9. The Fullness of the Church

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Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians

Knowing Your Privilege in Christ

“The Fullness of the Church”

(Ephesians 3:14-21)

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto him beglory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

OUTLINE

  • It Begins with Prayer (v14-15)
  • Prayer Bring Holy Spirit’s Power (v16-19)

a.     Holy Spirit Strengthens us (v16-17a)

b.     Holy Spirit helps us to love (v17b-19)

  • It Begets Praise (v20-21)

INTRODUCTION

The Church is God’s people. A people (1) Chosen by the Father (Eph.1:1-4), (2) Purchased by the Son (Eph.1:5-9) and (3) Sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph.1:10-14). We opened up the text to see what the church is biblically speaking. We saw firstly, the church a privileged people separated from sin unto holiness (Eph.1:1-4) – this is what it means to be “Chosen by the Father”. Secondly, the church is a purchased people in intimate fellowship with the living and true God(Eph.1:5-9) – this is what we mean when we say “Purchased by the Son”. And thirdly, the church is a protected people destined for heaven(Eph. 1:10-14) – this is what we mean when we say “Sealed by the Holy Spirit”.

We recollect that a church needs to understand from the very beginning what it is so that it can know what direction it should be going. The truth is that God is at work in this world, through His church. God’s purpose is fulfilled through His church. The church is a reflection of His Creator, pointing men and women to the living and true God. This is the glory of the church, that the world by the witness of the church may know God. 

We continued Eph.1:15-23 t study the Apostle Paul’s prayer for the church that God would give the saints a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the true knowledge of Him. These thoughts were gleaned from the interrogative pronoun “what”. What hope (Eph.1:15-18a), what riches (Eph.1:18b), what strength (Eph.1:19-23 we have as God’s children to live as a people destined for heaven, a people endowed with all hope, all spiritual riches through Christ and having the strength to overcome sin in our lives. That’s given in Ephesians chapter 1.

Then in Ephesians 2:1-10, we focused, zoom in and have a closer at the character of the church. What characterized God’s people? They are not dead but alive!

And that it is progressing, it is being built up. we looked at ‘The Progress of the Church” taken from Ephesians 2:11-22. How can the church make progress? It is by bringing the lost to God (v11-18) and building up the saved in God (v19-22). Up to now we have studied what the church truly is!

What is “The Function of the Church? Ephesians 3:1-13 tells us. It is to declare unsearchable riches of Christ that men may come to salvation and to live in the richness of Christ living in us. And this accomplished by God’s Word (v1-6) and through God’s servant (v7-13). The church of the living God functions as the pillar and ground of the truth. There is no other organization in the world that is entrusted with the riches of Christ but the church of Jesus Christ, the body of Christ upon earth.

Now from Eph. 3:14-21, the Apostle Paul tells us the secret by which the church realizes her full potential. We know by now what is the church but how is the church going to be what she should be? What is the secret by which the church realizes her full potential? 

This text that is before us gives us the answer. How to activate the power so that the church may be cultivated to the fullness of her potential? So how does the church reach the fullness of the potential? 

Three thoughts can be gleaned from our text:

Firstly, we want to see that it begins with prayer (v14-15) and secondly, prayer brings Holy Spirit’s power (v16-19). The Holy Spirit through prayer does three things: it strengthens (v16-17a) and Holy Spirit helps us to love (v17b-19). Finally, it begets praise (v20-21). When we are made alive in Christ, God wants us to do His will, to be a lively Christian, to lead an overcoming life.

So, the Apostle Paul tells us it begins with prayer.

  • It Begins with Prayer (v14-15)

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

Prayer is the open secret and yet the top secret of power for it is the most ignored and neglected means of grace. Why is that the Christian lives without power, always going back to sin?

The Apostle Paul, the father of the church, the one who planted that church in Ephesus was on his knees praying that these spiritual children of his may grow to the fullness of their potential in Christ.

So, we want to see this first thought that prayer unleashes God’s power. And here in verse 14, we see Paul praying for the Ephesian church that she may thrive and prosper, it may reach made it reaches its fullness. So, he says for this cause I bow the knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice his prayer posture. He was kneeling in prayer. In the Old Testament, the word for blessing is from the verb “to kneel”, in its intensive stem, it means blessing. There is a very sacred connection in the Hebrew language concerning how the child of God, the people of God, receive blessing from God when they are connected with God! This can be seen embedded in the Hebrew language and Paul was a man who was well trained in the Hebrew Scriptures and he knew the efficacy of prayer.

