Ephesians 1 15-23

Okay, hopefully most of you received my text this morning, Ephesians chapter 1. Let's start with verse 15. Because of this I also hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and the love unto all the saints have not ceased giving thanks in your behalf making mention of you in my prayers. We'll stop there and go back to the first phrase. I sent you a question. Because of this I also hearing. Because of what? He's referring to something and it's so important to understand his heart. What do you think he's referring back to? Because of this I also hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for the saints. What had he just been talking about? Go back to verse 13. What is he thinking about? Why this particular people? Why is he writing them? Where is his confidence, his connecting point with them? Let's look at verse 13 again. In whom also you hearing the word of the truth the gospel of your salvation and in whom also you believing you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. And because of this I also hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and the love for all the saints do not cease giving thanks for you. You know Paul didn't feel that way about everybody. You'd like to feel that every way that way about everybody but there are those that you can look at and you're just so thankful for what God's doing in their lives. And there's others you just look at and you are burdened. You're just hoping that they will get it someday. That their eyes will be opened. Because when someone has come to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus it set Paul's heart on fire. Just like Jesus said there's more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over a hundred or thousand righteous men who don't need to repent. And Paul hearing of the faith of these people for them not for everyone. Every time I think of you I give thanks. You know that's just the way it is expressed by several writers in the New Testament. Think with me. Can you think of anything else that sounds similar? I'll get your help. John says something like this. I have no greater. Can you finish that? What is it? Joy than what? Than to hear my children walking in the truth. To an apostle who loved the Lord Jesus Christ. He never had a greater connection with people than to see they loved Jesus too. Remember even our Lord himself in John chapter 17. He says father I'm not praying for the world but I'm praying for those you have given me out of the world. They were yours and you gave them to me and I am praying for them. That's Paul had this in his heart. If we're gonna experiment with something if Ruth can help me back there. I'm gonna ask her to pull up 1st Thessalonians chapter 2. If you want to turn with me there 1st Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 19. Paul kind of expresses this in other places. It's kind of common that he felt this way about the people who loved Jesus like he did. This is in 1st Thessalonians chapter 2 and I believe it's verse 19. For this for no for who is our hope and the joy of our crown are boasting. Is it not you who before our Lord Jesus in whom at his appearing you are our glory and joy. And that's the way I want to feel. I want to look out here and those of you who are loving Jesus my heart leaps. I'd like it to feel that way about everybody but not everybody gets it. And there's a special connection when spirit, when people love the Lord. In that same in that same book 1st Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 8. 1st Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 8. Paul says because now I live since you are standing firm in the Lord. That's the joy. That's what he was saying to the Ephesians. That's what he's saying does. Boy hearing about your faith in the Lord and and and your love for all the Saints. I never cease giving thanks for you. And I make mention in my prayers all the time of this. Because I have such a connection with you through through this. And he goes on to say making mention of you my prayers because of this identity. This identity. What binds all of us together here is our mutual love for one another. When you love the Lord Jesus suddenly the people that are most important you are other believers in the Lord Jesus. That you becomes that becomes your life. You lose the ability to fully relate to in the same way those who are not followers of Lord Jesus Christ. But when you have come to love the Lord Jesus and his spirit resides in you. You are drawn to fellowship with and share life with those who have the spirit of the Lord Jesus in them. That's your identity. And that's why Paul can say to the Ephesians here. Man I never cease giving thanks for you. And making mention of you always in my prayers. And then what does he do? What what does he say? He then begins to describe what he makes mention right there in verse 17. And he says he makes mention of them in in his prayers in order that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. Question time to see if you're paying attention. Who is Paul praying to? In order that it's in order that the person he prays to he's going to address. Who? Distinctly yes you're on track that's it. In the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. The God of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father of glory. So who is he praying to? He's not praying to Jesus. He's praying to the Father. The God of our Lord Jesus Christ. Do you remember that Jesus said it's good for you if you knew where I was going I'm going back to the Father and if you knew if you knew that I