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welcome to everyone it's good to be in the house of God on this Lord's Day Sabbath for our evening worship for our call to worship you can turn with me in your Bibles to the to Psalm 96. Psalm 96 the prayer of the apostle that we're going to consider tonight in Ephesians chapter 3 at least has a few allusions to Psalms 95 and 96 but I did want to read Psalm 96 for our call so beginning in verse one o sing to the Lord a new song sing to the Lord all the Earth sing to the Lord bless his name proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day declare his glory among the Nations his wonders among all peoples for the Lord is great and greatly to be praised he is to be feared above all gods for all the gods of the peoples are Idols but the Lord made the heavens honor and Majesty are before him strength and beauty are in his Sanctuary give to the Lord O families of the peoples give to the Lord glory and strength give to the Lord the glory do his name bring an offering and come into His courts o Worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness tremble before him all the Earth say among the Nations the Lord Reigns the world also is firmly established it shall not be moved he shall judge the peoples righteously let the heavens rejoice and let the Earth be glad Let the Sea Roar and all its fullness let the field be joyful and all that is in it then all the trees of the woods Will Rejoice before the Lord for he is coming for he is coming to judge the Earth he shall judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with his truth amen well please turn to Psalm 121. Psalm 121 a as in Alpha and will stand as we sing together foreign [Music] well For Your Glory will be always [Music] foreign [Music] Lord remember let us pray our blessed God and Father we gather together tonight in your house on your day to praise your great and awesome name we come to the father through the Son and the power of the Holy Spirit we confess that you are most high you are from Everlasting to Everlasting you are The God Who made the world the God who governs the world and the God who has redeemed his elect out of the world and we bless you and praise you that you have given to us every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ that you have put it in our hearts to gather together for worship to be that theater where you are glorified and honored and praised and we would ask tonight that you would run the heavens and and come down and be found amongst your people here encouraging and cheering our hearts building us up in our Most Holy Faith granting us that Grace necessary to leave from this place committed to serving you in this in this present evil age as well God we pray for any and all who've come here tonight that are dead in their trespasses and sins we don't appeal to their wisdom or their works or their free will but we appeal to a sovereign God who's able to make men willing in the day of his power we know that men women boys girls must be born again by the power of the Holy Spirit they must be granted The Graces of faith and repentance that they might close with Jesus Christ and we know God with you these things are possible and that you have purpose to save a great multitude that no man can number from every tribe and tongue and people and Nation so God be merciful in this place be glorified in the salvation of Sinners and cause us all to reflect upon what a glorious savior the Lord Jesus Christ is forgive us now for our sin and transgression against you cleanse Us in that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we give thanks to you that we live in those days prophesied in Zechariah where there would be a fountain open for sin and uncleanness and we praise you God that we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the right anxious that blessed provision in the Covenant of Grace for that remaining corruption that we struggle with we know this isn't a reason to continue in the struggle but when we do fall when we do give in when we do sin against you there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared so cleanse us now wash us now and purify Our Hearts by faith and as well put it in us to live a life of repentance to live a life that is consistent with the gospel of our calling cause us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and to make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts help us God to put to death the Deeds of our body help us to live in a manner that glorifies and honors you and is a faithful testimonial means by which we Adorn the gospel of our Salvation in this world we pray God for your blessing upon other churches in our community we thank you for the men of God that are preaching the word of God and we pray that you would just cause that word to prosper in our community here as well through throughout this country we know there is great need we know that these are days that that mirror that image that parallel the days of the prophet Isaiah when men call good evil and evil good and we don't look to politics we don't look to men we don't look to anything other than the gospel of free and Sovereign Grace to write the several wrongs that go on in this nation and to bring about the the glory of God in this place as well we pray to the uttermost for the uttermost parts of the earth we pray for the missionary Enterprise and that endeavor and we pray God that those who are Faithfully proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ would know the presence and the power of the holy spirit that they would see God at work in the midst of the people that hear them and we pray that you would be pleased to to turn the turn sinners from their useless Idols to the true and living God as well we pray for the persecuted church we want to remember those who are in Chains we want to remember those who are mistreated we want to to remember those in the various countries around this world that have great struggle when it comes to confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we pray God for the nation of China as we were reminded this morning the the persecution continues unabated we ask God that you would in the midst of that oppression nevertheless cause the church to grow caused the amount of disciples to to increase and may you be glorified in that land we pray for the Middle East and the great uh enmity that is there concerning our Lord Jesus Christ that that reduction to the state of a just an Earthly prophet and not to see him and confess him as the Son of God most high we know Lord that you are most high most glorious most wondrous we pray for those those witnessing those evangelizing those preaching those suffering in these Muslim nations she would give them Grace not to recant or shrink back but to continue to hold forth that word of Truth be gracious to Pastor Daniel and Islamabad we thank you for that work and pray that you would just continue to bless him and their church and all the various means by which they seek to reach the lost for the Lord Jesus Christ and God we pray for our own congregation for the physical and the spiritual needs that we have here we ask God that you would just give us Grace give us greater Conformity unto your son the Lord Jesus