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Ephesians 3:14-21

Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Ephesians 3.  Have you ever started to say something and interrupted yourself to provide additional background info to the person(s) you were speaking with?  You started to say one thing and stopped and reversed course or were diverted in another direction only to come back to your original thought a few moments later?  Of course, you have.  We all have.  Well, that’s what happens to Paul here in chapter 3.

Last week, as we concluded chapter 2, we heard Paul’s instructions to the church and were encouraged.  He reminded the Ephesian believers that they had the same problem (sin), the same solution (Jesus), and the same calling (family/unity), and we noticed that this definition of the Christian church is the same today.  We may have differences of opinion regarding worship style or music . . . we might be of different generations or cultures . . . we might have varying degrees of education or social status; but at the core, any church that wants to call itself a biblical church, or any group of people that want to call themselves Christians must affirm a sin problem, a Jesus-only solution, and a desire to grow together in Christ as the family of God.

Several of you said you were surprised to learn that the division between Jews and Gentiles was as severe as it was – it was at least equal in its ugly and harsh past as the American whites and blacks division, if not worse.  And yet, Paul reminded them that they’ve all been reconciled to one another in Christ Jesus, and they’ve been called upon to live together in community as a demonstration to the outside world of what life in Jesus could be.  And we were challenged to do the same.

And when Paul concludes that part of his letter he begins to pray, but he’s immediately drawn back and he spends another few moments reiterating his previous point.  So, the first half of chapter 3 is a restatement, albeit in different terms, of what Paul just finished talking about in chapter 2 – the church.  In chapter 3 he calls the church a “mystery.”  Don’t worry, I’ll slow down and point it out as we get there.  And once again, he confirms that part of the church’s responsibility, part of our job (as the church) is to display the wisdom of God, which is evident in Him bringing Jews and Gentiles together in a single family under one Head, Jesus Christ.

That’s won’t be our focus this morning, but I didn’t want you to get confused when we read chapter 3.  Our focus will be on the prayer that Paul prays, which is verses 14-21.  So, follow along with me as I read Ephesians 3:1-21, and I’ll try to point out some of what I just explained as we go.

¹ For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles – ² assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, ³ how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.  ⁴ When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.  ⁶ This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

 ⁷ Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of His power.  ⁸ To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.  ¹¹ This was according to the eternal purpose that He has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him.  ¹³ So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

 ¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

 ²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  Amen.

And now, our Father, as we stand before this monumental text – this prayer that Paul prays for the Church in Ephesus, and indeed for us at Mountain Hill (too), we ask for the guidance and direction and filling of the Holy Spirit so that we might learn all that You intended and that we might apply it to our lives this day and for Your glory.  It’s in the name of Jesus Christ that we pray, amen.

If you’re keeping track, this is Paul’s second prayer for the Ephesian believers in this letter.  His first is at the end of chapter 1, and many of the things he prayed for them there, he prays again for them here – only in a slightly different way.  If it’s true to say (and I think it is) that our conversation with others in public reveals what’s on our minds, then I think it’s also true to say that our conversation with God in private, almost inevitably, reveals what’s on our hearts.

Let me unpack that just a little bit.  When you and a friend are talking with one another over a cup of coffee, part of what you’re doing (besides spending time in fellowship and sharing life together) is that you’re listening to what’s on one another’s minds.  If I meet Larry in the parking lot tomorrow and say, “Hey, Larry, how are you doing?  What do you think about this gorgeous weather?”  Larry has several options available to him.  He could respond by say, “Lee, we’re just so blessed to live here and I make sure to thank the Lord every day I’m able to breathe in this mountain air.”  (Sounds like something Larry would say, doesn’t it?)  Or, Larry could say, “You know, Lee, it’s still just a little bit too cool for me.  I prefer 95 degrees and 100% humidity.”  Or, Larry could bypass my question about the weather and completely change the subject and say, “Yeah, man, what do you think about Jacksonville signing Tim Tebow?”  Or he could respond in a million other ways.  In either case, that brief little exchange tells me what’s on Larry’s mind, and of course my response to his response tells him a little about what’s on my mind.  And thus, we reach this conclusion that our conversation with others in public (partly) reveals what’s on our minds.

