Paul's Threefold Prayer for Converts (02/11/2001)

Park Meadows Church

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February 11, 2001

Pastor David Mitchell

00:00: Let me Remind you that we have a new study down front with the others and if you missed any of the others or the old ones
00:07: Are still here, but this is the next in our series It looks like you're getting these about two weeks after I preach them.
00:14: So that's this should be two weeks ago Because it still has a December date on it but this is the one that was on biblical revelation and the difference between I think the one last week was on revelation as well.
00:27: This one is more with a view towards Inspiration, which is a specific type of revelation. It has to do with the written word
00:33: That's what this is about. This has some very interesting historical information as well
00:40: So I think you'll you'll really get some good information out of this study So pick this up they're right down here on the pew beside the older studies this one's on biblical revelation this morning
00:54: I'd like for you turn with me to Ephesians chapter 3 in verse 14, and I'm going to diverge from our systematic theology study today
01:02: We're not going to talk about Bibliology this morning. We'll Pick that up week after next
01:07: Myron Golden will be here next Sunday morning to preach for us So it'll be week after next when we continue our series
01:17: This morning I felt that I would
01:24: Diverge so let's look at Ephesians 3 14. I think it's interesting that that the
01:31: Sunday school class had a lot to do with this subject entirely a lot to do with it, but This morning.
01:37: I want to speak to you about the dimensions of God's love Or you might say
01:43: Paul's threefold prayer for his converts Paul's threefold prayer
01:48: For his converts, so let's pray and we'll begin with Ephesians 3 14 father
01:53: We thank you so much for the way that this service has begun and for the anointed
02:01: People who have brought us the music this morning and how your hand is upon their lives and how it speaks to our hearts and Prepares our hearts even more to hear the the written word and that your
02:14: Holy Spirit might move in our hearts and Quicken that written word make it alive in our lives today
02:20: And that is our prayer for this time and we ask it in Jesus name. Amen Let's start with Ephesians 3 14 and read this passage together down through the end of the chapter
02:30: And then we'll see what God has for us from this passage For this cause I bow my knees unto the father.
02:37: This is how we know it's a prayer by the way He's he's about to pray a prayer for his converts.
02:44: I Bow my knees for this cause Unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.
02:52: Isn't that a beautiful verse? the whole family that means I Assume since it says heaven and earth that means the angels that did not fall that means
03:05: His children all of God's children through all of the different Years of time since time started up into the present and on out into the future
03:15: To the end of time all of God's family the father of our
03:20: Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named in Verse 16 says that this begins to we see what he is praying for He says that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory and you're gonna find it
03:35: Three requests in this passage three prayer requests that he would grant
03:41: According to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man.
03:47: That's one of the requests That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith and that you being rooted and grounded in love
03:57: That's another one May be able to comprehend with all Saints What is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passes?
04:08: Knowledge that you might be filled with all of the fullness of God and that's another one
04:14: Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think
04:19: According to the power that worketh in us and to him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end
04:31: Amen, isn't that beautiful? Poetic language in that last verse Well, let's go back to the beginning of the passage starting the verse 14 and and discuss these three prayers three things that Paul asked of the father for his converts for the
04:47: Saints and Probably for the Saints of all ages, wouldn't you say? I Really want to focus on the third prayer request, but I do want to mention the first two.