Christ and may you be magnified and glorified here may your kingdom of Grace and Glory come and may your will be done Among Us and cause us to be a faithful body that represent you well in this community and we pray these things through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well you could turn with me again in your hymn books to number 462 462 will use a familiar tune and we'll stand together [Music] foreign [Music] Come Away foreign [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] in your Bibles to Numbers Chapter 14 for our scripture reading tonight as we work our way through the Old Testament we're in numbers 14. we'll just take up the first half of the chapter verses 1 to 25. so beginning in numbers 14 at verse 1. so all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried and the people wept that night and all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation said to them if only we had died in the land of Egypt or if only we had died in this Wilderness why has the Lord brought us to this land to Fall by the sword that our wives and children should become victims would it not be better for us to return to Egypt so they said to one another let us select the leader and return to Egypt then Moses and Darren fell on their faces before all the Assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel Joshua the son of nun and Caleb the son of jephina who were among those who had spied out the land tore their clothes and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel saying the land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land if the Lord Delights in us then he will bring us into this land and give it to us a land which flows with milk and honey only do not rebel against the Lord nor fear the people of the land for they are our bread their protection is departed from them and the Lord is with us do not fear them and all the congregations said to Stone them with stones now the glory of the Lord appeared in the Tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel then the Lord said to Moses how long will these people reject me and how long will they not believe me with all the signs which I have performed among them I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they and Moses said to the Lord then the Egyptians will hear it for by your might you brought these people out from among them and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land they have heard that you Lord are among these people that you Lord are seen face to face and your Cloud stands above them and you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of Fire by night now if you kill these people as one man when the Nations which you've heard of your fame or then the Nations which have heard of your Fame will speak saying because the Lord was not able to bring this people to the land which he swore to give them therefore he killed them in the wilderness and now I pray let the power of my Lord be great just as you have spoken saying the Lord is long-suffering and abundant in Mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression but he by no means clears the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation pardon the iniquity of this people I pray according to the greatness of your mercy just as you have forgiven this people from Egypt even until now then the Lord said I have pardoned according to your word but truly as I live all the Earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord because all these men who have seen my glory in the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness and have put me to the test now these ten times and have not heeded my voice they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers nor shall any of those who rejected me see it but my servant Caleb because he has a different spirit in him and has followed me fully I will bring into the land where he went and his descendants shall inherit it now the amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the Valley tomorrow turn and move out into the Wilderness by the way of the Red Sea amen I think there's a very important lesson in this particular passage but it's very much connected to chapter 13. if you look back for just a moment in Chapter 13 at verse 1 it says and the Lord spoke to Moses saying send men to spy out the land of Canaan now notice this next phrase which I am giving to the children of Israel from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man everyone a leader among them so God had promised Abraham Isaac and Jacob that he would give this land of Canaan to the children of Israel they're poised to go in and Conquer they're poised to go in and take the land according to God's promise so God tells them or tells Joshua to send our Moses to send out these 12 Spies it's a reconnaissance mission go investigate the land see if it's a goodly land see if in fact there are you you know threats and things that we will need in terms of conquering that land so the spies go out they survey the land and then they come back and they give a report and if you notice in verses 26 to 29 the report is simple they say it's a good land but there's big people there dangerous people Caleb in verse 30 says yeah it's a big land there's big and dangerous people but we serve a bigger God and then the other spies alter their report in verses 31 to 33 they say Badland big people no chance they bring that report back to the congregation who do you think the congregation listens to the man that believes God the man that says let us go up at once Let Us Go destroy them and receive the gift that our God has told us that he has given us or giving to us of course they don't listen to the man of faith of course they listen to the whiners and the grumblers and the persons who say oh no there's no way we can ever make it into that land there's no way we can ever conquer that land there's no way they absolutely engage in a practical atheism they live as if there is no God that's the bulk of the chapter in verses one to uh one to ten notice the congregation according to verse 1 lift up the lifted up their voices and cried and the people wept that night all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation said to them look at their hearts if only we had died in the land of Egypt men would rather be slaves with a bit of comfort than be free men in a land that God is giving them this is the human heart and they want to ultimately Stone Moses and Aaron as a result of this particular report never underestimate the faithlessness of the people of God to typically default to the position that thanks God's not going to vindicate his bride God's not going to protect his people God is not going to make good on his promises that's the issue in verses 1 to 10. and then in verses 11 to 25 we have masterful intercession on the part of Moses Moses goes before the Lord the Lord reports in verses 11 and 12 to Moses how long are these people going to reject me Moses doesn't just say well you know let them have it give it to them cut them off and make them be like all the other nations in the world no Moses pleads with God and notice the argument that Moses uses with God it's God's glory it's God's Majesty it's God's power it's God's Excellence he says essentially if you kill