← Back to sermon library

welcome to everyone it's good to be back in the house of our God for our call to worship you can turn with me in your Bibles to First Kings chapter eight First Kings chapter eight typically we look to the psalter for our call to worship but this is an appropriate passage with reference to the sermon later on so First Kings chapter 8 the particular context is the dedication of the temple so Solomon is on the throne there's a United monarchy and now he is in dedicating the temple to the god of Heaven and Earth so beginning in verse 1 of chapter 8. now Solomon assembled the Elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes the chief fathers of the children of Israel to to King Solomon in Jerusalem that they might bring from or might bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord From the City of David which is Zion therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the month of ethanim which is the seventh month so all the Elders of Israel came and the priests took up the ark then they brought up the Ark of the Lord the Tabernacle of meeting and all the holy Furnishings that were in the Tabernacle the priests and the Levites brought them up also King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with them were with him before the ark sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered from multitude then the priests brought in the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to its place into the inner sanctuary of the temple to the most holy place under the wings of the cherubim for the cherubim spread their two Wings over the place of the Ark and the cherubim cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles the polls extended so that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place in front of the inner Sanctuary they could not be seen from outside and they are there to this day nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt and it came to pass when the priests came out of the Holy place that the cloud filled the house of the Lord so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord then Solomon spoke the Lord said he would dwell in the dark cloud I have surely built you an exalted house and a place for you to dwell in forever amen well please turn in your hymn books to number 212. uh hymn 212 will stand as we sing together [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] foreign let us pray our great and glorious God what a pleasure it is and a privilege to gather in your house on your day we thank you that you are the god of absolute sovereignty and glory and power and might you are the god who've made the world who governs the world and has redeemed his elect from it and we give praise to you most high that The God Who showered forth his glory upon that that old Covenant Temple is the god and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is in the midst of the lampstand even now we just bless you father son and spirit for your graciousness and your mercy and for the gospel of our Salvation as we consider as we Ponder the life and the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of Sinners it it draws out our hearts and love to you and in worship to you we thank you for that life of perfect obedience and that death is a substitute and sacrifice and that Resurrection the third day and we praise you that this gospel is being preached throughout the Earth and we know that your purpose is to save a great multitude that no man can number from every tribe and tongue and people in nation we pray that you would Prosper your word we pray that it would not return unto you void but it would accomplish the purpose for which you sent it as the psalmist prayed we pray may you let the Nations be glad and may you cause your face to shine upon the peoples we pray God in heaven that you would bless the missionary Enterprise bless the proclamation of Truth in the in the various countries of this world and may it redown to the praise and glory of our great God we ask now that you would forgive us for all of our sin and unrighteousness as we gather together before a holy God we're often times reminded of our own unholiness and our waywardness and our our proneness to wander and leave the god that we love as we confess our sins now and we thank you for that promise in first John chapter one that if we confess our sins you are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness so God wash us now in that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and for any and all who still are dead in their trespasses and sins we pray for the Awakening power of the Holy Spirit tonight we pray that you would grant that new birth that that regeneration and Grant The Graces of faith and repentance so that Sinners may come out of Darkness into Marvelous Light confessing faith in our blessed savior we pray father for your grace and mercy to be upon this local body not just in terms of the spiritual though that is certainly at the the foremost of our thoughts we all have various trials and temptations and difficulties and challenges in this present evil age so grant us Grace from on high and strength so that Christ May dwell in our hearts richly through faith that God for the temporal needs for those who are not well physically for those with ongoing struggles for the elderly folk among us we just commend each one to you and to the word of your grace and pray that you would be merciful and gracious and sustain your same we thank you for other churches and our community we pray for your Rich blessings to be upon them we pray for other pastors in this town that are proclaiming your truth may they know The Nearness of God as their good and may they know your blessing upon their various congregations we think of the persecuted church we are reminded by the Apostle to remember those in Chains and God we know that throughout this Earth there are many that suffer for the cause of God and truth and so we pray that you would grant them the grace and the strength to persevere in the midst of these afflictions give them Grace and courage and boldness to to even share the truth as it is in Jesus with those who who persecute them and may they find themselves blessed and may they re Rejoice with the apostles who who were thankful that they had been counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as well God we pray for those places where the gospel is going forth we pray that it would go forth conquering and to conquer and that you would be well pleased is to save many many Sinners through the proclamation of your truth and our father blessed the church in Surrey the church in Armstrong bless the brethren in in Dryden and we pray that you would establish a faithful body there and continue to look with favor upon the church in Honduras and may they know your grace and your mercy as they proclaim the truth as it is in Jesus we thank you for this time we pray for your blessing upon us we pray for your presence in our midst and we ask through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well you can turn with me again in your hymn books to number 518 518 will stand as we sing together [Music] foreign [Music] I see [Music] you soon [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] you can turn in your Bibles to Numbers Chapter 14. numbers 14 as we continue our reading through the Old Testament scriptures remember the connection between numbers 14 with numbers 13 numbers 13 is a reconnaissance mission the Lord God had told Moses according to chapter 13 verses 1 and 2 the Lord spoke to Moses saying send man to spy out the land of Canaan 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 the spies go out they do a Recon operation in the land and as they come back they give the report and ten of the spies according to verses 26 to 29 say it's a good land but there are big people so we need to be careful then Caleb in verse 30 says good land big people but bigger god let's go up at once and take possession and then the ten spies revise their report and verses 31 to 33 they say Badland big people no chance and of course they returned to the congregation and the congregation sides with the ten that seems to be symptomatic of the people