In a similar fashion, then, our conversation with God in private, almost always, reveals what’s on our hearts.  When we hear ourselves pray, or when we’re in the company of others who lead us in prayer, then not only do we understand what’s taking place in their minds (intellectually), but we also get a sense of what’s going on in their hearts.  Now that might come across as rather convicting to some of us.  As we consider our prayer life and the content of our prayers, we might find that there’s very little going on in our hearts.  Now, I don’t tell you that in order to make you feel bad, but rather to help us see and hear how radically different Paul’s prayers are from our own.  So, I hope and pray that today’s message will encourage us to new heights (as it were) in our praying.  And I only have two headings for us this morning, as we’ll come back to the this prayer next week.

Pray Selflessly

Now, that kind of goes without saying, doesn’t it?  For example, a self-assured person isn’t going to pray.  Why pray?  They can do everything on their own.  A self-righteous person might pray, but they probably won’t offer prayers of confession.  But a person who knows their heart before God, and the depth of their need before God, when they bow their knees before God it’s an expression of selflessness.

Paul recognized the truth of Psalm 127:1, “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”  Paul realized the connection between his teaching and preaching, and the growth of the church.  We talked about it last week.  You might be able to teach and preach about unity between Jew and Gentile in the first century, or white and black, conservative and liberal in the 21^st century, but if it’s going to be a reality, then it needs to be followed up with prayer.

Even Jesus does this.  In John’s gospel we have what is referred to by Bible teachers as the Upper Room Discourse – where Jesus is found with His disciples in the Upper Room and He’s teaching them all sorts of things: “I am the true vine…”  “I am the way, the truth and the life…”  He tells them that the world hated Him, and it will hate us too.  He tells them not to be anxious, and teaches them about the coming of the Holy Spirit.  All sorts of teaching, and then when we get to John 17, after all of this teaching the Bible says, “When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father…’”  So even Jesus used this approach.  Teach and preach, but it’s got to be followed up with prayer.

This has been particularly challenging for me, this week.  As I’ve studied this text and considered my own time, talents and treasures it’s highlighted some deficiencies in my prayer life.  Whether I pray.  How much I pray.  The content of my prayers.  If Jesus – the most perfect of all teachers – followed His own teaching with prayer, how much more of me?  If Paul – the greatest missionary the church has ever known – followed his teaching with prayer, how much more of us?  Prayer is an expression of selflessness.

And notice his posture (v. 14), “For this reason I bow my knees…”  Now there are a number of postures of prayer outlined in the Bible.  The most common was standing.  But Paul clearly adds this detail and I believe it’s connected with this idea of selflessness.

Isaiah foresaw the day when “every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Isaiah 45:23).  Paul picked that up, in Philippians 2:10-11 and said, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  And then we see him here – in prison, in Rome, writing to the Ephesians – and what does he say, “I bow my knees…”  His very posture is an expression of his selflessness.

That reminds me of a poem called The Prayer of Cyrus Brown, by Sam Walter Foss (1858–1911), where he writes:

“The proper way for a man to pray,” said Deacon Lemuel Keyes,

“And the only proper attitude, is down upon his knees.”

“No, I should say the way to pray,” said Reverend Doctor Wise,

“Is standing straight, with outstretched arms, and rapt and upturned eyes.”

 “Oh no; no, no,” said Elder Slow, “Such posture is too proud:

A man should pray with eyes fast closed, and head contritely bowed.”

“It seems to me his hands should be austerely clasped in front,

With both thumbs pointing toward the ground,” said Reverend Doctor Blunt.

“Las’ year I fell in Hodgkin’s well – head first,” said Cyrus Brown,

“With both my heels a-stickin’ up, My head a-p’inting down;

“An’ I made a prayer right then an’ there – best prayer I ever said,

The prayingest prayer I ever prayed, a-standing on my head.”

Obviously, our physical posture isn’t what’s important – it’s the posture of our hearts – but sometimes the wonder and the majesty and the grandeur and recognition of what it is we’re doing and Who it is we’re communing with leads us to get on our knees or fall upon our faces.

And two more quick observations that punctuate prayer as being selfless are: who he prays for and what he prays for.  Start at verse 16 and listen for the emphasis, “that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”  If someone were able to listen in on our private prayer times who would be the priority – yourself or someone else?  That doesn’t mean you can’t pray for yourself.  Indeed, the Bible says “You have not because you ask not” (James 4:2).  But to the extent that our prayers reveal our priorities, are we more concerned about ourselves or others.