His emphasis is not that we should always be kneeling when we pray. The Bible reveals that God’s people pray as they stand, as they walk, as they lie prostrate but kneeling reveals the submission of his heart, the humility and adoration before God. This was what Paul was doing. He was in prison. He was writing as a prisoner and yet he was not truly in bonds as it were but was freely praying and seeking God’s blessing upon the church in Ephesus.

He tells us there is cause for prayer if you want the church to realize her potential. We need God’s power, realizing that we do not have the ability and Paul in his prayer comes to God and he sought the blessing for the people at Ephesus.

So, he says for this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He addresses the Father in heaven. It tells us of the intimacy of that relationship that he has as a child of God to bring his petitions before the Father although physically he could not be there with the people in Ephesus but he knew the efficacy of prayer. When he goes down on his knees and brings all his petitions before God, God is going to work wonders by His power!

He tells us in verse 15 that we are known intimately by the Father –  15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. We are special in God’s sight, in other words, God knows us by name. Jesus says “I know my sheep” (John 10:3). He has chosen us before the foundations of the world were laid and we are precious in His sight and the Lord is praying everything one of us, His blood-bought children may receive His blessing.

So, this first thought tells us it begins with prayer. And pray brings Holy Spirit’s power (v16-19).

  • Prayer Brings Holy Spirit’s Power (v16-19)

16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

When we pray, we are asking God to give us freely, to make available God’s treasures to us. It is by asking. God wants us to ask and when we ask, He gives to us. That’s what Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 7:7-11 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

The graciousness and the kindness of our heavenly Father wants to bless His children. God’s children are encouraged to bring their needs to the throne of grace. As we look at the world around us, it seemed to be filled with violence and trouble. What should the response of the Christian be to this hopeless and dying world? The world moves from a state of euphoria to a state of depression. 

During the time of economic depression many jumped to their death. In 2008, there was this German billionaire who took his own life by throwing himself in front of a moving train. Time seemed to be good now, there seemed to be a euphoria, the stock market is up, everything is upbeat. The property market seemed to have been booming again. And there is that cycle and men inadvertently falls into the trap, finding that they have over invested and have not been prudent. They have not walked where they should be, living beyond their means and now grieving and despairing.

God does not want us to live like the world but to live above our troubles, solve our problems and lived our lives with His blessing. So, the Lord is showing us that He is the source and means to solving life’s problems.  

This first thought about prayer is to pray that God may strengthened us in the inner man. Man consists of two parts – the body and the soul. And the spiritual man, the man who is awakened to the spirit, aware of spiritual things. This body that we have wears itself out, day by day becomes weaker due to the inevitable aging process. 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward manis renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding andeternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen aretemporal; but the things which are not seen areeternal.

I was told by a doctor friend that if you have regular exercise between 40 to 50 years of age it helps to prepare your body for old age. And after beginning a regime of regular exercise, if you miss a day or two, the body aches start to come.

So, it is with the physical body, the spiritual body also requires nourishment. We need to pray that we may be strengthened by His might in the inner man. The battle of the church is against temptation and it is against sin and self. We are a people separated from sin unto holiness.

How is it that we are able to overcome sin and live a victorious life with God? We need to activate the Holy Spirit’s power, we need to seek God. Jesus says in Mark 7:21-23 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

What Paul is praying is this that God may come and mightily strengthen the inner that it may have the power to overcome sin in our lives. We know that this power to overcome sin in our lives is supernatural, not by our own strength. 

I will not drink that drink anymore, to smoke the cigarette! It is the spirit that convicts the heart, that causes the change.

There are many aspects of the Christian life that needs to be strengthened in order we be the child of God He wants us to be. He does not want an outward change of behaviour without a change of heart. He wants us to be changed from the inside. To have an outward behaviour without a change of heart just makes us a hypocrite. So God does not want us to live that way. The people in Israel lived that way during Jesus’ time and Jesus has to rebuke them to them what the law truly means. We need to be strengthened in the inner man. How can we be strengthened? By prayer!

A student who goes to school every day faces many temptations and how can he overcome these temptations? By the prayer of the parents. Parents bring their children before the throne of grace, when the parents intercede on their behalf before God that the evil one will not have any stronghold upon them. This is what Paul is doing for the church in Ephesus. This is what every father and mother can do for their children.

Our neighbour came and said that his son is into gaming and it is affect his school work and he has no power to overcome, it has become addictive. We prayed for God’s mercy upon the son. In praying, we receive wisdom how to counsel the child. The child is in the state of rebelling. Every time his mother says “no, don’t do that!” So, the mother says I really need wisdom how to help my child at this time. It is critical. As a family, we prayed for the child that we seek God that He may intervene – That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith (v17).

That is the second effect when we pray Christ comes to strengthen the inner man.


17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith…

Pray and the Holy Spirit energize and strengthen the inner man – that Christ may dwell in your heart by faith. What our text says here is that Christ may have full reign in our lives. That Christ may have control over each and every area of our lives, not only our public life but our private life. 

What Paul is saying in this second sub-point concerning the Holy Spirit’s power is firstly, it strengthens (v16) and secondly, in verse 17a, it helps us to lead an overcoming life that Christ may have full reign, that Christ may be at home in your heart. You need prayer to seek the power of God in order that it may cause us to have victory over sin in our lives.

What Paul is saying here is that for the church to reach her potential, for the Christian to reach his potential, we need to be prayerful, seek God, and the phrase in verse 17a that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. What does that mean? Paul is saying that Christ comes to be at home in our hearts as we live by faith. Biblical faith is always link to obedience. If we trust God then we obey God. 

When you become a Christian, there is that battle that is always within you between the flesh and the Spirit and in order for the Christian to reach his full potential, he has to overcome the flesh to live victoriously.

How can the Christian have the victory over the flesh? It is through prayer and by obedience to His Word, that what it means that Christ dwell in our hearts by faith, that Christ may be at home in our hearts. Often, we do not want Christ to be in our hearts, we want to live our own lives that is not right in the sight of God. And we know that every time when we fall, God chastises us and we know that it is wrong and yet why do we still lack the power to live for Christ, to live in holiness before God. We have not been truly seeking the Spirit of God, the power of God to help us in our lives.

This is what we want to consider in this second thought, is Christ truly dwelling in your heart. Consider whether it is your career, your marriage and family life, education of your children, your leisure time, is your life lived in the beauty of holiness?

We need to cultivate a consistent time alone each day with the Lord in the Word and prayer. And that is something that requires us to seek God to fill us with His love that we may grow to spiritual maturity. What is that secret that we may lead that overcoming life? It is the ability to continually pray and be immersed in the Word of God that the power of God may manifest itself in our lives.

And that brings us to the third aspect of how – prayer brings the Holy Spirit’s power, from verse 17b-19, to love! (1) To strengthen (v16), to overcome (v17a) (3) To love (v17b-19).

17… that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what isthe breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Paul wants us to see that the key towards spiritual growth is the love for God. God wants us to cultivate that love for Him. When a person is in love, you do not have to teach the person how to love the other person, that the desire is there. And so here Paul uses from botany he tells us the picture of a tree for it to grow strong it need to have roots that sinks deep so that it is able to withstand storms, withstand droughts, withstand the vicissitudes of life. Paul says here that you may be rooted and grounded in love.

The first metaphor is that he wants us to be strengthened in the inner man that the love of God may abound in our hearts. 

I read the story of the Chinese bamboo in a poster in my sister’s room. Like any plant, growth of the Chinese Bamboo Tree requires nurturing through water, fertile soil, and sunshine.

In its first year though, we see no visible signs of growth in spite of providing all of these things.

In the second year (again), there is no growth above the soil.

The third, fourth year…still show no signs of anything happening.

Our patience is tested, and we begin to wonder if our efforts caring for and watering the tree will ever be rewarded. We start to doubt ourselves and question the value of our efforts. 

Inevitably, we contemplate quitting.

But then finally in the fifth year – something amazing happens…

The Chinese Bamboo Tree grows 80 feet tall in just six weeks!

But think for a moment, does the Chinese Bamboo Tree really grow 80 feet in six weeks? Did the Chinese Bamboo Tree lie dormant for four years only to grow exponentially in the fifth?

Or, was the little tree growing underground, developing a root system strong enough to support its potential for outward growth in the fifth year and beyond?

The answer is (of course) obvious. Had the tree not developed a strong unseen foundation it could not have sustained its life as it grew. The same principle is true for people.

People, who patiently toil towards worthwhile dreams and goals, building strong character while overcoming adversity and challenge, grow the strong internal foundation to handle success. Meanwhile, get-rich-quickers and lottery winners usually are unable to sustain unearned sudden wealth. They haven’t become the person they need to be to support such success.

And had the Chinese Bamboo Tree farmer dug up his little seed every year to see if it was growing, he would have stunted the tree’s growth. In other words, the actions caused by self-doubt would’ve halted the miracle from ever taking shape and cause him to go backwards.

You and I are the same. It takes faith to work while you wait. It takes in God to keep going. It takes confidence to trust that you always get paid for how hard you work – sometimes now, often times later, always eventually. You have to keep going. You have to keep fighting. Success in spiritual life is always slower than we want but it’s worth it. 