these people then the Nations that knew about this experiment are going to conclude that Yahweh was not able to do this he was not able to carry out his promise he was not able to carry out his word that that's the focus in verse 15. he says if you kill these people as one man then the Nations which have heard of your Fame will speak they'll speak ill of Yahweh of Israel now of course we know how it ends God says good petition good intercession I'm going to go ahead and exercise forgiveness and mercy but this particular generation will not enter into the promised land this was the turning point this was the Crux this is why in The Book of Deuteronomy it's that generation that is poised to enter into the promised land so Brethren when God gives us promises in verse 2 of chapter 13 which I am giving to the children of Israel we need to respond like Caleb in Chapter 13 at verse 30. then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said let us go up at once and take possession for we are well able to overcome it doesn't matter how many Anakin are in the land doesn't matter what kind of battle weapons they have doesn't matter what kind of military Savvy we've got Yahweh most high on our side and if he is giving us this land he's going to make sure that we get it he's going to make sure that we defeat our enemies and we are going to possess that which he promised well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for your promises we thank you for your faithfulness and your goodness and God help us as the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ to walk in light of these truths so often God we are fearful we're afraid of what's out there and yet God In this passage we are told by Moses himself not to fear men but to fear the living and the true God to trust in the fact that you are there for us that you are in the midst of your people that our blessed savior promised to build his church and the gates of Hades itself will not Prevail against it may you increase our faith may you increase our faithfulness and may you help us God to serve you well in this lower world and we ask through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen we can turn in your hymn books to number 471. 471 will stand as we sing together [Music] foreign [Music] eyes [Music] foreign [Music] come on yourself always [Music] [Music] God devices [Music] thank you well you can turn with me in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 3 as we work our way through Paul's letter to the Ephesian Church in our evening services our Focus tonight will be verses 14 to 21 the prayer and praise of the Apostle but I want to read beginning in verse 1 to remind us of the context 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 been now or has now been revealed by the spirit To His Holy Apostles and Prophets that the Gentiles should become fellow Heirs of the same body and partakers of his 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 whom less than all or then 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 in 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 my 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 father thank you for your word thank you for this wonderful letter to the Ephesians and for what the Apostle tells us in this passage he lets us in as it were to his prayer closet to let us know how he prayed for these Ephesian Believers God help us to learn from this and help us to see the emphasis and may it be something that we we co-opt and that we bring into our closets not only for ourselves as individuals but for our families for our church as a whole and we ask God as well that we would function we would see our our blessed privilege to function as that place that church that demonstrates the glory of God Almighty forgive us for all of our sin now wash Us in that blood of the lamb and grant us Grace to receive with thankful Hearts your holy word and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well remember last time we mentioned or I mentioned that verses 2 to 13 function as a digression if you look at verse 1 in chapter 3 he says for this reason he says the same thing in verse 14 for this reason those passages are connected verses 2 to 13 are a digression because he mentions in verse 1 that he's a prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles if you go back for just a moment in chapter one he's mentioned this concerning Christ Jesus he says in verse 20 which God worked the demonstration of his power which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the Heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this age but also in that which is to come and he put all things under his feet and gave him to be had over all things to the church which is his body the fullness of him who fills all in all so God has conferred upon the Lord Christ that position of supreme authority power sovereignty excellence and Glory so we might ask the question why is his chief Apostle languishing in a prison cell what's the deal so the Apostle wants to give that information in verses 2 to 13 to encourage the Ephesians this is part and parcel of God's plan I'm a prisoner with reference to my position but it's not as if Christ is not sovereign over this in fact he says I'm a prisoner of Christ Jesus I'm here as a result of my Ministry with reference to Christ Jesus so in that digression he highlights his the the mystery what he calls the mystery and his own stewardship in verses two to seven now mystery isn't something that can't be known but I think verse 5 sort of explains well what a mystery is which in other Ages was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed was there a promise of the Messiah to come that would save his people from their sins absolutely you see that in Genesis chapter 3. you see that mood for farther along all throughout the Old Testament scriptures but that it was Jesus of Nazareth the second person of the Triune God that would live for us that would die for us that would be raised again for us it was known in the past but not the way it's become known in this new covenant era and so Paul says Paul describes his stewardship of that mystery notice the specific definition or content of that mystery verse 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow Heirs of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ through the gospel so the promise of Israel's Messiah not only extended to the benefit of Israel but also to the Gentiles again it was there in the Oracle of Noah in Genesis chapter 9 it's there in the promises to Abraham Isaac and Jacob that in in damn all the families of the Earth would be blessed it's there in the prophets it's there in the psalter but it wasn't there the way it was in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and so he was a stewardship up of that mystery and then in verses 8 to 12 he highlights the mystery in God's Eternal purpose this has always been God's plan this is how he orchestrated Redemptive history this is the Talos this is the goal this is the purpose and then he ends this brief digression in verse 13 by saying saying to them or giving them an exhortation therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you which is your glory now he picks up at his intention to pray