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Please turn with me in your Bibles 
to Ephesians chapter 3. Ephesians 3, as we continue to 
work our way through the apostle's letter to the church in Ephesus. This ends the doctrinal section, 
and we'll pick up the practical section, God willing, next week. 
That's from chapter 4 at verse 1, all the way to chapter 6 at 
about verse 20. So this is a bit of a transition 
chapter. The apostle underscores his place in God's plan, his 
redemptive plan. So I want to read beginning in 
verse 1 of chapter 3. For this reason, I, Paul, the 
prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles, if indeed you have 
heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which was given 
to me for you, how that by revelation he made known to me the mystery, 
as I have briefly written already, by which when you read, you may 
understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other 
ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been 
revealed by the spirit to his holy apostles and prophets. that 
the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers 
of this promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became 
a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to 
me by the effective working of His power. To me, who am less 
than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I 
should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 
and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which 
from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God, who created 
all things through Jesus Christ. to the intent that now the manifold 
wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities 
and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose 
which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have 
boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. Therefore, 
I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which 
is your glory. For this reason, I bow my knees 
to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family 
in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according 
to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through 
His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your 
hearts through faith. that you, being rooted and grounded 
in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the 
width and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ 
which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the 
fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do 
exceedingly abundantly, above all that we ask or think, according 
to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church, 
by Christ Jesus, to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Well, 
let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for 
this wonderful letter, we thank You for these wonderful themes, 
and we thank You for this prayer of the Apostle, and it certainly 
describes not only what he did in terms of the Ephesian church, 
but it is suggestive as to how we ought to pray when we go to 
our closets, when we gather together as a church. The emphasis upon 
these spiritual petitions, I pray, would make an impact upon our 
own hearts and in our own prayer lives. As well, God, may we see 
the church at worship, the church that exists is for the demonstration 
of the glory of God. And may you be glorified even 
now. And again, forgive us for all of our sins and guide us 
by the Holy Spirit. And we pray through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord. Amen. So last week we looked 
at verses 14 to 19a, and essentially what we have in this particular 
section is the praise of the Apostle Paul in verses 14 to 
19, and then the praise of the Apostle Paul directed to our 
God in verses 20 and 21. There's a consistency with our 
Lord's Prayer. Remember, the Lord teaches us 
to pray in Matthew chapter 6. There's several petitions that 
we offer up, and then it ends on doxology. For thine is the 
kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and forever. Amen. So it's 
right to follow up prayer with praise to our blessed God. So 
last week we looked at the prayer of the Apostle. We noted the 
occasion of his prayer. Notice in verse 14, for this 
reason, some connect it to verse 13, Therefore I ask that you 
do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. 
Certainly that's in view, but I think the stronger connection 
is verse 1. for this reason I." So based 
on what he is taught in chapter 2, namely the salvation of Gentiles 
as individuals, verses 1 to 10, and then the solidarity of Gentiles 
with Jews in verses 11 to 22, it is based on that reality that 
Paul wants to pray and praise God. And so that's the occasion 
in verse 14. Notice the posture. He doesn't 
say, I'm going to pray. He simply says, I bow my knees. 
We all understand what that means. The Bible certainly authorizes 
or condones or encourages people to pray standing. or to pray 
sitting. You could pray lying down. You 
could pray in just about any posture whatsoever. But it certainly 
endorses kneeling. It certainly endorses that expression 
of humility and worship to our gods. He doesn't say, I pray. 
He says, I bow my knees. And then, of course, the audience, 
the one to whom he prays, is mentioned here, to the Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven 
and earth is named. So we have his occasion, we have 
his posture, we have his audience, and then we see the content of 
his prayer. We looked at two out of the three 
petitions last week. Notice in verses 16 and 17a. Verse 16, that he would grant 
you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened 
with might through his spirit in the inner man that Christ 
may dwell in your hearts through faith. So he has this petition. 
for spiritual strength. And what we learn here is that 
the strength given by the Father through the Son results in more 
presence of Christ in the life of the believer. And then he 
moves on to a second petition in verses 17b to 19a. Notice 17b, that you having been 
rooted and grounded in love. They've already been conquered 
by sovereign grace. They are already in the context 
of an experiential knowledge of Jesus and his love for them, 
but he wants them to grow in their understanding. He wants 
them to expand in terms of their knowledge. So that you, having 
been rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with 
all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height 
to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge." He's not talking 
about their love for Christ. He is rather speaking about Christ's 
love for them. He wants you to be knowledgeable. 