04:56: The first one is That he prays that we might be strengthened with might and you see this in verse 16
05:05: Towards the end. He says to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man
05:12: Now this word Strengthened just keep that in mind But it leads to the next word which is might that we might be strengthened with might
05:22: I want us to take a little look at this word might in the Greek language. It is the word dunamis and It's a very powerful word in the
05:32: Greek language and throughout the New Testament I'm going to show you some other places where it's found in a moment It's going to surprise you where this word is found
05:38: But I want you to remember before we look at the other places where the word is found that Paul's prayer is simple
05:46: He says I pray father that all of my brothers and sisters
05:52: Might be strengthened with whatever this dunamis is. So this is not a request for a certain person
05:58: This is not a request for a certain person who may have a specific gift This is a request for all saints for every man and woman and boy and girl
06:09: Sitting in this room and all over throughout God's world as a matter of fact throughout all of the invisible
06:16: Places and the visible places and throughout all time and eternity This is a request that is for God's people that we might be strengthened
06:27: With dunamis now, what is this dunamis? Well the definition of the word is force or Miraculous power is the specific definition
06:38: It has been translated in the New Testament and other verses as mighty works are wonderful works
06:45: And you've seen those verses before that is the word that those words come from The word dunamis and this is what he is requesting that all of God's children might be strengthened with this
06:59: Now we're not going to get into the study that's going on in Sunday school about the different gifts of the spirit that are given we're talking about a a
07:09: Specific general thing that all of God's children are supposed to have and this is
07:17: Strength to be strengthened with this dunamis with might as it says in our
07:22: English version Well dunamis comes from another Greek word Dunamis, ah he which means to be able or to be possible
07:33: So whatever this power is it makes things be possible. That would not be possible without this power and so Let me show you an example of where this exact word is used turn with me to our
07:48: Sunday school lesson first Corinthians of about a week ago 1st Corinthians chapter 12
07:55: Welcome come right in We're in Ephesians Chapter 3 verse 14 and following we're talking about God's love this morning
08:06: We have discovered that in Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 16 and following that the
08:12: Apostle Paul prays three prayers For all the Saints all the Christians in the world, especially his disciples.
08:18: I think he's a little bit prejudiced there Don't you think he's talking about? I want my disciples to have this but it applies to all of us and the first request is found at the bottom of verse 16 where it says that they might be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man and This word might is the
08:36: Greek word dunamis Which means power and I'm about to show you another place in the Bible where this exact worst verse is used turn to 1st
08:44: Corinthians 12 and Verse 10 and as I said the scope of this message does not allow us to discuss the gifts of the
08:52: Spirit We if you want to discuss that come to Sunday school because that's what brother Otis has been covering lately In depth but merely to take a look at this word now, this is an specific use of this word
09:05: But look what it says To another the working of miracles the word miracles is the
09:12: Greek word dunamis now Most of you have been around me and known me for a very long and heard me teach the
09:21: Bible You know that it's my personal opinion that There are certain signs and wonders that the
09:28: Apostles did there are certain signs and wonders that Moses was able to do That Elijah was able to do
09:35: That Jesus and the Apostles were able to do and the prophets the New Testament prophets as well were able to do and many times
09:43: These specific mighty wonders are designed by God to authenticate his message.
09:48: For example with Moses The law was about to come to this planet and so God Moses said but God why would they believe
09:58: That I've talked to you and I don't even know what to call you I don't know who to tell them you are so they'll listen to me and Moses was having a problem
10:06: He said you can give me all the law you want, but they won't accept it because it's just me and I stutter.
10:11: I'm nobody God said tell him I am that I am sent you and I'll give you
10:18: Aaron to help and so forth and You know He could throw his rod down and turns into a serpent and he could pick it up and it turns back into the rod and there
10:26: Were some very interesting signs and wonders that were done that authenticated Moses as the messenger, but more importantly it authenticated the message same thing happened to authenticate
10:37: Kate the office of the prophet With Elijah and Elisha the same thing happened to authenticate the giving of the
10:44: New Testament the New Covenant with Jesus and the Apostles and so forth and But my point this morning is this that this word miracles is dunamis and it has to do with incredible power spiritual power
10:59: Now sometimes and I am planning to preach a message on this specific passage
11:04: Very soon and it probably will end up being the week after Myron preaches So we may postpone our bibliology another week because I want to get into this passage and preach on the gifts
11:15: Because we've been talking about it so much lately But suffice it to say that there are specific gifts that the
11:22: Holy Spirit gives but there is a power That's behind these gifts and the father
11:29: Regulates the energy of it in a sovereign way In other words, he's in control of that people can't control it.
