Above Beyond All Measure (Eph 3:14-21)

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Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)

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. Where are we?
   1. Eph 1 – The plan of redemption in Christ from eternity
   2. Eph 2 – we were dead in our sins and trespasses and, by nature, children of wrath – But God
   3. Eph 3:1-13 – Paul is an apostle to the Gentiles for the mystery of Christ hidden. That Christ would be the power of salvation and that, in Him, all the Nations would find their redemption and unity in Him.  Jews and Gentiles are full heirs.
   4. Though the Church this mystery would be made known to all!
2. For this reason, Paul prays for the Church

   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.

Prays before the Father, before whom every family in heaven and earth is named

1. According to the riches of his glory, you may be strengthened through the Spirit in your inner being
2. The Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith
   1. Spirit points to Christ
   2. Christ is the root and end of theology
3. that you, being rooted and grounded in love…

   Leading to THREE ENDS

4. …that you (all) may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
5. and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge

 

1. that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

 

3. These are not single “you” but corporate “you”
4. This is the Church – this is the end
5. This is union with Christ
6. Archetypal Knowledge vs Ectypal Knowledge
7. We are united to Christ
8. We apprehend the breadth and depth and fullness of God’s love for us in Christ
9. We have true knowledge and wisdom as we seek him and not the knowledge of this world.
10. We have unity and joy across race and culture only by devling into Him.

 

Breathless Glory

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. IDENTITY – Opium of the people, Imagining ourselves, Imagining the good, liquid identity

   Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.
   — Karl Marx

   Identity politics is a protest against suffering…liquid modernity

2. What you can imagine – beyond all measure – far more
3. It’s not that we lack imagination but the imagination of a creature cannot comprehend the vasness of God’s love for us.
4. The power at work within us is far more than anything we can imagine.
5. All to God’s glory. Soli Deo Gloria.