He wants you to understand just how much Jesus loves you. And 
there is this sort of irony. He wants you to know the love 
of Christ, which passes knowledge. It's incomprehensible on the 
one hand, but I want you to grow in your understanding of it on 
the other hand. And then that brings us to the 
third petition where he prays for fullness. Notice 19b. The third petition in the Apostles' 
Prayer is that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 
It's kind of an interesting statement, a curious statement, so let's 
try and unpack it and then move on to the doxology. I think there's 
probably two references to this fullness of God. In the first 
place, He wants them to know or rather be filled with all 
the fullness of God in terms of God's benefits, the things 
that God gives to His people. We've already seen some degree 
of that in this epistle. Turn back to chapter 1 and verse 
3. Blessed be the God and Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual 
blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. It would not be outside 
of Paul's purpose to pray for the people of God that they would 
know again experientially those benefits that God confers upon 
his people. We receive every spiritual blessing 
in the heavenly places in Christ. We are justified freely by His 
grace. We are sanctified by the power 
of His Spirit and Word. We will ultimately be glorified 
because of God's mercy and grace to us. So He wants us to understand 
those benefits. He wants us to experience more 
of those benefits. He wants us to delight in being 
filled with all the fullness of God. Turn back to 1 Corinthians 
1. Sort of a similar emphasis there 
in terms of what we have in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 
1 at verse 30. But of Him, you are in Christ 
Jesus. You're not in Christ Jesus because 
of your free will. You're not in Christ Jesus because 
you signed a card. You're not in Christ Jesus because 
you came forward at an altar call. You're in Christ Jesus 
because of the sovereign grace of God. That's the emphasis. 
But of Him, You are in Christ Jesus. Now notice how he expresses 
or explains what that means. Who became for us wisdom from 
God. And instead of translating it 
and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, we might translate 
it this way. Who became for us wisdom from 
God. That is. And then these three 
terms following express or explain what it means that Christ is, 
in fact, the wisdom of God for us, or wisdom from God for us. 
But notice that spiritual inventory. He has become for us wisdom from 
God. That is righteousness. Again, 
I think the emphasis is on justification. We believe the gospel, we're 
forgiven of our sins, we receive that righteousness of Jesus. 
Sanctification is just that, sanctification. We grow in the 
grace and in the knowledge of our blessed Savior. And then 
redemption there, I take a shorthand for glorification. Redemption 
speaks generally in terms of God's salvation of his people, 
that redeeming work of Christ, getting us out of the slave market 
of sin. But here I think the specific 
references to redemption in terms of the end of all things, when 
Christ consummates and Christ brings an end to this present 
evil age and ushers the church into glory. But then turn over 
as well to the book of Colossians. So just looking at the fullness 
of God's benefits. Colossians chapter one. Colossians 
chapter one, I've said several times that Colossians and Ephesians 
are very similar in terms of theme and in terms of some of 
the emphases that the apostle deals with. But notice in Colossians 
chapter one, verses 15 and following, he says that Christ is the image 
of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Firstborn 
there does not mean he's created. It means he is preeminent. He 
is the preeminent one over all creation. For by him all things 
were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible 
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities 
or powers. All things were created through him and for him. And 
he is before all things, and in him all things consist. And 
he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, 
the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he may have 
the preeminence. There again, that firstborn from 
the dead. He wasn't the first one. in terms of chronology, 
resurrected from the dead, but he is the preeminent one among 
those resurrected from the dead. Now notice in verse 19, for it 
pleased the Father that in him all the fullness should dwell. 
