Ephesians 3:14-21

February 23, 2022

Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 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. 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. 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.


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. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.


Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT

  • What does this teach us about God?

    • God is our creator (v15)
    • God blesses us with His Spirit (v16)
    • The Holy Spirit dwells within us (v16)
    • Christ dwells in our hearts through faith (v17)
    • God's love strengthens us (v17)
    • Christ's love surpasses all knowledge (v19)
    • God's thoughts are different from our thoughts (v19)
    • God's ability & power are unlimited (v20)
    • Jesus is the main character (v21)

  • What does this teach us about people/ourselves?

    • Our posture before God is a reflection of awe and reverence (v14)
    • Our strength comes from the Spirit that is within us (v16)
    • We have the Spirit of God within us (v17)
    • We received Christ through faith, not by works (v17)
    • Our foundation is the love of God (v17)
    • We are not alone in our walk with Jesus (v18)

  • By God's grace, how will you obey?

    • Be mindful of how we approach God both in our hearts and in our posture
    • Pray for inner strength, that God would use the Spirit that already dwells within us
    • Think outside the box, go BIG
    • Seek out and grow through community
    • Treat everyone like the image-bearer of God that they are
    • Go to church!
    • The word of God is for EVERYONE. Don't keep it a secret!

Prayer: Heavenly Father God, creator of everything in Heaven and on Earth, we thank you for being a firm foundation in which our lives can take root. We thank you for your love which nourishes us. We thank you for sacrificing your only Son for the forgiveness of our sins who makes his home in our hearts, not because we did anything to earn it, but because we trusted in him. We thank you for sending us a Spirit that dwells within us, complete us, empower us, and gives us strength. We pray that we would be sensitive to the Spirit that is already at work in our hearts so that we will obediently chase the wonderful things that you have planned for us. We pray that you would increase our wisdom and faith for the sake of your kingdom and your glory forever and ever! Amen.

OVERTIME


Congratulations, today you get to be a tree! Your two functions as a tree are to 1) grow strong and 2) bear fruit so that more trees can grow. First and foremost we need to make sure we are a seed that fell in good soil (see Matthew 13:23). From there we can take root in a nourishing foundation and ultimately produce good fruit.



Before you continue take a moment to review the Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed in Matthew 13:1-23.

  • Foundation and Roots

    In Paul's prayer for spiritual growth he uses this imagery of being rooted in God's love. It says, "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." (v17)


    The Greek word used here is rhizoō which is the verb tense of "root" that means to be 'established', 'fixed', or 'thoroughly grounded'. Paul uses this same tense one other time Colossians 2:6-7a (NLT):


    "And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him."


    A tree's roots have two important functions: 

    1. They anchor the tree in the soil so that it's leaves are elevated and exposed to the sun.
    2. They absorb water and minerals from the earth that the tree uses to make food and proteins for everything else.

    Similarly, when Christ makes his home in our hearts and we take root in God's love those roots serve a similar purpose.

    1. They anchor us so that we are not captivated by the empty philosophies (Colossians 2:8).
    2. They give us access to the "inner strength" that is the Spirit that dwells within us (Ephesians 3:16).

    God has UNLIMITED resources that you have access to through the power of the Spirit that already dwells within you! Root yourself in God’s love and trust in His strength!

  • Branches and Fruit

    We know that we are rooted in God's love and those roots serve as the anchor that holds up the tree, supporting the leaves and fruit and the branches.


    We read above that "Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him" (Eph. 3:17a). Trust is not something you do once and you're done. While there is a moment in time when you decide to trust someone, that trust is cultivated as that relationship grows. We are all confronted with a moment in time when we can choose to trust in Jesus, but that's not where things end, that's where it all begins!


    In John 15 we read where Jesus says he wants us to "abide" (ESV) in him. In other words he wants us "to continue to be present" with him. That sounds like more than a one-and-done moment in time to me! Let's take a look a closer look at John 15:


    "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." (v5-7 ESV)


    We are rooted in God's love. Those roots are strengthen by the Spirit we receive because Christ has made his home in us. Christ is the vine that sustains the branches. As our relationship with Jesus grows some branches will be pruned, and others will bear fruit.


    In John 15 Jesus says that if we abide in him that we may, "ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." In Ephesains 3 Paul says that God has unlimited resources (v16) and is able to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think (v20). 


    "Do you know why I often ask Christians, 'What's the biggest thing you've asked God for his week?' I remind them that they are going to God, the Father, the Maker of the Universe. The One who holds the world in His hands. What did you ask for? Did you ask for peanuts, toys, trinkets, or did you ask for continents?" -Dawson Trotman, found of the Navigators


    What did you ask for?