11:36: You can't turn these things on and off if they're real now This word that's translated to working of miracles
11:44: You can take if you take these gifts probably as we think of it, especially today and we look at this
11:51: We would say well, that's the most Awesome of the gifts because it could enable a person to literally do miracles which means to where the laws of physics and the laws of nature would be
12:03: Set aside for a moment and some great thing could happen such as the parting of the Red Sea Something on that nature
12:10: The power that caused that to happen at the hand of Moses is the power we're discussing this morning
12:18: That's all I'm saying. I'm not saying you're going to be given a gift of miracles. I'm not the one who gives those
12:24: So I can't say that But I can say that Paul prayed that everyone in this room this morning would be strengthened with this
12:33: Power that can cause those things This is the power that is speaking of now it is an enabling power and It is that he prays that we would be strengthened with this power in the inner man
12:52: If you go on and study in the Word of God, what you find out is that This is the very same power that we could call resurrection power
13:00: The power that was used that brought Jesus out of the grave is the same power that you have when it says that God worketh in you and So we need to be reminded this morning that Paul's prayer for his baby
13:15: Christians even brand -new Christians Was that they be strengthened on the inner man with this dunamis, which is the same power that causes all these things to happen
13:26: You are supposed to have it so that God will cause what you're supposed to do to happen And only he and you will know what that is, but I'll say this
13:35: God has given you as a gift to this church Because this church as a body cannot do what it's supposed to do and accomplish the will of God without you
13:44: Being available to this power working for you to do whatever it is that God has for you to do And it's up to him to determine what that is.
13:53: But there's one power that will energize it And that comes from this Greek word dunamis dunamis.
13:58: Now, let's go on and see the next prayer that he prays At the end of verse 16, it says that you might be strengthened with might by the
14:07: Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that she being rooted and Grounded in love to me the second prayer request that Paul has for his disciples
14:19: But for all Christians is this that with Christ dwelling in your hearts by faith
14:25: You might be rooted and grounded in love and this love is agape which we cannot naturally have
14:32: It can only come from God And this is what Paul is requesting is that the father would cause it to be so That in our lives we would be rooted and grounded in the very love of God Which is totally different from them from the love of man
14:50: The love of man has to do with the object of the love if the object of the love is pleasing me then
14:55: I love It it's not then I don't But God's love has nothing to do with the object of the love.
15:01: It has only to do with a lover and that's God God loves us because of him not because of us
15:08: That's why we in the depths of our sin can be saved by his love because his love does not respond to what we do
15:15: And are but only to who he is Well, Paul says that only by God the
15:22: Father Through the Holy Spirit as he works in your heart Can you ever have an understanding of this love let alone be rooted and grounded in it?
15:30: But his request is that would be rooted and grounded in this kind of love now rooted in the
15:35: Greek is the word Rizzo and it means rooted. Okay, aren't you glad you came today?
15:41: All right grounded is The word family.
15:47: Oh And you just came to hear a text and try to say that But it means to lay a basis for It carries the idea of a foundation
15:58: So he prays that you not might be rooted in the love of God But that the foundation of your life would be built on the love of God not on the flesh
16:07: Or the love of the flesh or anything else the flesh has to offer but on this incredible thing called agape
16:13: Which only God has and the only way we have it is that he gives it to us From him directly from him the
16:22: Bible says God is love not that he has it, but he is it and So he prays that we would be rooted and grounded now.
16:30: Let's come to the third request. This is really the message And this is awesome.
16:36: And this could be five messages For your sakes. I hope the Lord allows it to be one message done by dinner today
16:45: But look at verse 18 May be able to comprehend with all
16:51: Saints see that takes it from his disciples to us, doesn't it? and Beyond even to those we lead to the
17:00: Lord and generations after that if the Lord Terry's May be able to comprehend with all
17:07: Saints What is the breadth and the length and the depth and the height?
17:14: His prayer is Oh Father Help my babies in the Lord and help all
17:20: Saints that ever live to able to comprehend to be able to comprehend something To not just know about it
17:27: To not just teach of it and speak of it and have definitions of it, but to comprehend it
17:35: What is the breadth of it the length of it the depth of it the height and to know the love of Christ Which passeth knowledge that you might be filled with all the fullness of God It's been taught in hundreds of ways how to be spirit filled be filled not with wine
17:54: Be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit We're commanded so we're commanded to do something that we know very little of we're commanded to be filled with the
18:04: Spirit We don't always know what that means, but let me show you one aspect of it right here
18:10: He in this verse 19 with this do these things comprehend this
18:15: So that you might be filled with the fullness of God Can you think of a better definition than to be spirit filled and to be filled with the fullness of God?
18:23: If you could walk down the streets of Corsicana this Monday being filled with the fullness of God You would change
18:29: Corsicana and he says the way to do that is to comprehend something
18:36: Not to know about it not to study it not to think of it But to to to comprehend it to get into the depths of it to know it
18:43: To know it in and of yourself in essence and being and to experience
18:49: The breadth and the length and the depth and the height of the love of Christ that passes all knowledge
18:55: What is the breadth of his love? His love is wide I'm gonna quote.
19:02: Dr. Rocky Freeman here. He made a statement about the breadth of God's love that I remember once He said this we normally think of God's love we think of me
19:11: Now think about that. Isn't that true when you think of God's love? I think he loves me and You think he loves you and he does and we always think of God's love first in in the in the
19:30: I mode He loves me and that's wonderful. We're taught when we're brand -new baby
19:35: Christians that Jesus loved you so much. He died for you But that's not what
19:41: John 3 16 says Says he died for the world not for just you he died for his own
19:49: Now look at this he says very clearly I I Love all of my children not just me but what we do when we think of God's love we bring it into a small little scope and we think of ourselves and we
20:04: Don't realize that it goes out to all of his children as it speaks of in the first of this passage
20:10: Look back up at chapter 3 and verse 14 For this cause
20:17: I bow my knees and to the Father our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in heaven and in earth is named the family of God he loves his whole family and Sometimes it's kind of like we are
20:32: God's child and we focus on his love for us so much We forget that he loves his other kids But that's what this passage is teaching so very clearly the breadth of his love it extends out to all of his entire
20:45: Family throughout all of eternity throughout the places that are invisible in the places that are visible
20:53: And that's how broad his love is. Do you know what this does for us look down?
20:59: At chapter 4 just the first few verses realizing that there are no really really no chapter divisions in the original
21:06: Greek, of course in this letter. There's not a division here, but it goes right on in and continues to talk about the same thing but the first thing that I learned from the breadth of God's love is that there is a basis here for not judging my brother and There's also a basis for not being selfish
21:25: It says in chapter 4 verse 1 therefore the prisoner of the Lord I beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called with all lowliness and meekness and long -suffering forbearing one another in love
21:39: Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. There is one body Now do you see that it goes right on from this concept of of he's saying that he wants us to comprehend
21:52: God's love it goes right on and talks about unity in the church. It talks about the fact that there is one body
22:00: It talks about the fact of this lowliness and meekness and this servant attitude that the
22:05: Lord Jesus had That we are all supposed to have towards one another it all begins by realizing the breadth of God's love that he loves the one
22:12: Sitting next to you as much as he loves you Well, it's hard for us to remember because because don't aren't you like me in the sense?
22:19: Don't you feel like you're really God's favorite child? Don't you Okay, you don't raise your hands
22:27: Sit on your hands, but you know you feel that way But we have to be careful when we come together and realize that God yes
22:35: God does feel like you're his only favorite child. He really does think that about me, but he does about you, too
22:42: He thinks that about all of us and so we have to broaden our understanding of God's love
22:48: First of all, it becomes a basis for not judging thy brother Romans 14 9 says this
22:55: For this in Jesus Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be
23:01: Lord both of the dead and the living But why dost thou judge thy brother or why dost thou set it not what your brother's doing?
23:09: You just try to erase it by talking about him for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
23:20: We don't need to help each other in this area We don't need to help each other give an account for our weaknesses
23:27: We will do that ourselves as we each stand before Jesus Christ at the judgment seat of Christ So then let every one of us
23:35: We shall give account of himself to God Let us not therefore judge one another anymore because he is the judge that's the gist of this
23:42: But judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or occasion to fall in his brother's way
23:48: You know that sometimes when we focus on the negatives and we always do it from a good heart because since we're
23:54: God's favorite God Is using us to correct everyone else Cause them all to be like me if if I'm his favorite then if you can be more like me
24:02: He'll you know, he might like you a little bit more later, too so So it's my job to judge those things and to correct them and you know
24:09: What happens the more we grow in the Lord first of all, you find out you can't correct Does anyone in here ever tried to change an adult?
24:18: You know you struggle moms with the kids that's not easy, but you try to change an adult man You ladies here try to change a man
24:26: Man have you ever tried to change that wife or any woman? Adults don't change except by the
24:35: Holy Spirit God is changing us. He's in that business and it's the Holy Spirit's ministry
24:41: It is his ministry to do that work and he does do that work and it shows a lack of faith in him and his work when we try to do it and So the
24:50: Lord says one thing that will help us is to understand the breadth of God's love God loves the person sitting next to you as much as he loves you
24:58: So if he's worked in your life to bring you to this great state where you are today He loves him that much too.
25:04: He's gonna bring them to a state where he wants him to be and He will do that work now.
25:09: We're there to encourage and to edify We're there to build one another By the
25:15: Holy Spirit within us to do that work and so that we do work together with God I'm not saying we don't
25:21: But we need to be very careful that we don't do God's work For him the part that he wants to do and will do and so this breadth of his love it
25:30: Reassures us that God is working in the other He's working in the other brother and sister.
25:37: It's usually not on our timetable Is it we want the others to get up to this level now? God says
25:43: I'll get them there. But when I get them there, they'll stay they're not gonna go back. They'll stay there It may take longer
25:49: But it's the right way and it reassures us God the breadth of God's love reassures us that he is doing this work in Our brothers and sisters if you look in Romans 14 verse 4, it says who art thou that judges another man's servant?
26:04: No To his own master he standeth or falleth Yea, he shall be holding up as a matter of fact for God is able to make him stand
26:13: The gist of this little word is that why are we going to judge the brother or sister when they don't work for me?
26:19: They work for God They're not my servant. They're God's and so God is the one who should correct them
26:26: Now I will say once again, unless I know that it's difficult to communicate I'm speaking on this passage
26:32: So I'm not trying to negate other passages that teach that we're supposed to edify and encourage one another because God will use us to That end but usually it will be in a more of a positive way and our human nature sometimes tends to be the more negative style
26:48: And I don't think that's there for us I think we should let the Holy Spirit if he wants to whip one of our brothers and sister to get a good whooping
26:56: You moms have you ever had a situation where one of your siblings? Took it upon themselves to spank one of the other ones
27:02: Does that work very well? You leave them home tell the older one now you take care of these
27:08: I'm going to the store you come back What do you have screaming hollering? Now? I haven't learned this in my home. I've studied your homes.
27:14: That's how I know this Because that sibling tried to whoop the other sibling Doesn't work.
27:21: That's mom and dad's job. You see now. I hope Ben's not listening
27:26: Paul You might get in trouble next time So you stay you hear what dad said back off?
27:33: But anyway, we can see a pretty good illustration there for us Why do we judge another man's servant not our servant?
27:43: now It's interesting another thought this brings is that this understanding of the breadth of God's love
27:52: Would also be a basis to attack selfishness in my own life
27:58: And I'll show you what I mean by that if you if you're still there in Romans 14 you can look at verse 7
28:06: For none of us liveth to himself No man dieth to himself for whether we live or whether We live unto the
28:15: Lord whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore die We are the Lord's and so it's sometimes we think we're a mountain.
28:23: Sometimes we think we're an island and Yet God tells us that's not what we were put here.
28:29: We're not put here just to be unto Ourselves another good verse along these lines of 2nd
28:35: Corinthians 5 14 for the love of Christ Constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then we're all dead we count ourselves as Crucified crucify the self -life is what the teaching is and that he died for all that day
28:50: Which live should not henceforth forth live unto themselves But unto him which died for them and rose again if we understand the breadth of God's love it will cause us to be less
29:02: Selfish Philippians 2 4 says look not every man on his own things
29:09: Boy, that'd be a good one to put on our iceboxes, wouldn't it? But every man also on the things of others
29:16: You see we look about us this morning and we look at the brother and we say I didn't really realize
29:21: God loved you as Much as he does me, but I'm learning that this morning I don't like the way it feels but I will get used to it and That's what
29:29: God is saying. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others
29:35: Let this mind be in you which also is in Christ Jesus What kind of mind did Jesus have?
29:41: Well who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal to God, but he made himself of no reputation
29:47: He took upon himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men why
29:53: Because of the breadth of his love So we see the breadth of God's love.
29:58: We're also supposed to comprehend the length of it What is the length of God's love teach us? Turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter 7
30:10: God's love to you individually now and what we're also remembering is to our brothers and sisters sitting around us the length of his love
30:25: Doesn't ever begin Doesn't have a beginning point Because from our vantage point we have to say it starts we'll use that word, but it's an incorrect word but we have to say it starts in eternity past if you go back to a time before anything was a time before there was even an angel and And You go back to that time
30:51: Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 7 goes back to such a time because it says the Lord did not set his love upon you the word set
30:58: Is in the past perfect When and when you put perfect in the grammar what it means is a one -time act never to be repeated
31:08: So the grammar tells us that this is something that was set Back in eternity never to be done again because it doesn't need to be done again because it is true
31:18: And that is where God set his love upon you So he says the
31:23: Lord did not set his love upon you nor choose you because you were more in number than any people
31:28: You can extrapolate that out to our own lives and say God didn't choose us because we're stronger than anyone else
31:34: He didn't choose us because we're better. He didn't choose us because we're smarter. He didn't choose us because we had more faith
31:40: Because we didn't have any faith the flesh has zero faith if you have any faith today is because God gave it to you as a gift
31:46: So he didn't save us upon anything in and of us goes back to agape
31:52: Love is agape love based on the object of the love. No It's based on the one doing the love and that's
31:59: God so it had nothing to do with us It had all to do with him and it started in eternity past Past where he set his love upon us and he says well if it's not because of stuff
32:10: We did if it's not because we were good or faithful. Why was it he says because the
32:16: Lord loved you Now we can't understand that We we find it difficult to contemplate the fact that he loved us before the worlds were that he knew us
32:27: Individually those who are his you go back up to vision Ephesians 3 and 15 words talking about the family of God He knows he knows who his family is
32:37: There are those who will spend eternity in hell With Satan and his angels and they are not part of God's family
32:45: So he's not talking about those but those who are part of God's family if you get out to Eternity future and you look back.
32:52: It'll be easy to see who they were don't try to tell who they are now because you're not God We're to witness and love everyone and to give
33:01: God's love to everyone that we cross their path as the Holy Spirit leads us Because we don't know But you get out there you'll know
33:09: You'll look back. You'll see you know how you'll know because you'll look around and everybody there that's them God's family
33:16: Well from that vantage point allow yourselves to not use the human viewpoint for just a moment
33:23: But let's look at the divine viewpoint and go back to a place where there is no time Where the eternal
33:30: I am is there? He is not bound by time. He's not bound by our conventions and He is the father and he does know who his children are and he already loves them.
33:43: Isn't that amazing? He's loved you from that time. So doesn't that help you to understand that is not based on the stuff you're doing next week
33:53: His love doesn't rise and fall with what you do and you know, what else doesn't rise and fall for your brother either
33:58: And that's why we're not supposed to judge him. It's not based on what he's doing or not doing, right? We don't have to help him be loved more by God Because God has an eternal love the length of God's love goes back to a place where there's no starting point
34:13: It's always been as long as God has been his love for you individually if you're part of his family today
34:20: Has been forever I'll tell you this you may be sitting here today saying well,
34:26: I'm not part of his family Does that mean he'll never love me or he doesn't love me? Are you concerned about that?
34:34: If you are you know what there's a reason it's because he's chasing you He's after you and you know what he teaches us.
34:42: He's not gonna let you go If you're here today and you've never received
34:47: Jesus as your own He's after you You might tell him no today
34:56: You know what You'll be thinking about it And he'll chase you down He says that he's like a groom.
35:06: He's like the bridegroom. It works kind of like the man Finds the one he loves and she has no clue yet She doesn't love him and he looked at him and he's already figuring out a way to cause her to love him
35:19: He pursues her he woos her He follows her around he gives her flowers.
35:25: He calls her on the phone. He even confronts her dad's gun collection And my
35:31: I have a bat collection, too And he's foolish in that sense, but he's fearless as well
35:43: So that's a beautiful picture of how the Lord Goes after those who are his
35:48: But this love by the way comes from eternity past Ephesians 1 4 says according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world 2nd
36:01: Thessalonians 2 13 says but we are bound to give thanks always to God for you brethren beloved of the
36:07: Lord because God hath From the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the
36:13: Spirit and belief belief of the truth Where unto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our
36:21: Lord Jesus Christ Why because you were better stronger more faithful know because he loved you from eternity past And you want to know what the real reason is?
36:31: I better be careful. I might preach Myron sermon. It's really because he loved himself He loved himself so much that he had children do you ever do that in the physical world?
36:43: You Said Charlotte, let's have children. Why well, we didn't even know the kids. We weren't doing it for them
36:48: We were doing it for us. We want to have kids so we can love them God's love comes from himself not because of us but it goes to us and we sure enjoy the advantages of it.