Commentators and Bible students say, well, that's the fullness 
of deity. Well, chapter 2, verse 9 says that clearly. Look at 
chapter 2, verse 9. For in Him, Christ dwells all 
the fullness of the Godhead bodily. I think chapter 1, verse 19 is 
talking about the fullness of redemptive benefit, the fullness 
of spiritual blessing, the fullness of everything a sinner stands 
in need of is to be found in our Savior. because notice how 
it continues in verse 20, and by him, to reconcile all things 
to himself, by him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, 
having made peace through the blood of his cross. John Eady, 
I think is right. All fullness of grace or saving 
blessings dwell in Christ. Whatever is needed to save a 
fallen world and restore harmony to the universe is treasured 
up in him, is in him. So going back to Ephesians chapter 
three, In verse 19b, when the apostle prays that you may be 
filled with all the fullness of God, certainly that is a reference, 
certainly the reality that we know the practical benefits of 
being God's children, to know the redemptive benefits with 
reference to being God's children. But I think there's another and 
probably more powerful application to what he's praying in this 
particular petition, that you may be filled with all the fullness 
of God. It wasn't accidental that the 
reading tonight was 1 Kings 8, verses 1 to 13. What happens 
at the dedication of Solomon's temple? Well, I'll tell you what 
happened in case you forgot. In verses 10 and 11, it says, 
And it came to pass, when the priest came out of the holy place, 
that the cloud, that's the glory cloud that symbolizes God's presence. So it says, when the priest came 
out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the 
Lord, so that the priest could not continue ministry because 
of the cloud. For the glory of the Lord filled 
the house of the Lord. Now, predating that was the tabernacle. Remember, the temple is the permanent 
house that was built for God. But when the children of Israel 
were wanderers, they didn't have a fixed land, and they didn't 
have a fixed city, and they didn't have a fixed temple. So they 
had a tabernacle. Well, the book of Exodus ends 
on the high point of them having completed the tabernacle. And 
we read specifically in Exodus chapter 40 at verses 34 and 35. 
It says, then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and 
the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was 
not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting because the cloud 
rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And then there's another passage 
in the Old Testament, Ezekiel chapter 43. Now that section 
of Ezekiel is a visionary presentation or a presentation of a visionary 
temple. At the time of the prophet Ezekiel, 
the children of Israel had been decimated by the Babylonians. They had been carried off. They 
were not in Jerusalem. Their temple was destroyed. And 
what we find is that God nevertheless comes to them and blesses them 
and promises them good things. And so this visionary temple 
has come and is describing, I think it's him preaching Christ in 
a convention that they would understand. But he describes 
this temple that's going to obtain in the latter days. And one of 
the things that he says in chapter 43, specifically at verse five, 
is that the spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner 
court, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 
So when the apostle prays for the Ephesians that you may be 
filled with all the fullness of God, yes, it is speaking about 
the practical benefits that God confers upon the people of God, 
but it speaks concerning the presence of God among his people. And I think the context validates 
this. Go back in chapter 2 and notice 
specifically in verse 18, for through Christ we both have access 
by one Spirit to the Father. So why does Paul pray in 3.19b 
that you be filled with all the fullness of God? He's praying 
that when you come to church, when you gather together for 
corporate worship, just like happened at the time of the tabernacle, 
and at the time of the temple, and at the time of the visionary 
temple, when the glory of Yahweh filled that house, that's Paul's 
prayer for the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, 
the Apostle Paul was very pro-church. He was not into maverick Christianity. He wasn't the kind of guy that 
would ratify or condone that sort of approach to the Christian 
life. Well, you know, me and my Bible and the Holy Spirit 
in my closet. Oh yeah, your Bible and the Holy 
Spirit in your closet is vital in your Christian life and maturity, 
but not to the neglect of the house of God, not to the neglect 
of the public worship of God, And so Paul prays that the people 
of God know the fullness of God in their midst. Drop down to 
219. Now, therefore, you are no longer 
strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints 
and members of the household of God, having been built on 
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself 
being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being 
fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you 
also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in 
the Spirit, having that churchly emphasis, having that mindset 
that sees the church as something more than just a duty to be observed, 
just an observance to undergo, just a right associated with 
Christianity. The Apostle Paul sees that corporate 
worship on the Lord's Day is a momentous event. It is a down 
payment and a foretaste of what is in store for us in the age 
to come. This is, in fact, the market 
day of the soul. This is, in fact, the day when 
the age to come breaks into this present age and we commune with 
God Most High. So when He says, I want you to 
be filled with all the fullness of God, yes, the benefits that 
God provides, but even beyond that, the presence of God that 
He promises. just like he was in the tabernacle, 
just like he was in the temple. May God fill you with all of 
his fullness when you gather together for corporate worship. 
When we turn to the rest of the New Testament, we see this emphasis. Look at Revelation chapter 1. 
Revelation chapter 1. The Lord Jesus manifests via 
vision to the apostle John, and he gives him this revelation. 
And in chapter one at verse 12, then I turned to see the voice 
that spoke with me. And having turned, I saw seven 
golden lampstands. And in the midst of the seven 
lampstands, now the lampstands will be later identified as the 
churches. They are the churches that John 
is called to write to, the seven churches of Asia Minor. So in 
having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst... Look at that language, brethren. 
