15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Everywhere you go it seems that evil is on the rise and good is disappearing.
It seems the church is constantly giving ground to the world around us.
It may make us wonder what is truly in control of it all.
Paul wrote this to help us understand where our grounding is in....our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
God continues to work things out in us.
Paul pointed out their trust in God, and their love toward each other (the saints).
So Paul prays for them
1. Spirit of wisdom to be given them by God so that they might truly know him. Therefore their lives are changed and led by him.
2. Spirit of revelation for them. So they might truly know who God is.
Paul wants their hearts open to all of whom God is.
He wants them to see
1. The hope
- Future focused
- God provides for believers all they need
- Looking to eternal glory
- Better than anything we might gain in this world
- This inheritance is glorious
- This is not future focused but here and now
- His (God's) inheritance in us.
- God has his inheritance in us now.
- We are his and he finds us glorious in Christ.
- God sees us as his children covered in the blood of Christ. Forgiven and much loved and desired by God. We are his inheritance.
- Immeasurable greatness of his power
- This is what will bring about that hope and finish the inheritance of God
- It works in us who believe in Christ
- This same power that brought Jesus up from the dead ones
- God takes us from death to life....spiritually as he lives in us. And as he lives in the church.
- Our hope is grounded in Christ
- The power at work in me is the power of Christ. It is not mine, it is his. I am his body. He is my head.
- Jesus Christ in in control of everything....God put him in charge.
- He provides for all our true needs. He builds the church. He creates and calls and provides and builds, it is his job and we are his body living out our lives in the light of that.
We need to pray that we receive these three things and that we can live out his calling in our lives.
84 I Sing the Mighty Power of God
368 My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less
Hymn # 11 Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
#302 Have thine own way Lord
Hymn # 140 Rejoice, the Lord Is King
Hymn # 332 Lead on, O King, Eternal
Hymn # 546 Glory Be to the Father