37:00: Don't we? As we look at the length of his love it comes from eternity past it comes down to the present in first Peter 2 9
37:08: It says but you are a chosen generation a royal priesthood a holy nation of peculiar people
37:13: That you should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness
37:19: Into his marvelous light there comes a point in time, even though he's loved you for all eternity
37:25: There's a point in time when he calls you out of the darkness that you grew up in you're born into this world in the physical
37:31: World into the flesh you're living a life of the flesh You are not a child of the devil and never have been but you certainly were his servant and you served him with everything you had and There came a place just like with Paul on that road where he called you and you looked up and said
37:47: Lord What would you have me to do and you got saved that day? You got saved that day and all of a sudden he brought you out of great darkness
37:55: Into his marvelous light and his love came into the present tense in your life Which in time past you were not a people it's like you didn't even exist
38:06: But you are now a people which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy
38:12: So it comes from eternity past Into the present and it goes on out at least as far as the second coming because Ephesians Chapter 4 verse 37 says grieve not the
38:23: Holy Spirit of God whereby you are sealed Until the day of redemption But you know what it goes beyond that because in Romans chapter 8
38:34: This beautiful passage that starts with about verse 35 It says yea, we're more than conquerors through him that loved us for I'm persuaded that neither life
38:45: Death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come
38:51: This now takes us out the other end To a never -ending place We started in a place where there's no time
38:59: God's love for you started in that place It comes down into time to the place where he called you into himself and you heard the call and you said
39:06: Lord What would you have me to do and you got born again at that moment? It goes right on to his second coming where he says he is in the
39:13: Holy Spirit is sealed within you until the day of Redemption, but it goes right on out past that into a place where there's no time
39:21: Eternity because it says neither things to come nor height nor depth nor any other
39:26: Creation of God shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
39:32: Lord first Peter chapter 1 verse 4 says that Christ has come and he saved us to an inheritance and Corruptible undefiled that fadeth not away this reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God Not by your own power by his power through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time
39:53: That's what's waiting for you an inheritance. So his love the length of it. You can't measure it
40:00: Why can't you measure it? It starts in a place that you can't comprehend It starts in a place before time began
40:06: Starts in a place before there were any angels before there was a world before there were stars before there was anything but God himself and he already loved you by name he knew you by name and loved you and There came a place in time where he called you into himself
40:21: And if that hasn't happened to you yet and you're sitting here this morning and you're thinking about it And it means something to you.
40:27: It could be now may have already happened in the last 10 minutes It can happen in your car on the way home it can happen in your bed tonight
40:39: It'll happen when he's ready for it to happen, but you know what you'll be ready to It's like the bridegroom in the bride
40:47: The marriage isn't gonna happen unless she says I will is it so you're gonna say that before it happens
40:54: He's gonna say will you marry me? Will you let me be your life? Will you let your life be all about me the rest of your life?
41:02: And there's gonna come a moment when you see the sense in it You'll ask yourself. Well How good have
41:08: I done being Lord of my own life? I've done a very good job Then she's gonna be no Will I do a good enough job?
41:16: I mean the day I die my heart stops beating am I gonna be powerful enough to raise myself up and take myself to heaven?
41:24: Not a very good Lord. Am I? and you'll say I do I will I'll marry you and That was what he was pursuing the whole time and that is just the beginning of an unbelievable life
41:36: In fact eternal life it goes on out Starts where there's no time goes right on through time goes out the other end and goes forever.
41:44: What a length of his love But he didn't stop there.