He's not a distant spectator. He's not far removed. He's not 
kind of watching along with the angels what happens in God's 
trophy case to display His riches of His grace. And in the midst 
of the seven lampstands, one like the Son of Man clothed with 
a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a 
golden band. Brethren, dwelling with God has 
always been the pinnacle of our religion. Being with God, communing 
with God, knowing His presence, being filled with all the fullness 
of God is the apex with reference to Christianity. Old Covenant 
promises ran the same line. God said, I will be your God 
and you shall be my people. That's why tabernacle, that's 
why temple, that's why those dwelling places, so that God 
could meet with his people. Notice the movement, the trajectory 
in redemptive history. Go to chapter 21. Chapter 21, 
you see John describe this new Jerusalem, and the dimensions 
and the description is temple. It is temple. Now, when you think 
temple, we often think of building. Temple simply means dwelling. 
The word became flesh and tabernacled among us, John 1.14. That means 
he dwelt among us. It's this concept of dwelling 
with God. And this is the trajectory in 
redemptive history. But notice specifically in chapter 
21 at verse 22, but I saw no temple in it. He's talking about 
physical. He's talking about, you know, 
a structure. He's described it in terms of 
structure because he wants to commend to us the glory of the 
New Jerusalem. He says, I saw no temple in it, 
for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The 
city had no need of the sun or the moon to shine in it, for 
the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light, and 
the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, 
and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 
Its gates shall not be shut at all by day, there shall be no 
night there, and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the 
nations into it. There shall by no means enter 
it anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie, but 
only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. And 
he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, 
proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle 
of its street and on either side of the river was a tree of the 
tree of life, which bore 12 fruits, each tree yielding its fruit 
every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of 
the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne 
of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. and His servants shall 
serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on 
their foreheads. There shall be no night there. They need 
no lamp nor light of the sun. For the Lord God gives them light, 
and they shall reign forever and ever." So going back to Ephesians 
3.19, yes, the practical benefit of God's blessing in terms of 
fullness. but the presence of God, the 
nearness of God, the blessedness of God, encompassing the people 
of God. And in a churchly letter like 
the book of Ephesians, when the apostle sees the two men, made 
one new man in Christ Jesus, functioning as that place where 
God meets with them, I think that's what he's saying in this 
third petition. So he wants the people of God 
in Ephesus to be strong. spiritually speaking. He wants 
the people of God in Ephesus to be knowledgeable, spiritually 
speaking. And he wants the people of God 
to be filled with all the fullness of God when they gather together 
for corporate worship. Now, I doubt the apostle doesn't 
want that for Monday through Saturday. Certainly that's an 
emphasis as well. We need to pray for the nearness 
of God as our good, not only in church life, but as individuals 
and as family members. But the focus here in a churchly 
letter like this, is that filled with all the fullness of God 
means that God has come down and glory has filled our souls. That is a wonderful old spiritual 
song when it says, glory came down and heaven filled my soul. 
It's a blessed reality and I think that's what Paul is getting at. 
Now let's look finally at the doxology, the praise given to 
the glorious God. As I mentioned, the doxology 
follows petition here as it does in the Lord's Prayer. But intriguingly, 
it also functions in a manner similar to what we find in the 
book of Romans. So Romans chapter 1 to 11 is 
doctrinal, and then chapters 12 to 16 is practical. Do you 
know what the transition is between 11 and 12? It's doxology. It is praise. It is glory given 
to God Most High. And that's precisely what Paul 
does here. The doctrinal section is concluded. 
He's going to get practical in terms of calling us on how to 
live as justified believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. John Eady 
says, praise succeeds prayer. The anthem is its fitting conclusion. And then there's two things to 
notice in verses 20 and 21. First, the God who is praised. And then secondly, the church 
who praises in verse 21. But notice the God who is praised. Paul speaks first concerning 
his power. Notice, now to him who is able 
to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, 
according to the power that works in us. So Paul is extolling the 
perfection of God vis-a-vis his power. The possessor of power 
is God. Now, to him, who is able? He's omnipotent. Omnipotent is 
the opposite of impotent. Impotent means you can't do anything. 
Omnipotent means you can do everything, and that's God. God can do all 
His holy will. Now, when we look at the Old 
Testament, when we consider various passages of Scripture, you see 
that theme emphasized throughout Scripture. And you can understand 
why the apostle kind of appeals to that perfection. It's in the 
context of prayer. He wants them to be strengthened. 
He wants them to be knowledgeable. and he wants them to be filled. 