were going back to the Father you would rejoice for the Father is greater than I. That throws some people off because they think there's an equality but yet Jesus said his entire time on the earth what did what did he say? Who was the one speaking through him? The Father. Who was the one doing the works through him? And why was he here? He wasn't here for his own glory he was here to make the Father known. And do you remember there was a time he even said about his disciples praying there's coming a time when you're not going to ask me anything. Right now you've asked for nothing in my name but now I'm gonna say you're gonna ask the Father in my name. I'm not saying I'm gonna ask for you. He says you're going to ask the Father in my name because the Father himself loves you because you have loved me. So who do we pray to? I'm not telling you that if you've been praying to Jesus he's not heard you. But when Jesus taught us to pray when his disciples asked him Lord teach us to pray what did he begin with? Our Father. We pray to the Father he told the people when you pray enter into your closet and pray to the Father who sees in secret. And the Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly. Paul is praying to God the Father for the Ephesians. He's the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and he is the Father of glory. Jesus said very clearly that the Son has no glory in himself. The glory he had he said was given to him by the Father. Ruth can you pull up John chapter 17 you're gonna turn there John chapter 17 the first and second verse. Let's look there if someone gets their head in me you go right ahead and read first John 17 you have to read it nice and loud. Yeah and he verse 5 Larry would you read verse 5? So the who the Father has chosen to share his glory with the Son. But who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead? The Father did. Who sent Jesus into the world? The Father did. So the Jesus said that all may worship the Father and and the Son because the Father has granted that the Son would have glory. A glory he shares with the Father. But notice when Paul prays here in Ephesians chapter 1 that he's his prayers are to the God and Father of our Lord the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the glorious Father. And then what does he pray? All right in order that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give to you and to you in Texas it'd be give to y'all we give to your plural not to the individual to those in the Church of Ephesus because Paul's praying for all the believers in the Church of Ephesus that's his heart to all of you this is what he prayed that God may give to all of you a spirit of wisdom and revelation. Now why did he why did he specify a spirit of wisdom and revelation? A spirit of wisdom evidently that's not the only kind of wisdom there is. Who could what that what another type of wisdom? Earthly wisdom the wisdom of men the wisdom that's taught the wisdom that comes by information the wisdom that you can make put in a logical sequence and A plus B equals C therefore C minus B equals A that's wisdom it comes from the mind of men but not this that's not what Paul's praying there is a wisdom that doesn't come from information it's a spirit the of God giving spiritual wisdom. Can you pull up for us Ruth back there 1st Corinthians chapter 2 and we're gonna go through verses 1 through 16 I think it's most of the most of the chapter 1st Corinthians chapter 2 verses 1 to 16 now in this engaging atmosphere you have to be bold enough to interrupt me without thinking I'm gonna junk you I welcome your comment and your questions so just I'll encourage it's something you're gonna have to get used to okay but that's alright we'll get you used to it 1st Corinthians chapter 2 and I'm reading from the Greek so that it's if it's a little bit different than your then what your version is it's gonna be close but I'm just translating it as I go and I also coming towards you brethren came not to you with some exceeding excessive word of wisdom announcing to you the testimony of God for I for I judged not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and this one crucified and I came in weakness and in fear and in much trembling when I became among you and the in my word which I preached was not in persuasive words of wisdom that's too much preaching and too much Sunday school teaching and too much writing of books is words of persuasive wisdom it's logical it's factual it's information I believe Jesus Christ died I believe he rose from the dead I believe he's coming again I'm a Baptist I don't drink I don't smoke and I don't run around with those who do and they got it you've given them all the facts what spirit have you given if you've given spiritual wisdom those are facts sometimes they're good facts and Paul says but my but I didn't give you words in my preaching were not a persuasive words of wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and power in order that your faith might not rest on look at this the wisdom of men I do not want your faith to rest upon what I know and what I've learned by studying I don't want your faith to rest upon that because that's not going to sustain you you your faith needs to be on the wisdom of God and God is spirit and God's wisdom will be spiritual given to your spirit not on the wisdom of man but on the power of God but he does say verse six but we do speak a message of wisdom among the mature a wisdom that the that this age or the rulers of this stage did not understand but we speak of God's secret wisdom a mystery that has been hidden which God for ordained for the ages unto our glory so there is a wisdom that's hidden to the world hidden to the rulers of the world that's the wisdom the spirit of wisdom that Paul is praying to be given to the Ephesians it's not natural it's not in this age none of the rulers of this age understood it for if they had known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory verse 9 of their Ephesians chapter 2 verse 9 but according to what is written no I have seen you're not going to see this wisdom with your eyes no mind is conceived or no ear is heard neither has the heart of man no one has ascertained to it that which God has prepared for those who love him so this is a wisdom you will never get in your natural self you're not going to get it from a man you're not going to get it from a preacher you're not going to get it from me you're not going to get it from Tom you're not going to get it from Yolanda de los Santos you're not going to get it from Rachel mean you're not going to get it from our teachers this wisdom only comes from God it's spiritual in nature no human eye has seen no ear has heard it's never entered the mind of man verse 10 but to us God has uncovered it that's the word revealed he's uncovered it God has to uncover what God has hidden God has hidden it for a reason remember what Jesus says I praise you father you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and you've uncovered it to babes God covers things and he uncovers things to the proud you know what he does he covers to those who cry out humbly and broken who need him he uncovers God that's just his ways are not our ways for to us God has uncovered because of the spirit for the spirit searches all things even the deep things of God verse 11 for who know who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of a man within him and accordingly the things of God no one knows except the Spirit of God and we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit from God in order that we may know the things that have freely been given to us by him which things we speak not in teachings of men using wise words see again it's not going to be in some logical explanation academic clear words of men here you're taught it now you got the facts okay put it together you got it no it's not gonna be like that it's not that way he goes on verse 13 again the things we speak they're not in teachings of men using wise words and but but by but by the teachings of the spirit explaining spiritual truths to spiritual men that's how I like to interpret that you can only explain spiritual truths to spiritual men because you know what the next verse is because the person without the spirit he can't understand spiritual things without the spirit spiritual things are foolish they don't make sense so what what what we need to get gather from this is the reason Paul is praying for the Ephesians that God give them a spirit of wisdom is because it's only something God can give and he's not necessarily giving it to the mind he's breathing it through his spirit into their spirit all right let's go back to Ephesians okay back to Ephesians there chapter 1 that that verse again 17 in order that that that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give to you a spirit of wisdom and uncovering I like that word revelation it's literally mean he's gonna he's gonna pull back the covers and let you see and this was so much Paul's heart keep your finger there and flip over me flip over with me to Colossians chapter 2 another letter that Paul wrote to the Church of Colossae Colossians chapter 2 and I'm gonna start right at the very first of Colossians chapter 2 verse 1 Colossians 2 1 for I desire for you to know how great of an agony I have concerning you and those in Laodicea and as many as have not actually seen my face in the flesh in order that they their hearts may be encouraged being knit together in love unto the riches of the complete assurance of understanding unto the the knowledge or the full knowledge of the mystery of God see there's a mystery of God and what is the mystery of God in Christ is this mystery of God in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge God has hidden from the eyes of the world all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in his Son and you know what that means for us not a single one of us will ever know them that do not learn them from Jesus and in Jesus and by the Spirit of God giving them to us now back to Ephesians let's look at something else something interesting that goes right along with what Paul's building here at verse 17 again in order that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give you a spirit of wisdom uncovering in thee knowledge of him now look up here knowledge you see what we know about this word epigenosco I like I for a long time I would translate that as full knowledge but that's not completely accurate it's it I am so grateful for the men that God used to study his language and dig into it and provide for us the deep meanings of this work is this word knowledge is this is the this is what I want you to get its first hand its contact knowledge so it's not something I can even give you a second hand you gotta get it from your own personal contact with God you're never gonna get it all you get from me here second-hand knowledge I tell you about it you have to actually encounter God himself to get it it's relational it's direct it's experiential it's comprehensive it's accurate and the reason God must give it is that's who he is you just doesn't come in an academic setting it doesn't the spirit works in settings like this as we gather the spirit works and and gives us insight through messages but I like what Paul told Timothy Paul told Timothy some things that the hard-working farmer should be the first to enjoy the fruit of his labor and that no soldier serves at his own expense you know he's paid so that he could devote himself to defending the fulfilling his duty and then he tell Paul tells him meditate on these things and the Lord will give you insight see Paul spoke Paul gave him something to think about but Paul knew it's only God who gives the insight so I don't want you getting all your insight from God for me I want you to have your own personal encounter and that is what Paul is praying for the Ephesians that God may give to each of you the spirit of wisdom and uncovering in your own dynamic firsthand personal encounter with him you know it you know it not secondhand it was a guy named Gilbert Olinger I was a young believer attending the Church of the Lord Jesus at Brownwood Texas and he had this song till I know you for myself I'll never really know and part of this song says I don't want to depend upon another guy's salvation I just want to depend on a you and me relation until I know you for myself I'll never and let me tell you a difference I was raised in this church sitting in these pews listening to someone doing what I'm doing smoking my pot drinking my beer snorting my rails going to West Texas finding peyote I doing it all I was hearing all about Jesus I knew Jesus I knew Bible verses I'd been to all the Sunday school classes but I didn't know Jesus no personal firsthand dynamic contact and until I met Jesus Christ in that way I just was around I was influenced by the people around me not and then I met him in a real in dynamic way and that's what Paul's wanting for the Ephesians he's wanting them to for God and them to meet in their own dynamic intimate way so back there at Ephesians chapter 1 now notice this verse 18 I'll read 17 and 18 together again just try to keep us in context in order that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the father of glory might give to you a spirit of wisdom and uncovering in your own personal firsthand contact your own relationship with him having the eyes of your heart enlightened what do you know about that and that's strange when we talk about eyes we talked about having eyes where in your head wait a minute what's he talking about eyes of the heart what are you gonna see with the eyes of your heart spiritual things what do you see with the eyes in your head natural things we just read earlier I the eyes in the head have not seen the things that God has hidden for our glory if you're gonna see these treasures if you're gonna see these things that have been hidden you're gonna have to see them with the eyes of your heart in the heart is your inner man where your spirit is and Paul is going to talk a lot about that in this letter of the Ephesians that the eyes of our heart but what does he say about the eyes of our heart because I very important I the eyes are very important one of the things Jesus said about the eye is the eye is the lamp of the body and if your eye is single your whole body will be full of light but if your eye is evil or if your eyes are dark how great is that darkness so what does it mean what is Paul saying and I want you to think with me what is he meaning by he's praying that the eyes of our heart be enlightened I want you to think about light with me this is this is a this is something that I would encourage you to do more and more here's what you do with these eyes these eyes give you observation that's what they these eyes the eyes of your heart give you meditation what you see the problem with to work with a lot of us is we live by what we see with our eyes the eyes of our head and not the eyes of our heart the eyes of our heart are going to see the spiritual hidden treasures that God himself must bring to light that's what Paul saying that the eyes of your heart being enlightened later on in the same book we're going to see that Paul says in his light we see light it's like that very much so and we're going to get into that they let you see things that many natural men and women religious people even never seen things that are more real with yes the things we see with our eyes are real but there is there is a realm not visible with human eyes it is just as real the realm of the spirit but it takes light to see something I think about like think about versus it like what comes to your mind that's what I do I think about what what what did your heart may be enlightened that takes light to enlighten something what do you think what does it make you think what there are and Jesus said I am the light of the world he who follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life in him was life and that life was what the light of men and the light shines in the darkness the light the true light that light is every man is coming into the world how are the eyes of our heart how do they have to be enlightened there's only one person who is light actually it's a mystery God is light and Jesus said I am the light of the world and he talks about in we'll read it in chapter 4 of this same letter that we're not to live like the Gentiles because it says the Gentiles are are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their heart no we're not supposed to have a darkened understanding we're supposed to have a God illuminated spiritual wisdom and understanding so how do the eyes of our heart have to be enlightened God's presence must enlighten them God himself reveals them God gives the light I can't give you the light I can talk about the light I can remind you of what has been said about the light but if you want to see light is there a verse in the Bible can you think of something with me is there a way that we can actually see light that has something to do with the response on our part didn't Jesus say in John chapter 3 this there's a verdict there's a verdict that's been rendered we can look at that in God's court here's the verdict and here's the verdict light has come and who can tell me what follows that verdict light has come but men love darkness more than light why why do men love darkness more than light because their deeds were evil everyone who does evil everyone practicing evil yes sister yes that God is light and in him there is no darkness not any right if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with him and the blood of Jesus Christ then does what cleanses us from all sin if we walk in the light but why does someone I'll tell you the truth of it here there are some there are some who do not want to come to the light because the light exposes and Jesus said this everyone who's practicing what's wrong they don't want to come to the light because what is the light gonna do it's gonna expose it's gonna expose what they've been done but here's what he said he goes on to say but everyone who does truth comes into the light that it that is it that it may be seen that what he has been done has been done in God Paul is wanting the Ephesians to have their inner man their heart revealed in God's presence that his light would give to them a spiritual wisdom and understanding that they would see things hidden from the world it's so beautiful to see the scripture says this you can also if you can finish the quote for me the entrance of thy word does what it gives light it gives understanding but what is the entrance of the word is it memorizing scripture or is it saying Lord open my eyes that I might see wonderful things in thy word you remember the two disciples on the road to Emmaus that were all discouraged having heard they were confused and discouraged at the same time they'd seen the resurrection they knew the Lord was killed they heard about the res they heard about the resurrection they'd claimed some of the disciples they came to see him but they were all upset and Jesus came right alongside of him but what does it say he was hidden to them they didn't recognize him did you remember what happened as he walked with him by the way you'd ask him what you are you so discouraged and he said I don't you haven't you heard you know you knew right here remember what he did he began to be he began in the Old Testament and he began to open the scriptures to them he began to reveal them he removed the covering to them the God of light enlightening them so that suddenly they could see things that were completely hidden to them and you remember when they they suddenly that when they didn't recognize him and they ran back and they were talking to each other and you remember what they said what was going on in their hearts remember that did not our hearts burn within us they didn't talk about their head something was happened deeper deeper man they were their hearts were burning within them as he opened to us the scripture thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path and the only way I fully are going to understand this word is drawing near God himself that he may give to me a spirit of wisdom and uncovering and that's what Paul is praying for you here brother mark yeah right this is God's desire is it every single one of us hear him for ourself have our own personal direct knowledge of him that's what we're that's the reason we gather together we encourage one another to that end Paul said this and it's in chapter 4 a little sneak peek of chapter 4 then you might ask well if we're all supposed to know him why do we need you good question good question that's a great question and Paul explains that in chapter 4 that God gave some to be apostles and prophets and evangelists and pastors and teachers for the equipping of the Saints for the work of the ministry until the body of Christ can be built up until we all come to the unity of the faith and our own personal contact firsthand experience of God himself and at that point the new covenant where you no longer need someone to tell you about God because you will know him directly immediately you need no priest you need no pastor you need no anyone else to tell you know the Lord because you will know him your self that's the goal so I do have a ministry to help us get there and the more of you get there than I can retire right away let's go let's get there let's know him ourself and the beautiful thing about that is you know him your confidence is him you're listening to him you're following him he's the one giving you spiritual revelation it can happen everywhere it can happen on the job it can happen in the kitchen it can happen in in the house it can happen when you're driving it can happen everywhere because God is everywhere I'm not I'm not his spirit gives these things ministers and teachers are supposed to be helping us recognize how available it all is to us and that's what Paul's trying to bring get these Ephesians to he's wanting them to see this in a dynamic way that the eyes of their heart would be enlightened in order that they may know and that's where I must stop you have to catch next week in order they may know what oh wow that'll take the entire time next week to talk about in order what we may know