and to praise with reference to God so in verses 14 to 19 we have the prayer of the Apostle and then in verses 20 and 21 we have the praise to the Glorious God so you've got prayer and then you've got doxology the Lord Jesus Christ teaches us to pray thus in the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6. we ask God we address God and we ask for certain petitions according to verses 9 to 13 okay but then we end on doxology in a scription of praise to our God for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever amen this is a good practice we give our petitions to God and we end by praising God by glorifying God by celebrating his majesty so tonight I want to look first at the prayer of the Apostle in verses 14 to 19 and then if we have time we'll get to the praise to the Glorious God in verses 20 to 21 or we'll pick that section up next week but three things here relative or two things relative to his prayer first the occasion of his prayer in verses 14 to 15 and then secondly the content of his prayer in verses 16 to 19 the petitions the specific things that he asks for on behalf of these Ephesian Believers but notice with reference to the occasion of his prayer the reason so verse 14 for this reason some commentators connect this to verse 13 and that makes sense therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you which is your glory for this reason so that you don't lose heart so that you continue to persevere I'm gonna fetch these things or seek to fetch these things on behalf of you Brethren from the throne of grace for this reason but actually I think it's better connected to chapter two remember that link between verse 1 and verse 14. so in verse 1 he says for this reason again he's going to pray for what reason for the Blessed realities that he's just described in Chapter two The Salvation of individual sinners in verses 1 to 10 and then the solidarity of God's people in verses 11 to 22. it culminates in verse 19 of chapter 2. 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 for this reason Gentile Believers on an equal footing with the Jewish Believers I want to pray for you I want to seek God's blessing on your behalf I want to ask him specific things that are going to help you that are going to be an aid to you that are going to assist you in your perseverance onto that Celestial City and then notice the posture that he assumes with reference to this he says for this reason I bow my knees to the father of our Lord Jesus Christ I bow my knees one commentator says Paul does not use a verb of praying but instead uses the the posture for praying as a metonymy for the action itself he doesn't say I pray for you he says I bow my knees for you that obviously indicates prayer the posture of kneeling communicated humble submission and worship this is the disposition and attitude of the Apostle Paul for this reason he doesn't just sort of wander into the throne of grace or wander into the front Gates of Heaven he goes to his knees to reference in reverence and adoration to our blessed God now the scripture speaks of standing in prayer the scripture speaks of sitting in prayer the scripture speaks to those various postures but with reference to kneeling that is certainly encouraged and condoned by our blessed God in Ezra 9 verses 5 and 6 he says at the evening sacrifice I arose from My fasting and having torn my garment and my robe I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God and I said oh my God I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to you my God for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads and our guilt has grown up to the heavens so it command communicates this humble submission and worship in Psalm 95 I read at the outset psalm 96 behind this particular section in Psalm 96 we have give glory to God all the families of the earth you see that right here verse 15 a reference to the family and then in verse 21 we give glory to God in the church but Psalm 95 is also in the background of the Apostles argument or statement here Psalm 95 verses 6 and 7 oh come let us worship and bow down let us kneel before the Lord our maker for he is God or he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the Sheep of his hand it's a good posture to adopt in times of prayer in Daniel chapter 6 remember when the decree was made that you couldn't pray to any other God you had to pray to either Nebuchadnezzar the gods of of the the Heathen of the Pagan Daniel 6 10. now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed he went home and in his upper room with his windows open toward Jerusalem he knelt down on his knees three times that day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as was his custom since early days again you can stand to pray you can sit to pray you can walk and pray you can drive and pray Just Don't Close Your Eyes but you can certainly get on your knees to pray before the high King Of Heaven this is a good exercise this is a good posture it communicates humble submission and worship in Acts 20 after that first pastor's conference when they know that Paul is going away and they may never see him again it says and when he had said these things he knelt down and prayed with them all so in this particular passage he doesn't say I'm going to pray for you but we know that's precisely what he means when he says for this reason I bow my knees to the father of our Lord Jesus Christ and that's his audience the father of our Lord Jesus Christ the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ what we've seen thus far in our study of this epistle up to this point is that Paul is still thoroughly going as a trinitarian blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing he praises the father for election and predestination he praises the father for sending the son to redeem us from our sin he praises the father for the gift of the Holy Spirit who functions as the seal and guarantee of our final inheritance we saw the trinitarianism of the Apostle in the last chapter notice in Chapter 2 at verse 18 forth through Christ we both Jew and Gentile have access by one Spirit to the father same thing in verse 22 in whom Christ you also are being built together for a Dwelling Place of God in the spirit so when he comes to pray before God he is the father of our Lord Jesus Christ the unbegotten who sends the begotten and the spirit proceeds from the father and the son and when he says in verse 15 from whom the whole family in Heaven and Earth is named he is speaking in Redemptive categories turn back to the book of Acts for just a moment Acts chapter 17 Paul at the areopagus there he's preaching to the stoic and Epicurean philosophers and he's studying forth the glory of God most high The God Who made the God who governs and The God Who redeems and there is a sense this is a sense that unfortunately was abused in the early part of the 20th century by what was called neo-orthodoxy or liberalism they stress the universal fatherhood of God God was the father to every man in the same way that's wrong Brethren he is the father of our Lord Jesus Christ and thus he is the father of those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ it's a Redemptive category but if there is a creational category it is here and I think there is we just need to be careful not to over stress it and to teach the Heathen or the Pagan that they're the son or daughter of God in the same way that the Christian is the son or daughter of God but if you notice in Acts 17 specifically at verse 28 for in him we live and move and have our being as also some of your own poets have said for we are also his offspring there's the creational category God as the god of everything The God Who made the world and everything in it there is a sense where he is the father to all men but again creationally when we go back to Ephesians chapter 3 and the Apostle mentions the family in Heaven and Earth he is speaking in Redemptive category he is speaking in terms of Salvation he is speaking in terms of those things gospel oriented and Gospel Center so he says 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 and it's a blessed reality the fatherhood of God here is over all of the family of God the Church of God the past the present the future notice in verse 21 one you see this emphasis on the future there as well to him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus notice to all generations forever and ever amen I don't want to spoil anything but if you look at that particular passage it not only tells us what our privilege is as the church to be that place that demonstrates the glory of God but there's a promise built into verse 21. there's going to be a church to all generations there's going to be a church that continues into the ascaton they may fight hard they may try to destroy they may persecute and oppress but the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail against her so going back to verse 15 we have this solidarity with the whole family in Heaven and Earth we have solidarity with the Saints who have gone before us we have solidarity with the Apostle Paul with the Apostle Peter with the prophet Isaiah with a the judge Sam said we have solidarity not only between Jew and Gentile which comes out very clearly in chapters two and three but we have this solidarity corporately with the entirety of the Church of God Brethren it's easy for us to focus upon our local church to the exclusion of what God is doing elsewhere but a passage like this causes us to reflect upon the reality that got most high has his people in every tribe tongue people in nation and so the Apostle goes to pray before this God he is the god and father of our Lord Jesus Christ and he is the one who is over this family the family has its name because of him now that brings us to the content of his prayer in verses 16 to 19. now I'm going to just show you where the petitions are in verse 16 there's that word that and then in verse 17 about the middle you see that word that and then in verse 19 in about the middle you see the word that I think structurally those are the three petitions those are the three things that the Apostle is praying for on their behalf basically he prays for their strengthening he prays for their knowledge and he prays for their fullness that's the structure that's the content those are the petitions he wants the people of God to be strong he wants the people of God to be knowledgeable and he wants the people of God to be full now that second petition listen to what I said he wants the people of God to be knowledgeable we often think that knowledge of theology knowledge of the Bible is reserved for the Pastors in the church reserved for the Seminary professors reserved for the doctors and the church reserved for that you know small handful of guys that like to read those sorts of things no knowledge of the love of Christ is abs absolutely crucial for all of the people of God that's the object he prays for knowledge not just generically but he wants you to be a scholar in the school of Christ's love he wants you to ponder not your love for Jesus he wants you to ponder Jesus love for you because when you're hurting when you're Afflicted when you're tried when you're oppressed when you're persecuted when you're in the gulag it isn't your love for Christ that's going to see you through it is Christ's love for you that is going to see you through and so hence the Apostle prays I want you to get your minds wrapped around that but let's look first at the petition for strength verses 16 to 17 a notice the source of this blessing verse 16 that he would Grant you note according to the riches of his glory we've already met with that phrase in a similar fashion in chapter one at verse 7. you can turn there in him we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of sins according to what the riches of his grace The Riches of his grace over 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 there's Riches of Grace to be had in our blessed God but as well turned back again to chapter 1 at verse 18. this is another place where Paul reveals what he prays for on behalf of the people of God verse 18 the eyes of your understanding being 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 so going back to chapter 3 at verse 16 the petition in Psalm is that you'll be strengthened with might in the Inner Man by the spirit so that Christ May dwell in your hearts through faith that's the specific end in terms of the petition but the source or the the the the the storehouse with reference to God's ability here it's the riches of his glory what does he mean by that he means that when he goes to the throne of grace there's no limitation upon God there's not just a little bit of Glory that that Paul can call upon there's not just a little bit of resource that that sort of Paul can tap into now when Paul prays for the people of God when you and I pray for the people of God when you and I pray for ourselves we are tapping into Infinite Limitless power in terms of who God is this is why in the doxology you can drop down to verse 20. now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or notice the next phrase or think it hasn't even entered into our minds that God could do what he's done how many times have you and I experienced that I was praying for you know this particular end that God did things I never anticipated God made something crooked or straight out of something that was very crooked God is most glorious because I never even brought that petition to the throne of grace so when Paul is sort of putting this all together I think it functions practically as a great enticement to pray you're not going to exhaust the resources that are in God you're not going to find him with a sign that says he's you know out for the day he's on a break he's you know pretty tapped out he he doesn't have the wherewithal now to kind of deal with what you have in terms of your needs no there is infinite grace there is infinite riches there is infinite Glory there is infinite power to be had in our Lord so the source of this blessing that that he would Grant you according to the riches of his glory notice the description notice what he goes on to say to be strengthened with might through his spirit in the Inner Man we all need strength don't we do we ever fetch it from God or ask it from God this isn't a temporal physical strength nothing wrong with that Jesus teaches us to pray in the Lord's Prayer give us this day our daily bread yes we know