So it makes perfect sense for him to extol the power and sufficiency 
and omnipotence and glory of God. And as you reflect just 
on a few psalms, listen to what the psalmist said. Psalm 63, 
2. So I have looked for you in the 
sanctuary to see your power and your glory. Not much has changed 
in terms of covenant. That way, we go to the sanctuary 
and we see a manifestation or a demonstration of God's power. You say, well, he's not, you 
know, sort of setting fires or blasting open doors or anything 
like that. Every single one of us that confesses saving faith 
in our Lord Jesus Christ is a demonstration and a magnification of God's 
power. How is it that you think you 
got here? How is it that you think you found yourself in Jesus 
Christ? It's not your power, it's not 
your ability, it's not your free will. For by Him you are in Christ 
Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God. Psalm 68, 35, oh God, 
you are more awesome than your holy places. The God of Israel 
is he who gives strength and power to his people, blessed 
be God. So Paul is finding himself in 
lockstep with believers beforehand that wrote of and extolled God. Psalm 145, 11, they shall speak 
of the glory of your kingdom and talk of your power. That's something that we ought 
to take notice of. Do we talk about the power of 
God? It's certainly a wonderful theme. 
Psalm 147, verse 5, Great is our Lord and mighty in power, 
His understanding is infinite. This is the God that Paul extols. This is the God that Paul praises. Now to him who is able to do 
exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. And 
in the context, Paul doesn't pray these petitions to Baal. 
He doesn't pray these petitions to Asherah. He doesn't pray these 
petitions to Moloch. He doesn't pray these petitions 
to some impotent God that has eyes but can't see, or ears that 
can't hear, or a mouth that can't speak. He prays these petitions 
for strength, knowledge, and fullness to the God who is able 
to do exceedingly abundantly, not only above all that we ask, 
but even all that we think. We haven't even entered in to 
the limitless power that God Most High has. We see in Ephesians 
1, 7 and 2, 7 where it celebrates the riches of His grace. Well, 
here's a celebratory statement in the doxology concerning the 
riches of His power. He says that specifically, now 
to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly. Those are words that 
he just keeps piling on. He just keeps making it better. 
He just keeps making it more glorious. I mean, exceedingly 
abundantly, one or the other is sufficient. Both of them is 
kind of overkill, but in a most blessed and wonderful way. Now 
to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we 
ask or think. Now notice that blessing of God 
according to the power that works in us. So it's not that he just 
has power. It's not just that he has that 
perfection, but that power is already operative in the lives 
of his people. Look back at chapter one at verse 
19. Well, picking up in verse 17, the petitions that he prays 
in this context, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the 
Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and 
revelation in the knowledge of him. The eyes of your understanding 
having been enlightened that you may know what is the hope 
of his calling? What are the riches of the glory of his inheritance 
in the saints? And then notice in verse 19, 
and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe? 
According to the working of His mighty power, which He worked 
in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him 
at His right hand in the heavenly places. Going over to 3.20, that 
self-same power of God wherein He raised up Christ and sat Him 
down at the right hand of the Father is the same power that 
is operative in the people of God right now. So it's not the 
case that he just has power, but he never gives that power. 
He has power and he gives it to his people, and he increases 
in it. He does exceedingly abundantly 
above all that we can ask or think. In other words, typically, 
it's not that we're asking too little from God, too much from 
God, it's usually a case we're asking too little of God. I'm 
not saying I want a new mansion, I want a new car, I want, no, 
that's not what I'm talking about. in terms of the spiritual petitions 
in the context, strength, knowledge, fullness. If we don't have strength, 
knowledge, and fullness, the problem is not God's, the problem 
is us. What does James say to his hearers? 
He says, you ask and you receive not. Why is that? Because you 
ask in a faulty way. You either A, ask for the wrong 
petitions, or B, you ask for things to use in a wrong manner. But God is omnipotent, God is 
most high, God is most glorious, and God is able to do exceedingly 
abundantly above all that we ask or think. Now, this is in 
the context of praise to God. It is a doxology, but isn't it 
an enticement to pray? Doesn't this invite you to the 
throne of grace? I mean, you come to somebody, 
I mean, let's take the government agents. I wanna go get my passport. 
Okay, you're gonna have to wait in a long line. They don't have 
exceedingly abundant power to bless you with your passport. 
But when you come to Almighty God, the invitation is such that 
there is exceeding abundant power above all that you even ask or 
think. You can't even enter in to the 
limitlessness of His power, to the glory of His omnipotence, 
to His competence to do everything according to His most holy will 
for the good of His people. So in the particular context, 
this is not only glory given to God for what He has, but it's 
glory given to God for what is available to us, as the people 
of God, to pray to Him. John Eady says, God's ability 
to answer prayer transcends not only our spoken petitions, but 
far surpasses even such thoughts as are too big for words and 
too deep for utterance. It is a most blessed statement 
concerning the glorious power of God Almighty. And hopefully, 
if you learn one thing tonight, learn to go home and pray. Whatever 
your issue is, whatever the challenge might be, whatever is affecting 
your family, whatever is affecting your country, whatever is affecting 
your church, pray. God is able to do exceedingly 
abundantly above all that we can ask or think. Then notice, 
we see the God who is praised, verse 20, but notice the church 
who praises in verse 21. To Him be glory in the church 
by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. We know that God the Father is 
glorified through and in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Glorify the Lord Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry. All 
that He did was pleasing to the Father and He certainly brought 
glory to God Almighty. But look at this, the church 
glorifies God. The church functions in the redemptive 
plan of God Most High to be a mirror, as it were, to reflect God's 
glory. So the glory of God is revealed 
in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the glory of God is revealed 
in the church by the Lord Jesus Christ. We saw that the angels 
see this. Notice in Ephesians 3.10, to 
the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known 
by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. 
The idea is that the angels look down upon churches like this 
and they say, wow, God's grace is amazing. Wow, God does have 
riches of grace. Look at who he saved. Look at 
who he assembled. That's what I mean. We all live 
in light of God's blessed grace and power. We are demonstrating 
that. We are evidencing that. Notice 
back in chapter 2 at verse 7, that in the ages to come He might 
show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward 
us in Christ Jesus. So the glory of God is revealed 
in the church by Jesus Christ. Now look at verse 21 again. To Him be glory in the church 
by Christ Jesus to all generations. Have you ever talked to a neighbor 
or an unconverted person and they see you going off to church 
or they know that you go to church and they might ask the question, 
why do you go to church? Have you ever said to demonstrate 
the glory of God? Maybe you have. Maybe that's 
in your, what do they call it, repertoire of words that you 
use or answers that you give. Yeah, I go to church because 
therein I demonstrate the glory of God. There's a lot of reasons 
why we go to church. We're commanded to go to church, 
the first commandment. have no other gods before me. 
The fourth commandment, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 
Hebrews chapter 10, verse 25, we're not to forsake the assembling 
of ourselves together as is the manner of some. So there is a 
command, there's an oughtness involved in church attendance. 
That's certainly a good answer to be able to give to somebody. 
As well to worship God in order to commune with him. 2.18 and 
2.22. Through Christ, we have access by the Spirit to the Father. So we have those blessed privileges, 
but in 321, why do you go to church? To demonstrate the glory 
of God. Do you know what this does to 
the ordinary church attendance? Do you know what this does to 
the ordinary and the mundane? It dignifies it, it elevates 
it. We have this mindset in the Christian 
church that the ministers and the missionaries and the martyrs 
and all of them are the ones demonstrating the glory of God. 
Oh yeah, they do that, but so do you right here, right now. 
This text elevates what we would consider as the mundane. How 
do you serve in the church? How do you minister in the church? 
A perfectly appropriate answer is, I go, I participate in singing, 
I listen to the preaching, I participate in the praying. See, that's not 
good enough for some churches out there. You've got to be plugged 
in. We've got to have a weekend where 
we discover your spiritual gift and plug you into a ministry. 
Now brethren, there's nothing wrong with being plugged into 
a ministry, but that's over and above. That you're here tonight, 
that we assemble together, that the angels can look upon and 
say, wow, can you believe it? That guy's there. I don't know 
that they actually do that, but that's kind of how I read 310. 
What an amazing display of the riches of His grace that He saved 
those people. But in 321, to Him be glory in 
the church. Just going to church is dignified. Just participating in public 
worship is elevated. Just being in the house of God 
on the day of God with the people of God is a most blessed demonstration 
of the glory of God. So when you're absent or when 
you say it's not that important, you're robbing God's glory. You're taking from Him something 
that was intended to happen. We're here not simply for our 
batteries to be recharged. We're not here simply to see 
our friends once a week. We're here to magnify and to 
demonstrate and to show forth to the created cosmos the glory 
of God Most High. This, my brothers and sisters, 
is a wonderful churchly emphasis in a day and age that greatly 
needs this reality. Church is a take-it-and-leave-it 
proposition. We saw that in the last two years. 
Church is a take-it-and-leave-it proposition in the fact that 
some are maverick or individual Christians. They don't associate 
with, they don't attend regularly, they don't faithfully participate 
in the ministry of the church. There's this either-or dynamic. 
