Prayer and the Lordship of Christ

1. Prayer and the Lordship of Christ Truth, Judgment and Eternity Ephesians 1:15-23

2. Introduction to 1:15-23 • The Book of Ephesians is called the High Ground of the New Testament. • The letter was written by Paul as a circular letter designed for all the churches in Asia Minor. • In the previous section of chapter 1 we studied the mystery of the Gospel: • Elected by the Father (1:3-6) • Redeemed by the Son (1:7-10) • Sealed by the Spirit (1:11-14)

3. Unending Thanks & Prayer • Ephesians 1:15-16 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” • Paul had heard about their faith in Christ and their love for each other. • Are we known by our love for each other (brethren) and our faith in Christ? • Our primary concern should be for the brethren. • When Paul heard about their love and faith he never stopped thanking God for them. • Do we thank God continually and pray because of the faithfulness of Christians in our community or abroad?

4. Wisdom and Revelation • Ephesians 1:17 “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” • The Holy Spirit here is referred to as Wisdom (Is. 11:2) and Revelation (1Cor. 2:10) • Paul here reveals that for us to get to know the Father better that He needs to give us wisdom and revelation in relation to Him. • Let’s pray for this now upon us and the Church of Christ.

5. Eyes of the Heart • Ephesians 1:18-19 “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” • Here Paul is praying for the eyes of our heart to be enlightened, not the eyes of our mind. • Remember Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

6. Three Petitions • I drew from Chuck Missler’s study on the book of Ephesians: • 1) The hope of His calling. • 2) His Inheritance in the Saints. Jesus sees us as • A treasure of incomparable worth! Matt 10:31 • A heritage. Matt 25:34 • A people for God’s own possession Titus 2:14, 1Peter 2:9 • 3) Incomparably Great Power • Paul points what this power is in the following versus.

7. His Inheritance • the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints • Chuck Missler points out: We have an inheritance in Christ, but do we realise that He has an inheritance in us. We are His inheritance. • We are His inheritance John 17 repeated references to “those you have given me.” • We are His body Eph 1:22-23 • Building Eph 2:19-22 • And bride Eph 5:22-23 • Joint Heirs with Christ Rom 8:17

8. Those You have given Me • John 17:2 “For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.” • John 17:6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.” • John 17:9 “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.” • John 17:24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”

9. Energy of Dynamite • Ephesians 1:19b-20 “That power is like the working of his mighty strength,” • The word “power” comes from the Greek word dynameōs, from which we derive the word dynamite. And the word “working” comes from the Greek word energeian which means: working, action, productive work, activity; in the NT, confined to superhuman activity • Activity that can only be accomplished by God’s power. • We can’t raise the dead, only God can do that.

10. Power to Raise Christ • Ephesians 1:19b-20 “That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,” • That power is not only resurrection power but it’s the power to place Jesus above all things and seat Him at the right hand of God • Philippians 3:10 “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection”

11. The Right Hand of God • A place of distinction Heb 1:3 • Of privilege Heb 1:13 • Of power Mt 26:64 • Of delight Ps 16:11 • Of dominion 1Pet 3:22

12. Far Above • Ephesians 1:21 “Far above all principality, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:” (More literal/KJV) • The Greek word for principality is arxḗ – which means, from the beginning, i.e. "the initial (starting) point"; and therefore is chief (foremost), i.e. has the priority because He is ahead of the rest ("preeminent"). • Arxḗ is referring to Jesus being above anything that ever was created from the beginning of all time. • The Word for authority comes from the Greek word eksousía which is delegated empowerment usually in the earthly realm. • He is above any delegated authority, in the sense of government, religious or any other kind of position on earth.

13. Far Above • The word for power is dynameōs which is where we get the word dynamite. • So Jesus is above all the combined power, that the universe can generate, nuclear, electrical, atomic every kind of energy. • The Greek word for dominion is kyriotētos which is divine or angelic lordship, it is usually used with reference to a celestial hierarchy. • In this, Jesus is above every celestial being in the Heavens; there is not an angel in heaven who will not bow to Jesus Christ.

14. All in All • Ephesians 1:22-23 “1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” KJV • Hebrews 2:8 “He put everything under his feet. In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.” NIV • At present not everything is subject to Jesus, even though He holds the keys to both death and hades.

15. All in All • 1Corinthians 15:24-28 “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” KJV

16. All in All • So this chapter ends by giving us understanding that all things are under Christ, and He is on the throne of God, with all things under His feet, but yet awaits a time when the world will be subject to Him, but the Son will be subject to noone but to the Father, and God will be all in all.