Spiritual Growth

Scripture Text Ephesians 3:14-21

Intro: Paul’s prayer for Spiritual growth in these verses was addressed to the Father of the whole family of God. God is the Father of all believers who have ever believed and trusted His promise, both past and present. This prayer is for spiritual strength and understanding of God’s plan for our lives. We also are to;

I. Pray for Holy Spirit Power. Ephesians 3:16 (NLT)
¹⁶ I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. The first request is for power and strength in the inner man, for the strength and power of God's Spirit to be released in us, that we become aware of His presence and power at work in our lives.

a. The word "empower" means to enable with force, energy, might. It means to have energy or force; to act, endure, or resist.

 b. The word "strengthen" means to be made strong, tough, enduring.

 c. The believer needs to be strengthened with power in the "inner man," that is, in the deepest part of his being, in his soul, in his heart, in his spirit—in the spirit that God has renewed. It is there that he must be strengthened with power. Why?

 d. Because it is the only way he can overcome the flesh with all its weakness. It is the only way he can conquer...•  temptation and sin•  grief and death•  trouble and trials•  disease and suffering•  selfishness and worldliness•  problems and circumstances. We can’t overcome these things in our own power and might. We must overcome the things of this world through the power of the Spirit of God within us, so we must pray for ourselves and each other.

II. Pray for Christ to be at home in our hearts. Ephesians 3:17 (NLT)
¹⁷ Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

     This prayer is not for Christ to enter the hearts and lives of believers; Christ is already in their hearts and lives. What then does this request mean? It means that Christ would be at home and live in a permanent sense within the believer.  It means the believer would be aware and conscious of Christ within his heart—always aware and conscious that Christ has taken up residence within him. It means the believer would let Christ control and guide his life—permanently and constantly—because Christ is at home in his heart. The more the believer is aware and conscious of Christ within him, the more he will walk and live in Christ. Note that Christ dwells within the believer by faith. Faith means trust, assurance, and conviction based on God’s word.

III. Pray for power to understand. Ephesians 3:18 (NLT)
¹⁸ And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

    Understanding means Insight, judgment, discernment, intelligence. It means a full understanding of all spiritual things. It is crucial that the believer grasp God's eternal plan and glorious salvation. All believers must comprehend the breadth and length and depth and height of what God’s love has done for them and the church. The more believers comprehend, the more they will surrender their lives to Christ and serve Him. There is no limit to God’s love for us. It can’t be contained, it’s unlimited.

IV. Pray to experience Christ’s Love. Ephesians 3:19a (NLT)
¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.

     This prayer request is to know the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge. It is utterly impossible to grasp and experience the love of Christ anywhere close to its full measure, but we should pray for God to help us learn more and more of His love and we should make the request often every day. There has never been penned a greater description of the unbounded, unlimited love of Christ than that of F.M. Lehman in the song, "The Love of God": "Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made; were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade, to write the love of God above, would drain the ocean dry. Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky. O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forever more endure. The saints and angels song.

     

V. Result of prayer. Ephesians 3:19b (NLT)
¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

    When we experience the love of Christ that passes all understanding, "Then you will be filled (through all your being) with all the fullness of God...[that is] you will have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself!" Then you will be complete lacking nothing.

Conclusion: Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)
²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

     Here is the encouragement to pray and to trust God for the answer. God is able to answer our prayers through the mighty power that works in us. What is that power within us? It is the Holy Spirit of God who is at work in us and He is able to do infinitely more than we could ever ask or think.

    1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV) ¹⁴ Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

     The purpose of God in answering prayer and in doing all this for us: that He might be glorified (adored, idolized) in the church through Christ Jesus. And note how long He is to be glorified: throughout all ages, world without end. Ephesians 3:21 (NLT) Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

    Invitation: Have you confessed your sins to Jesus and prayed for Him to forgive you? Are you praying for your spiritual growth and are you also praying for others spiritual growth? If not, why not? We will never be all God wants us to be until we begin to get serious about our spiritual growth!

Wisdom for Life

Scripture Text Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Intro: Solomon, was the wisest man that ever lived  according to God’s word. He tried everything under the sun trying to find joy and contentment and tried to figure out what life is all about. May we hear his conclusion to the matter of what is of utmost importance in this life? He sums up the great business of human life in these two short verses, on which some millions of books have been already written!

V:13 Here is his final conclusion of Solomon.

  A. Solomon in all his wisdom says to fear God.

 Proverbs 9:10 (NLT) Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.  Reverence him; pay him adoration. We are to Respect and fear displeasing Him. Fear means to admire, worship, be devoted to and stand in awe of God. Stand in amazement and astonishment at the greatness of God’s power and sovereignty over all things. Proverbs 8:¹³ The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. We are to serve Him in purity of action, to shun evil and worship of anything else in His universe. Proverbs 19:23 (NKJV) The fear of the Lord leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. If you want satisfaction in this life and to be free of evil, fear the Lord God. He holds you and your family’s life, health, wealth, and breath in His hands.

      God’s wisdom and good judgment are needed to lead our families and serve the church.

   

  B. Keep His Commandments. Jesus summed up God’s commandments in four verses: Matthew 22:37-40 (NKJV) ³⁷ Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."                 John 14:15 (NKJV) "If you love Me, keep My commandments. Loving the Lord, putting Him first and keeping His commands make us capable leaders of our families and church.

  1. This is the whole duty of man Solomon says. This is our responsibility, obligation and calling. This is man’s purpose in life. It is the reason for God creating us. Nothing else matters in life but this. Everything else in this life is vain and profits nothing. Solomon was richer than anyone else. He had more wisdom than anyone else. He had tried everything there was on earth to see what was of value in life and found the only thing of value was to fear God and keep His commands. Solomon said this is the beginning and end of all wisdom.

V:14 Why we should fear God and keep His commands. Here is the reason Solomon said that we should "Fear God and keep his commandments."

1. Because there will be a day of judgment.

2. Every soul of man shall stand before God and give an account of what he has done.

3. God the infinitely wise, heart-searching God will be the judge.                                       4. He will bring to light every secret thing— Mark 4:22 (NKJV) For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.

Every work done since the creation, by all men; whether forgotten or registered; whether done in secret or in public, will come to light.

5. All the works of the godly, as well as all the works of the wicked, shall be judged in that day; the good will receive their reward in God’s Kingdom and the evil which the wicked have done shall be judged and they shall be cast into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Invitation: 1 Timothy 2:4 (NKJV)  God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. God wants you to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. All dads and moms want their children to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth also. If you are not sure of your salvation, make sure today. Be sure to pray for yourself and family each day.