Either you're a minister or you're not really vital in the kingdom 
of God. Brethren, that is terrible theology. It is unbiblical theology. It is unrighteous to try and 
bind the people of God that unless you're this, you're not worthy. No, what Paul says is that the 
church as church functions to demonstrate the glory of God 
most high. And then notice the perpetuity 
of the church in verse 21, to him. Be glory in the church by 
Christ Jesus, look it, to all generations forever and ever. Amen. So the perpetuity of the 
church's mission is to demonstrate the glory of God. Why do you 
go to church? To demonstrate the glory of God. 
Why do you guys continue to meet even though you're told not to? 
To demonstrate the glory of God. But notice the promise, the perpetuity 
of the church's existence to demonstrate the glory of God. 
He couldn't say that if he thought for a moment that the church 
wasn't going to be around in another generation. And I think 
this is a greatly encouraging passage in that vein or in that 
regard. The church has its challenges 
and its issues, to be sure. The church has its external threats, 
to be sure. The church has Islam, the church 
has atheism, the church has communism, the church has the Philistines 
outside her walls trying to devastate and decimate her. And then, unfortunately, 
the church has internal threats. She has those who creep in unnoticed. She has those that try to seize 
upon gullible women that Paul speaks of in 2 Timothy 3. The church has its internal threat, 
but according to God's Word, the church will march on. there 
will be a church unto the end that will be demonstrating the 
glory of God. So for all the naysayers and 
the gainsayers out there that say, well, the church is ultimately 
going to fail. It hasn't failed yet, brethren. 
And there is no assumption whatsoever that we have in the Bible or 
biblically fed that would indicate she's going to fail. Certain 
local churches, Christ may spit them out of his mouth like he 
threatens Laodicea in Ephesians chapter 3. Those that become 
synagogues of Satan, those that become apostate, those that become 
defective or defectors, those that renege on preaching the 
truth as it is in Jesus, I expect we'll see lots of them closed 
down. But the church as church, according to our blessed Savior, 
He will build it and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against 
it. Well, you can add Ephesians 3.21 to that passage that ensures 
for us the existence of the church in history up to and including 
eternity. Of all the various institutions 
on the face of the earth, do you know the one that continues 
in eternity? It's not Ottawa. It's not Washington 
DC. It's not even family. I think 
we'll know each other and love each other, but what does Jesus 
describe the age to come like? They'll be like the angels, neither 
marrying nor given in marriage. So what should we expect in the 
new Jerusalem? Well, there's no civil state. 
There's no family. As we know family, I think if 
I recognize Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I'm going to recognize, 
you know, Rebecca, Kelly, Brittany, Josh, Micah, Lindsay, and the 
grandkids. I'm going to recognize them. 
But the difference will be, it won't be like this age. But you 
know who continues? The church. See, all the naysayers 
and the gainsayers and all the people that are anti-church, 
they're against Christ's purpose in the world. The church is central 
in God's redemptive plan. The church is crucial. The church 
is absolutely essential. That was one of the most unfortunate 
things over the last two years, being categorized as non-essential. You don't get that from the pages 
of Holy Writ. You get essential, you get protected, 
you get defended, and you get perpetuity. Because we have to 
Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, 
forever and ever, amen. I will build my church, Jesus 
says, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 
Gil says that all the infernal principalities and powers, with 
all their united cunning and strength, will never be able 
to extirpate, that means to destroy, his gospel, to destroy his interest, 
to demolish his church in general, or ruin any one particular soul 
that is built upon him. That's his comment on Matthew 
16, 18. That comment is appropriate for Ephesians 3.21. It promises 
not only our mission in terms of demonstrating the glory of 
God, but it promises our perpetuity in existence to demonstrate the 
glory of God. Well, in conclusion, the prayer 
of the Apostle Paul, I hope that we pray like Paul does. I hope 
that we pray in such a way that focuses upon spiritual needs. 
Not to, again, bad, to pray for jobs, to pray for our daily bread. Jesus teaches us to do that. 
But if you notice in the teaching of Jesus in the Lord's Prayer, 
that's not first. The first petitions are God word. 
Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth 
as it is in heaven. And then it's give us this day 
our daily bread. So he calls us to pray for the 
glory of God's name, the coming of God's kingdom, and the conduct 
of, or the doing of God's will. And then pray for your bread, 
pray for your forgiveness, pray for your protection. So it's 
not wrong to pray for temporal things. It's not wrong to pray 
for physical needs, but it's right to pray as well for spiritual 
things, for yourself. God, give me strength. I need 
strength to navigate this godless age. Give me knowledge. I need 
to focus more upon, not my love for Christ, but Christ's love 
for me. And let it be the case that we're 
filled with all the fullness of God. When we come on the Lord's 
day, may we come and mean it. May we come with engagement in 
our hearts and minds. May we come as men and women 
redeemed by Christ who want to meet with their God when they 
gather for corporate worship. Secondly, the prayer of the believer 
in Christ. We ought to have those petitions 
that are similar to the apostle. But as well, we ought to see 
in this passage enticements to pray. You're not praying to a 
God who's impotent. You're not praying to Baal. You're 
praying to God Most High who's able to do exceedingly abundantly 
above all that we can ask or think. So bring those large petitions 
to Him. And then thirdly, in terms of 
the doxology of the church of God, the practice of the apostle, 
this is good in the prayer closet, brethren. Follow up prayer or 
petition with praise to God. Adore Him, thank Him, express 
your love to Him. Those are all facets of prayer 
relative to the Christian life. It's not just, can I have, can 
I get, and can I do? There ought to be times meditating 
upon and contemplating on God's goodness and mercy and responding 
with praise and thanksgiving. As well, it's not just the practice 
individually, but it's the function of the Church of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. We are a worshiping body. Why do you go to church? To worship 
God, to demonstrate the glory of God. Brethren, if we answer 
it that way, it might interest more people. I thought you guys 
just went to do weird things. I thought you just went to do 
your Christian stuff. No, we go to demonstrate the 
glory of God most high. Well, what does that mean? He 
saved us. He's shown His grace and His 
power in the fact that we were dead in our trespasses and sins. 
He made us alive together with Christ. He made us to sit with 
Christ in the heavenly places. And we have church each and every 
Lord's Day to gather in His house to worship and praise Him. And 
when the angels look down, they see the glory of God. And when 
onlookers look in, they see as well the glory of God. Because 
it's not us, it's not our power, it's not our ability, it's not 
our competence that brought us out of darkness into marvelous 
light. The reality that she does it and the promise that she will 
continue to do it. I remember a few years ago there 
was this emphasis and it is cyclical. Every few years you get a new 
slew of Christian books on the same theme. There's nothing new 
under the sun. Solomon was absolutely positively 
correct. But there was this slew of books 
on radical Christianity. Radical Christianity. Go and 
burn, you know, burn for the Lord Jesus. Well, brethren... Just function and live and move 
and have your being for the Lord Jesus. Most, dare I say most, 
of the Bible is about ordinary people doing ordinary things 
in an ordinary world, seeking to be faithful to their God. 
Remember that scene in John chapter 21? The resurrected Lord comes 
to his disciples and they're fishing. And he does not say, 
how dare you wretches. I lived, I died, and I've been 
raised again. And you've got the gall to return 
to fishing? He doesn't do that. He says, 
throw the net on the other side, and you'll probably catch a lot 
of fish. The ordinary, we've come to disdain that or despise 
that. We've got to have the white hot 
heart burning with fever and love for the Lord Jesus. If you've 
got that capacity, good on you. Bless God almighty, but most 
of us have to sleep at night. Remember a pastor one time saying 
that, do we ever pray all night long? And it sounds pious brethren, 
but most of us need to sleep at night. Right? Now, if you're 
given to pray all night long, again, good on you, do it, get 
me in there. Pray for me while you're at O 
Dark 30, remember old Jimmy boy, and throw one up for me. But 
most of Christianity is ordinary. Church attendance is dignified. Being with the people of God 
on the Lord's Day in the house of God is elevated activity. If God made you to be a Spurgeon, 
go be a Spurgeon. But if He didn't make you to 
be a Spurgeon, then don't be a Spurgeon. Be the regular, normal, 
ordinary guy or girl that He has made you to be and be faithful 
in it. And know that you serve as a 
key component in His redemptive plan to manifest and demonstrate 
His glory in the church by the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank 
you for your word. We thank you for what Paul does 
in this brief section of Holy Scripture. We see his emphasis 
upon the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. We see the emphasis on 
God's part concerning the the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
May we be encouraged by this and may you build us up in our 
most holy faith. May you grant us that spiritual 
strength and that knowledge and that fullness of God that the 
apostle prayed for the Ephesians for. Go with us now, bless our 
week and help us to be faithful in your sight. And we pray through 
Jesus Christ the Lord, amen. Well, we'll close with a brief 
time of meditation.