The only question is are we willing to let God develop in His way? And how long are you willing to work at it according to His method through prayer and the word?

The Apostle Paul tells us that when we are saved, the Spirit of God comes and indwells us and the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts.

God gives to us His love, that overcoming love, that “agape” love, unconditional love to obey Him and follow His Word. When we pray and we seek the power of the Holy Spirit to fill our lives, then you would find that you would grow strong and strong each day.

And he uses the second metaphor of a building when the foundation of a building goes deep it is built upon a rock then whether it is a flood, an earthquake, it is able to withstand the tremors. And so he tells us that love is that secret by which we are able to build our Christian life.

And this love is translated into our ability to love God and love our neighbour as ourselves.

Biblical love is the most lacking element in this world today and throughout human history. In fact, Jesus revealed to us this truth before His ascension in Matthew 24:12 “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” This is the first occurrence of the word “agape” in the NT. The truth is also that we cannot produce such love by ourselves. It is the work of the Holy Spirit dwelling in the believer that produces such love – it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Our love is never “agape” love. God does not want us to produce our own concoction of love. This pure love is first shed abroad in the heart of every believer by the Holy Spirit – “…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5). This “love” is like an injection given that goes directly to the blood stream producing its effect. We have to acknowledge the divine nature of this love and the divine sourceof this love. We have to cultivate the conducive environment to bear fruit.

The hallmark of a growing Christian is growing in love, biblical love! It is attested by unfeigned, sacrificial love for our brethren. Our Lord Jesus said this, John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” The Apostle Peter says the same in 1 Peter 1:22 “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.” The Apostle John says the same in 1 John 4:12 “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” Finally the Apostle Paul says, 1 Thessalonians 4:9 “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.” 

What God wants us to do when we seek Him in prayer and the Word, He shows us which areas of our lives are not conformed to His image. We have that occasion to seek the power of 

God to change that particular area of life that is weak and we seek the power of God to overcome. Realize that God does help us when we come to Him in prayer when we seek Him for His power and strength – what isthe breadth, and length, and depth, and height…that we may grow in our spiritual life in every area and God wants us to be able to comprehend in every aspect. 

We see in our first thought, the fullness of the church begins with prayer. And prayer brings Holy Spirit’s power top strengthen, to overcome and to love that we may be able to truly obey the Word of God and you will find that as we do so, we would be different from the people around us.

Israel was a nation made by God and they are to be a people that show forth the power and the greatness of God. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses recorded for us what the nation of Israel ought to be Deuteronomy 4:5

Deuteronomy 4:5-9 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this isyour wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation isa wise and understanding people. For what nation is there sogreat, who hathGod sonigh unto them, as the LORD our God isin all things thatwe call upon him for? And what nation is there sogreat, that hath statutes and judgments sorighteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;

And so, God wants us to live this overcoming for Him and if each of us, each one of you would spend time to seek God by His Spirit through prayer and the consistent study of the Word, you will find that your spiritual life will grow.

And verse 20-21 is the conclusion, it begins with prayer, it brings Holy Spirit’s power and it begets praise (v20-21).

  • It Begets Praise (v20-21)

20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

What is this power that worketh in us? It is the Spirit’s power unleashed in the life of the believer where he has the ability to overcome sin, say “no” to that drink, to keep himself sober, when all the other people are drunken, to have the ability to live within our means, where the world today is in great debt and reeling into abyss of insolvency, we know how to live our lives because God gives us His wisdom, and that is that power that worketh in us… 

 21 Unto him beglory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

The building of the church, its glory is in the sanctified character of the individuals and the good works that they do which brings honour and glory to God!

The fullness of the church – it begins with prayer and prayer brings Holy Spirit’s power and finally it begets praise, it redounds to the glory of God. This is what God wants His church to be to be victorious to have that power by way of application to go out there and be a witness for God that the people would see you and be startled. Why is this person is different, he has the power to overcome sin. Where does that power come from? And why is it that when the gospel is shared people gets saved. This is the Holy Spirit’s power indwelling the believer. And God wants us to have this power.

CONCLUSION

The fullness of the church, it begins with our prayer life, it begins with our devotional life. How is your devotional life? May the Lord help us! Heavenly Father, thank Thee for teaching us the secret of the Church’s fullness, the empowering, the enabling of the Holy Spirit. Unleashed this power in the lives of thy children here that we may live victorious, overcoming lives, lives of holiness and the ability go forth with the gospel and overcome the wiles of the devil and to have the victory, bringing souls to Thy kingdom according to Thy will, according to Thy power, help us Lord, this I pray in Jesu’s Name. Amen.