And lastly, before we move to our next point, notice what Paul doesn’t pray for.  He doesn’t pray to be released from house arrest.  He doesn’t pray for an improvement of his circumstances.  No, no, he prays for them the things that he presumably prays for himself – that they would be strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit in their inner being and that they would be strengthened to know the breadth, length, height, and depth of God’s love for them in Christ Jesus.  So, pray selflessly.

Pray Spiritually

Again, that may sound obvious, but as I studied and read and meditated upon these words this week, I was struck by the fact that there was an absence of many of the things that tend to be the focus of my prayers.  Maybe you’d agree with me.  As I’ve already noted, Paul doesn’t pray for his release from house arrest in Rome.  That would probably be something I would pray for.  And it would be legitimate.  After all, it was Paul would said in Philippians 4:6, “…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”  All I’m saying is that in this particular instance, in this particular prayer, the only thing we can say explicitly from the text (as we have it here) is that these things weren’t his ultimate concern.

The believers in Ephesus – in many ways were very similar to you and me.  They had concern for food and clothes and shelter; the paying of taxes, marriage, singleness, being parents, or wishing they were parents, or wishing you weren’t parents, employment, health, and so forth, but there’s no mention of these matters at all in his prayer.  Survey the Bible sometime for all of the actual prayers that are written down and see what they focus upon.  It’s not the things that we tend to go on and on about.

Quick illustration to make my point.  If you remember the book of Nehemiah, the Israelites had been in Assyrian captivity and then in Babylonian captivity, and when Persia rose to power (under Cyrus) the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem and begin to rebuild the city and the temple.  And word comes to Nehemiah (chapter 1), “The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”  It’s a complete fiasco up there.  Nehemiah is brokenhearted by this.  He decides that he’ll do something about it, so he immediately goes to his knees in prayer and he says, “Dear God, be with all of the people in Jerusalem…”  No, no, no, that’s not at all what he says.  Listen to how Nehemiah begins his prayer:

I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, to hear the prayer of Your servant that I now pray before You day and night for the people of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against You.  Even I and my father’s house have sinned.  We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that You commanded Your servant Moses” (Nehemiah 1:5-7).

And somebody that’s looking on might say, “Wait a minute, Nehemiah, the walls of Jerusalem are broken down why are you praying this prayer and confessing like this?”  Because the issue of the walls being broken down in Jerusalem was a metaphor for the real spiritual condition of the people.

People want to crusade for social justice in America today, and that’s fine.  But the real issue is a spiritual condition of the heart.  We want to see abortion banned in all 50 states, and that’s fine.  But the real issue is the spiritual condition of the heart.  We want to sanctify marriage as one man and one woman for life, and that’s fine.  But the real issue is the spiritual condition of the heart.  You want to see whites and blacks and Asians and Latinos living peacefully in community.  Great, me too!  But the real issue is the spiritual condition of the heart.  Therefore, we must pray about what truly matters, “Lord, we must confess our sins.  We must acknowledge our dependence on You.”  We must turn our gaze to God and cry out to Him from the depth of our heart.

And I say to you again how humbled I was by this prayer as I studied it this week…  How small…  How narrow-minded are my prayers?  The spiritual condition of my children’s hearts is more important than whether or not they make it into the finest college or the best sports team, whether they find the right job or even the right spouse.  As important as those things are, my children, your children, your grandchildren, your friends, family and neighbors have a never-dying soul, and the real need is a spiritual one.  Whatever else happens; we need to pray for true and genuine growth and strength and faith in Christ.

I’ll close with this.  Author and pastor, Timothy Keller, writes this little exchange in his book Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God.  A pastor and friend of mine, Jack Miller, once said he could tell a great deal about a person’s relationship with God by listening to him or her pray.  “You can tell if a man or woman is really on speaking terms with God,” he said.  My first response was to make a mental note never to pray aloud near Jack again.

I’ve had years to test out Jack’s thesis.  It is quite possible to become elaborate, theologically sound, and earnest in your public prayers without cultivating a rich, private prayer life.  You can’t manufacture the unmistakable note of reality that only comes from speaking not toward God but with Him.  Might we speak with God now.