of God if given two options one by uh with reference to no faith and another option with reference to Faith the default position seems to be to side with the cowards and the whiners and the grumblers and that's precisely what happens in chapter 14. so then the congregation is angry with Moses and Aaron and then God says that he wants to cut the people off so notice what we find in that uh verse 11 and the Lord said to Moses how long will these people reject me 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 so Moses thankfully intercedes on behalf of the congregation and the specific petition is seen in verse 15. now if you kill these people as one man then the Nations which have heard of your Fame will speak saying because the Lord was not not able to bring this people to the land which he swore to give them therefore he killed them in the wilderness in other words this would dishonor your great and glorious name among the Heathen so God relents God says that he will not do that he will pardon but as we'll see in the section tonight there are consequences for that generation it's not the case that he will disinherit Israel it's not the case that they're not going to enter the promised land but that generation that had no faith that generation that rumbled against God they would be disenfranchised they would be judged so notice in chapter 14 we'll pick up the reading in verse 26 and the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron saying how long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against me I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against me say to them as I live says the Lord just as you have spoken in my hearing so I will do to you the carcasses of you who have complained against me shall fall in this wilderness us all of you who are numbered according to your entire number from 20 years old and above except for Caleb the son of jephina and Joshua the son of none you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in but your little ones whom you said would be victims I will bring in and they shall know the land which you have despised but as for you your carcasses shall fall in this Wilderness and your son shall be shepherds in the wilderness 40 years and bear the brunt of your infidelity until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness according to the number of the days in which you spied out the land 40 Days for each day you shall bear your guilt one year namely 40 years and you shall know my rejection I the Lord have spoken this I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against me in this Wilderness they shall be consumed and there they shall die now the man whom Moses sent to spy out the land who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land those very men who brought the evil report about the land died by the plague before the Lord but Joshua the son of none and Caleb the son of jephthana remained alive all of the men who went to spy out the land then Moses told these words to all the children of Israel and the people mourned greatly and they Rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain saying here we are and we will go up to the place which the Lord has promised for we have sinned and Moses said now why do you transgress the command of the Lord for this will not succeed do not go up lest you be defeated by your enemies for the Lord is not among you for the amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you and you shall fall by the sword because you have turned away from the Lord the Lord will not be with you but they presumed to go up to the Mountaintop nevertheless neither the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed from the camp then the amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them and drove them back as far as hormone well may God increase our faith and give us confidence in the Rock Solid promises that we find in Holy Scripture it's not the case and we'll see this later in the sermon that anybody can stop the church now they'll try they have tried they're in the present state of trying and in the future they will continue to try but we see in First Corinthians chapter 15 and verses 20 to 28 that Christ must Reign till all of his enemies are made as footstool the church is not going anywhere Christ is promised to build it in the gates of Haiti shall not Prevail against it so may God increase our faith as the people of God that we respond positively to do the promises of God and not go based on what our eyes say oh it's a it's a a bad land with big giants but the Lord God had spoken the Lord God had promised the Lord God said go and Caleb is the one Caleb and Joshua say let's go at once and let's take this land because God has given it to us that's the kind of faith that is operative in the kingdom of God that is most blessed by God well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word we thank you God that you give us these these these narratives these this history of Israel so that we may be instructed so that we may be edified and encouraged God help us to to avoid the things that they so often fell into this unbelief this sighting with the ten spies who whined and complained and grumbled and as well even after the clear admonition the warning of Moses they nevertheless undertook to try to defeat the amalekites and the Canaanites God give us wisdom give us Grace teach us by the Holy Spirit spirit that we may receive your word that we may walk in lockstep with it and that you may be glorified in our lives and we ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well you can turn with me in your hymn books to Psalm 63. Psalm 63 be and we'll use a familiar tune so Psalm 63 be as in bravo and will stand as we sing together foreign foreign [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] the water is [Music] Glory [Music] ah well please turn with me in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 3. Ephesians 3 as we continue to work our way through the apostles 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 six 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 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 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 connected 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 one for this reason I so based on what he is taught in Chapter 2 namely the salvation of Gentiles as individuals verses one to ten 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 uh 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 is 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 17 a 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 17 B to 19 a 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 college 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 19 B 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 full mess 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 one 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're 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 First Corinthians chapter 1. sort of a similar emphasis there in terms of what we have in our Lord Jesus Christ First Corinthians chapter 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 her 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 worry 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 and take a shorthand for glorification Redemption speaks uh generally in terms of God's salvation of his people that redeeming work of Christ getting us out of the slave market have said but here I think the specific reference says to redemption in terms of the 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 1. 