that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God but I think in Matthew 6 10 it means food it means sourdough toast it means butter it means meat it means fat it means all those things that that Supply the body for with strength and ability to do what we're supposed to do nothing wrong with praying for temporal provision nothing wrong with seeking from God our daily bread but that's not the point in this petition that he would Grant you according to the riches of his his great glory to be strengthened with might through his Spirit notice in the inner man this is the spiritual man this is what we need in terms of those Provisions from that provision from God to steady us to stabilize us to enable us to to persevere to to fight the good fight to run the race to keep the faith to do the things that we are called to do in light of the present context verse 13 while I think this prayer connects more to chapter two I don't want to suggest that it doesn't connect with verse 13. therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you which is your glory isn't that the contrast to strength isn't that the the the the the the the the downside of strength when Jesus saw or Jesus actually let's see this in Luke Chapter 18. Luke chapter 18 just to see the contrast that we see reflected in Paul's prayer here Luke chapter 18. notice in verse 1 we won't even get to the actual content here the parable of persistent Widow but notice the context-setting situation then he spoke a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart so what's the opposite of spiritual strength the opposite of spiritual strength is losing heart back in Ephesians chapter 3 this is what he does not want them to do verse 13 therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulation so it's no surprise that the first petition the first thing he offers up is I pray for you to be strengthened with might through his spirit in the Inner Man in other words if you're not going to lose heart if you're going to persevere if you're going to be faithful if you're going to be killing sin if you're going to be fighting sin if you're going to be resisting the devil if you're going to be faithful to your blessed savior you need strength from him to enable you to do that we do not have the resources on our own we are a needy people we are a dependent people we are an empty-handed people not only in terms of our justification but in terms of our Christian Life there was never a moment or a time when we don't need help from God most high in fact turn over to Hebrews chapter 4. Hebrews chapter 4 similar emphasis verse 19. I'm sorry verse 14. I think I need to up my glasses here Hebrews 4 at verse 14 seeing that that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens Jesus the son of God let us hold fast our confession for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin now notice 16 let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need if you've ever pondered that passage do you ever say well you know I'm gonna put it in my phone one of the genius things about the smartphone is the calendar right you get to pop it in there and you know set the alert so a half hour before an hour before a day before you can get alerted okay you you're going to need help here this is always Brethren when should we be needy when should we rather recognize our neediness just put it in your phone and click the box that says all day every day you'll always be needy in terms of God so we fetch or seek to fetch from that throne of grace the help that we need in our time of need so back to Ephesians 3 he says that he would Grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might through his spirit in the inner band now notice the end game here that Christ May dwell in your hearts through faith now think about the trinitarianism of the Apostle Paul he says the strength that comes from the father from his infinite Warehouse his infinite Storehouse the strength that comes from the father through the spirit results in more of the presence of the son so it's not just one verse here or there in the New Testament that underscores the Christian doctrine of the Trinity Paul is a thorough going trinitarian and it affects everything that he writes and this is no exception but he says this I want you to be strengthened with might through his spirit in the inner man that Christ May dwell in your hearts through faith in other words true strength spiritual strength is seen in the presence of Christ in the heart of the believer now this does not contradict the hypostatic union Christ doesn't dwell in our hearts physically Christ isn't miniature and somehow hidden in the heart he dwells in our hearts spiritually by the Holy Spirit and this is one of the passages that indicate that you've probably heard the debate concerning the real presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper well the Catholics teach he's really present because the bread and in the wine are actually him well that does disservice to the humanity of Christ his humanity is not ubiquitous the lutherans say that Christ is in around and by and near the elements so he's really present I think the proper way to understand it is that there is a real presence Christ is Among Us by his Spirit The Bread and Wine remain Bread and Wine but they're symbols or emblems of his presence Among Us the holy spirit being that one who basically shuttles him into our presence so that we have Christ in the midst of the lampstand so when we look at this passage and you can turn with me to Romans chapter 8 you'll see what it means that Christ dwells in our hearts through faith it's the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit notice in Romans chapter 8 at verses 9 and 10 but you are not in the flesh but in the spirit if indeed the spirit of God dwells in you now if anyone does not have the spirit Spirit of Christ he is not his note the synonymous interchange that the Apostle deploys in terms of spirit of God and spirit of Christ there is a the there is one only the living and true God but this one living and true God exists eternally as Father Son and Holy Spirit and he uses this terminology interchangeably now if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ he is not his and then in verse 10 and if Christ is in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness turn over the book of Colossians in a section that's very much parallel to what we're studying here in Ephesians Colossians chapter one speaking about that mystery verse 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from Generations but now has been revealed to his Saints to them God will to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the the hope of glory you probably heard people say pray and accept Jesus into your heart pray and accept Jesus into your heart that whole model is defective but there is the point that Jesus dwells in the Heart It Is by the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit and that is precisely what Paul is saying in our passage and notice how this is appropriated how this is received that Christ May dwell in your hearts through what through faith not a relocalization of the humanity of Jesus now into the heart of the individual no it is through faith the spirit dwells Christ dwells we have the presence of God with us as we go forward in the fear of the Lord so again in summary before we move on to the next petition what is strength in the Christian Life the strength grit and determination is strength I'm going to get up tomorrow at you know odart 30 I'm going to read my Bible for a half hour I'm going to pray for a half hour to just resolve not to sin all day those are good things Brethren you go right ahead and get up that old Dark Thirty you go right ahead and read your Bible and you pray you go right ahead and resist and and resolve to resist sin but never ever forget the source of power the source of strength in our Christian Life does not come from within well it does once Christ dwells in our hearts through faith it is God most high who sustains his people it is God most high who empowers his people it is God most high who gives us the ability to press on to that Celestial Kingdom now notice the second petition that the Apostle prays for notice in verse 17 about the middle after that through your uh through in your hearts through faith he says now that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the wit and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge so what does he pray for knowledge he wants you to know more I want you to understand more he wants to appropriate theology he wants you to know the Bible with a specific emphasis upon the love of Jesus Christ but before he gets to the petition he gives us background just like he does in the previous petition 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 he gets to the petition toward the end so what is he saying at the beginning well first is the foundation of this blessing how do we ultimately know the love of Christ which passes knowledge well as the the woke people like to say you don't know what you don't know and while that's offensive in the way that they use it that's what Paul is saying here you don't know what you don't know the reason why we're able to make an attempt note the irony to know the knowledge that to know the love that passes knowledge it's an ironic statement right you're he wants you to know something that passes knowing why because Christ's love again infinite Christ's love is Limitless Christ's love is not like any love that you and I know you know that your spouse loves you you know that your kid loves you and you know that ultimately it's a creaturely love it's defective it could be better not that we're judging but it could be worse it could be a whole lot of things but with reference to Christ we just I mean we can take a kick at the can but we're never going to exhaust the Limitless love of Jesus Christ so go back just a moment to what he says that you being rooted and grounded in love this is not a command this is not the petition this is the Assumption we might translate it this way that you having been rooted and grounded in love he does a similar thing in chapter one when he gives us what he prays for look back at chapter one at verse 17. 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 in other words you don't know what you don't know if you're not born again if you're not justified freely by his grace if you're not saved if you haven't been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the king of the son of his love there is no way you're going to know his love there's no way you're going to enjoy that love because the love in view is Redemptive love it is the love wherewith he loved us and conquered us and brought him to himself through his life through his death through his resurrection so the foundation of this particular epistle is what we already possess we've been rooted and grounded in love he's conquered us with his love now notice he goes on to say that you may be able to comprehend with all the saints here it is again it's not just pastors or doctors or seminary professors saying let me just tell you the love of God is great okay thanks you need to study this you need to contemplate this you need to reflect upon this because this along with strength this knowledge is that which stabilizes the soul it's that which steadies the soul it is that which provides the ability to persevere in a world that is in opposition against Christ this is the means by which we do not lose heart so the love that he's talking about here again is not our love for God but his love for us being rooted and grounded in God's love may be able to comprehend with all all the saints now notice what is the width and length and depth and height there's a lot of fanciful explanations as to what the Apostle means here and I'm not going to bore you with it all I'm going to give you what I think is the probable meaning Stephen boss says a significant number of interpreters are right to see the reference in 18b as a reference to the boundless inscrutable character of Christ's love when he uses that convention that you may know what is the width and length and depth and height again there's a lot of suggestions a lot of potential a lot of well this means this and that context they had been sort of those persons given to the occult remember that in Acts chapter 19 when Paul comes to Ephesus and sinners are saved they take their their books of the the dark arts and they burn them there there might be all that stuff there but I think the bottom line is conveyed well by what boss says that the reference is to the boundless inscrutable character of Christ's love so back to the text he wants you to be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height so everybody's a scholar in Christ's School of love not just some of us not just the few that like theology or the Bible but if you want to not lose heart if you want to press on if you want to go forward if you want to live the Victorious Christian Life you need the strength of God and you need the knowledge of his love for you and in terms of that love we were loved from before the foundation of the world not only in Ephesians 1 5 but Romans 8 For Those whom he foreknew he predestined to be conformed to the image of his son Loved Before Time beautiful concept we are love loved and that is demonstrated in history God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son we have as well Romans 5 8 God commands or demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us so loved from Before Time loved in time loved unto eternity turn to John 13. John 13 in the upper room discourse this language is beautiful John 13 Verse 1 now before the Feast of the Passover when Jesus knew that his hour had come that he should depart from this world to the father having loved his own who were in the world he loved them to the end first John chapter 3. first John chapter 3 similar emphasis verse 1 behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God do we ever do that do you ever just Ponder how much you're loved just think and contemplate that God loves me from before the foundation of the world demonstrated in time and history promise to be kept unto eternity first John 5 or 3 2. notice beloved now we are children of God and it has not been yet been revealed what we shall be but we know that when he is revealed we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is so you see this link we are loved by God we are kept by God it's not a transient love it's not a a vapor-like love it is not a love that is going to diminish our confession of Faith highlights this when it uses the language with reference to God in Chapter 2 paragraph two that he's what he's most loving the doctrine of divine impassibility is a most encouraging Doctrine because it teaches us that in terms of the love of God there's no diminishing there's no increasing well that's not fair he doesn't he's not going to love me more he can't because he's most loving you can't add love to most loving but conversely you can't take away love from most loving so you see why Paul prays what Paul prays Paul wants you to be strong Paul wants you to be smart Paul wants you to press on Paul doesn't want you to lose heart Paul doesn't want you to fold in terms of the battle he doesn't want you to recant he doesn't want you to disown the savior he doesn't want you when times get hard to say oh yeah I'm going to go ahead bow to the state I'm going to bow to Caesar I'm going to bow to whatever I have to in order to spare my neck Paul the Apostle prays for those things which are absolutely crucial for the Church of God to maintain its witness in a lost and dying world as we move through this passage we're not going to get to it tonight you're looking at your watch don't worry don't fear but in verse 21 to him be glory in the church it's the Church of Christ have you ever thought about that has anybody ever asked you perhaps your children why do we go to church what's your answer well we go to church to see our brothers and sisters yeah that's true we go to church to hear the preaching of the word oh yeah that's that's true we go to church to take the supper yeah yeah that's true we go to church to demonstrate the glory of God do we ever think of that if anybody out there says why do you go to church because I live and move and have my being in the context of Christ Church in order to magnify the glory of God well how do you do that the fact that I'm there demonstrates The Riches of his grace because if it wasn't for the riches of his grace I would never be there it is because of what God has done in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ that has brought us together so that according to 310 the principalities the Angels they look upon us and they say wow God is gracious look at that crew that he's assembled in that part of the world but as well into seven successive Generations learn about the riches of his grace how yes through preaching yes through supper but yes through assembling together Brethren not everybody has to have a particular Ministry sitting in the bench is a wonderful Ministry because what it does is demonstrates the glory of God you're not out there engaged in pursuing Your Lust you're in here because of the Conquering Grace of almighty God and the blood of Jesus Christ is son you're forgiven you are given a righteousness and you are now reflecting what God in Christ has done in terms of reconciling the world to himself we'll stop there we'll pick up that last petition God willing next week and then move into the doxology but in conclusion I want to encourage us to not only hear the prayer of the Apostle to not only understand the prayer of the Apostle to see the nuts and bolts in terms of the prayer of the Apostle and the particular petitions involved he wants us to be strong he wants us to be knowledgeable but perhaps you and I might also imitate the Apostle it's good to pray for broken arms it's good to pray for Daily Bread it's good to pray for brother so and so to get a good job it's good to pray for our children that they'd marry well all those things are perfectly legitimate Brethren but let us not forget the spiritual warfare we're engaged in turn over to Ephesians chapter 6 Ephesians chapter 6 at verse 10 finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might he won't forget that theme will he he wants you to be strong and Brethren if you look around you practically you'll see the the need for these petitions not everybody who names the name of Christ is strong look at that section of numbers 13 and 14. the bulk and the majority follow the whiners followed the grumblers followed the people that said oh yeah it's a good land but there's big people and then they revise their report to say well it's not that good of a land and and they're big people and let's just pack it in and forget about it they don't listen to Caleb let us go at once and Vanquish the enemies of Yahweh in the strength and power of Yahweh and take the gift that he has given to us brethren we live in a day and age where courage is at a low ebb we live in a day and age where courage is wanting courage is lacking we need that sort of thing in the context of the Church of Jesus Christ if we are moving toward harder times and I'm not a prophet of the son of a prophet but if that happens to be our trajectory weak men is not what the church needs we need men of God men that are like Joshua's Men that are brave and strong and are of good courage that will go into the land and do the Lord's bidding as he calls us to so look at 10. finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against The Wiles of the devil now here's my point for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities against Powers against the rulers of the darkness of this age against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the Heavenly places if that is our battle field if that is the nature of the the opposition yes pray for your daily food yes pray for your kids college that he doesn't go yes pray that he gets a good job yes pray for those temporal things that affect us but pray for Spiritual strength pray for more of a conscious realization and knowledge of God's love for the people of God in their hearts so that strength helps us to stand in the field of battle that love gives us the the the the incentive it gives us the Delight it makes it not just a fight but a good fight Paul describes his fight in those terms I have fought the what the good fight it's a good fight because it's God's fight and because God equips his people with strength and with knowledge so that they may indeed do it well well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word we thank you for the clarity of the Apostles prayer here in Ephesians chapter 3 and I pray for all of us that we would take from this a need for our own times of prayer to seek out more strength more spiritual power so that we may live in a manner that is consistent with our high calling as well help us to reflect upon that great love of God Loved Before Time Love demonstrated in time love unto eternity that love that is unchanging God is most loving May these things encourage us and may they help us and may you cause us not to lose heart and may it cause us to glorify and honor and praise you we ask that you would go with us now and keep us in this coming week grant us Grace father to to honor you in each of the things that we Undertake and gather us together again on Wednesday night for Mutual encouragement and fellowship and bring us together again on the Lord's day that we may indeed be that place where God's glory is demonstrated and we ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen close with a brief time of meditation