41:49: He talked about the depth This takes us to the depth to which God went to fat to the fathoms of the depths of our sin
41:59: He loved us so much that even when we were dead and trespasses and sins Even when we were children of wrath by nature
42:08: Even when we were aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel Even when we were strangers from the covenants of promise without hope without God in the world far off He loved us
42:21: He brought us to the place that even while we can read about this in Ephesians chapter 2 if you want to chapter 2
42:27: Verses 1 through 6 and then verses 12 through 19 talks about this whole thing even when we were dead
42:33: He loved us so much. He quickened us by the blood He raised us together and we are seated in the heavenlies in Christ Even though by nature we were the children of wrath
42:44: He has made us to be the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus and partakers of the divine nature
42:49: Even though we were aliens we find ourselves Adopted sons part of the household of the family of God, even though we were strangers
42:58: We find that we are friends of Jesus Christ, even though we were without hope the Bible says having hope
43:04: We now live and even though we were without God in the world The Bible now says that our body is the temple of the
43:10: Living God And even though we were far off the Bible says he has made us nigh by the blood of Christ So we see that the depth of his love
43:22: Goes even into the depths of our sin that we had Before we were saved and he brought us out of it out of his darkness
43:31: Into such marvelous light and lastly he says contemplate and understand comprehend the height of God's love now
43:39: Listen, you may not get here today You may already be here today
43:46: But if you get to this place You'll be so far above things of this world. You won't have to think about rules
43:53: You won't have to think about law You won't have to think about anything except the one you're looking at and that's
44:01: Jesus's face Because the height of his love will take you even in this time period
44:07: I'm not saying this where you go when you die or when the rapture happens This is for now or he wouldn't be praying that the father would give this to us now
44:14: There is a way that you right now in this physical body in this life of cares the world and all the things we're involved in Can be transported by his love to the height of his love and Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power
44:35: That work is in us. That's the dunamis He prayed that we would have strength of this power and one of the things this power is supposed to do in our lives is
44:43: To lift us far above this earth to a place where we were literally seated with Christ in the heavenlies right now
44:50: That is your position Now whether or not you let that be reality depends on you It depends on if you count it to be so each day or not
44:58: But it is in fact what God said your position is. Do you believe him? You see it all comes back to faith, doesn't it?
45:07: If God says you're seated in the heavenlies in Christ, you either believe it or not If you believe it you live like it if you don't believe it you live according to the world and the powers of the flesh
45:17: But he says now unto him that is able to do abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that work
45:24: Within us and to him be glory in the church By Christ Jesus throughout all ages world
45:30: Without end in Ephesians 1 3 he talks about the fact That we blessed be the
45:36: God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly places or the
45:42: Greek says in the heavenlies That's the height of his love In verse 19, it says and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe his dunamis?
45:54: The power to us what is this power according to the working of his mighty power? Which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead.
46:02: That's the power but that's not where it stops It says he also set him at his own right hand in heavenly places
46:10: So we are not only Dead in Christ We are not only resurrected in Christ.
46:17: We are risen in Christ and we are at in Christ in the heavenly places
46:24: Far above all principality all these demons we worry about and rightfully so they're powerful
46:30: But we're far above the demons the principalities far above the powers and might and dominions
46:36: And every name that is named not only in this world But also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet.
46:43: That's our Jesus and Gave him to be the head over all things to the church Which is the body the fullness of him that filleth all in all and we are in him
46:53: We are in him positionally Chapter 2 of Ephesians verse 5 says he hath quickened us together with Christ It also says in verse 6.
47:03: He has raised us up together and made us to sit together in About the other end
47:10: We think about the power of his love But the amazing thing is we think about the height of his love
47:18: It extends all the way to the throne in the heavenlies It's far above all the worries and cares of the world and that in itself is powerful
47:27: He told us we need to comprehend that and when we do we'll be filled with the fullness of God Let's stand and have prayer together
47:39: Let's have an invitation today if someone would come and play something for us in just a moment
47:46: We'll have a word of prayer together and then if the Lord Leads you to come and spend some time in worship before him at this altar
47:54: Or if you want to come and make some dedication of your life to him only if he leads
48:02: And you're free to do that dear father we Thank you for your word.
48:07: We thank you have moves our lives but we thank you for your love, which was focused upon today in Sunday school and in the service and It is the thing that is the greatest.
48:17: It's listed as the greatest of all the gifts It's listed as that one which will last when all the others cease
48:25: And father we thank you that you've given us Agape love which came from you which we do not have in and of ourselves and you've caused us and required us to Comprehend it and think about it and understand what it is and to have it in our lives that we might be
48:40: Spirit -filled and full with the fullness of God. Thank you that you give us this opportunity You give us this ability you empower us with this power and father
48:51: We ask that it might be used in our lives by you as we go out of this place even while we're here
48:56: But as we go out into this world that we would be the light and the salt that we're supposed to be that we would carry the love of Jesus Christ out into the world with us and Father we pray that we could see others saved.
49:10: We pray we could see homes put back together by this power We could see marriages put back together.
49:15: We could see children raised properly with the right kind of love. We could see the world changed Because you place this power within each one of us individually.
49:24: So help us each to go out Individually this week and be used in your hand
49:31: Father if there's any that anyone that needs to come and just spend some time with you lead us all to do So according to your will and we ask it in Jesus name.