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 1 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 first born 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 please the father that in him all the fullness should dwell now 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 Edie 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 3 in verse 19 B when the Apostle prays is that you may be filled with all the fullness of God certainly that is a referent 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 wasn't accidental that the reading tonight was first Kings chapter 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 pre-dating 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 that 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 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 5 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 yeah 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 two 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 319 be 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 would ratifier 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're 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 the 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 1 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 believe 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 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 and Redemptive history go to chapter 21 chapter 21 you see John described 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 the word became flesh and tabernacled Among Us John 1 14. that means a dwelt Among Us it's this concept of dwelling with God and this is the trajectory in Redemptive history but notice specifically in chapter chapter 21 at verse 22 but I saw no temple in it talking about physical he's talking about you know a a structure he's described it in terms of structure because he wants to commend to us the 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 gate shall not be shut At All by day there there shall be no night there and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the Nations into it but 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 Clara's Crystal proceeding from the Throne of God and of the lamb in the middle of it straight and on either side of the river was a tree of the Tree of Life which bore 12 all 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 servant 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 The Nearness of God the blessedness of God encompassing the people of God and in a churchly ladder 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 spanking 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 so I mentioned the doxology follows petition here as it does in the Lord's Prayer but intriguingly it also functions in a manner similar dollar 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 Edie 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 to 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 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 that 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 out 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 extolls this is the god that Paul Praises now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think it in the context Paul doesn't pray these petitions to Baal he doesn't pray these petitions to ashra he doesn't pray these petitions to moloth he doesn't pray these petitions to some impetus in God that has eyes but can't see or ears they 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 into to the Limitless power that God most high has we see in uh Ephesians 1 7 and 2 7 where it celebrates the riches of his grace well here is 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 those those are words that 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 been in the most blessed and wonderful way now the Hebrew 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 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 his of the glory of his inheritance and 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 Jesus 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 ask her thing in other words typically it's not that we're asking too little from too much from God it's usually a case where 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 know you you come to somebody I mean let's take the government agency I want to 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 Edie 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 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 ever affecting your country whatever is affecting your 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 uh the Lord Jesus Christ in his Earthly Ministry uh 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 look at who he saved look at who he assemble 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 uh 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 they're in 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 the manner of Psalm so there is a command there's an oddness 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 218 and 222 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 Mary 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 the ministers and the missionaries and the the martyrs and all of them are 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 a Brethren there's nothing wrong with being plugged into a minute industry 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 see 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 someday 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 proper position we saw that in the last two years churches they take it and leave it proposition and the fact that some are Maverick or individual Christians they don't uh 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 your uh a minister or you're not really vital in the kingdom of God Brethren that is terrible theology it is on biblical 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 at 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 the the the those who creep in unnoticed he she has those that that try to uh uh seize upon gullible women that Paul speaks of in first Timothy chapter five uh or I'm sorry second Timothy chapter three 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 game Sayers 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 biblically fat that would indicate she's gonna 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 that reneg on preaching the truth as it is in Jesus I expect we'll see lots of them close down but the church as Church according to our blessed savior he will build it in the gates of Haiti 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 D.C 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 giving and 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 Mike uh 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 their 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 red 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 in the gates of 80 shall not Prevail against it Gill 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 and 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 you know 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 bad 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 empathet 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 individual visually 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 answered that way it might interest more people I thought you guys just went to do weird things I thought you just went to you know do you know your 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 on come uh onlookers look in they see as well the glory of God because it's not us 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 you to do it I remember a few years ago there was this emphasis and it kind of is cyclical you know 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 you know 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 you know pray all night long and it 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 call you know get me in there pray pray for me while you're you know at oh Dark Thirty remember old Jimmy boy and 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 surgeon go be a Spurgeon but if he didn't make you to be his virgin then don't be a spurge yet 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 on on God's part concerning the the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ may we may we be 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 that fullness of God that the Apostle prayed for the Ephesians for go with us now bless our our weak and help us to be faithful in your sight and we pray through Jesus Christ the Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation