhood, for that matter) is a weighty, weighty calling.
Furthermore, this truth reminds us that the stakes are incredibly high.
Although Paul will unpack this in more detail from Chapter 5 onwards, but it is worth noting here that the gospel attaches great importance to the institution of marriage and the family unit. This is why Christian husbands and wives and parents and children are called to respond and relate to one another in a godly way.
Marriage and families are patterned after the image and nature of the Creator. For those of us who believe, God intends our marriages and family lives to act as a powerful testimony and show the gospel at work in our lives.
He is our Father and, as such, is the pattern, the ideal, for fatherhood. The Godhead exists (eternally) in perfect love and unity and, as such, is the pattern for all that family is called to be.
We are called, in our roles as parents and family members, to faithfully reflect these profound truths back to a world for whom the concept of family and parenthood is dreadfully corroded.
He is our Father, but he is also our King and the intimacy to which we are called in no way undermines the reverence and awe with which we must regard the One who holds the universe in place.
Indeed, the tension between these two truths illustrates the wonder of the gospel and magnifies his grace. He is holy and yet he lavishes grace upon sinners and rebels. He is the Creator God who stands over and above his creation and yet he calls us to draw near. He is King and yet he invites us to call him Father.
It is this contrast between his holiness and the intimacy with which he calls us which magnifies his sheer grace.
3. THE PRAYER-GROUNDING
Paul sees the grace of God at work within the church and he is compelled to respond with prayers of gratitude and praise.
Paul feels deeply for the church and is driven to pray that God would continue to work in the lives of these believers.
Paul prays knowing that he is both Father and King and that he is mighty to save.
There is a great confidence which comes with the gospel and this acts as a grounding and an impetus to pray. Paul prays,
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think… (Ephesians 3:20)
We will return to this in the coming weeks, but consider, for the moment, the monumental implications of this truth.
Paul will pray, here and elsewhere in his letters, for God to do astounding things. We will unpack the contents of this prayer (verse 14 through to 21) next two weeks, but Paul is going to ask that God would fill believers in Ephesus and believers here at Firwood Church, with supernatural power.
How is it that Paul can pray a prayer like this?
And how can we pray with this kind of confidence for our wives, husbands, children, colleagues, neighbours and friends?
And where do we find the hope that God indeed can change hearts, save the lost and transform communities like Westwood, Oldham?
Our confidence, our grounding, is found in God himself.
He is able to answer our prayers because he is able to do anything we ask. Moreover, he is able to do anything we think.
Paul’s point is that God is not constrained by our imagination.
And this should reassure us greatly.
Consider all that you hope for for your families, friends, schools, colleges and workplaces.
Consider all that you might dream of for this town, this city and this nation.
Consider the great need elsewhere in the world as men, women and children struggle with monumental and crushing poverty, disease and oppression.
God is powerful and able to act in all of these circumstances and he is not constrained by the limits of our imaginings. He is able to do more. Indeed, he is able to do far more, abundantly more, than we even dare dream.
He is a God who cares and invites us to call him Father. He is a God who is mighty to save and can do more than we can possibly dream.
And all of this should drive us, with Paul, to our knees. All of this should embolden us in our prayer life as we pray for our families, as we pray for our broken world and as we pray that his glory might be visible in his church,
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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
[1] Peter O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999), p. 255