Study# | I Wanna Be Right

Text:

Ephesians 3:14-21:

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Theme:

I Wanna Be Right

Introduction:

The Letter by the Apostle Paul to the church in Ephesus is not written to any specific issues with the church itself. However, it addresses the need for a general Christian understanding and application of sound doctrine.
Ephesians 3:13 gives the context in which Paul speaks, “wherefore, I ask you not to faint in my tribulations for you, which is your glory.”
- Paul is telling them, “Don’t worry about me!”
- Most importantly, he wants them to NOT FAINT!
  - To NOT FAINT à not give up…not get frustrated…not “go off”…not “straight trip”
  - We all FAINT on our walk, but with God we will NOT FAINT
    - Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
  - Thusly, in verse 14 Paul says, “For this cause I bow my knees”
    - PAUL PRAYS FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE CHURCH

This is a special prayer in the sense that Paul prays for their overall lives and existence in Christ. We can say it in down to earth terms by saying that Paul prays that they BE RIGHT!

Paul was astute in his prayer in his asking for exactly what makes us “right” as believers
- Paul interceded on behalf of the church for the sake of their growth and maturity in Christ
There is an old quartet song that says, “I WANNA BE RIGHT”
- Just like in this song we all just wanna BE RIGHT
- Paul’s prayer is an excellent guide to achieving the status of being RIGHT
- Yes, I WANNA BE RIGHT!!!

Body:

According to Paul’s prayer, what can make us “right”? à Paul is biblically sound in his request!
- Ephesians 3:16, “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;”
  - That God give us STRENGTH
    - “according to the riches of his glory”
      - Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
    - “be strengthened with might by His Spirit”
      - Daniel 10:17-18, “For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me. Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,”
      - Have you been touched by the Holy Spirit?!?
    - “in the inner man” à This is the part that matters!
      - 1Peter 3:4, “But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”
      - Romans 7:22, “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:”
      - 2Corinthians 4:16, “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
- Ephesians 3:17a, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;”
- Ephesians 3:17b-18, “that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;”
  - LOVE is what has us “rooted and grounded in love”
    - John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
    - 1Corinthians 13:1, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”
  - We “comprehend” by LOVE…in LOVE…with LOVE
    - 1John 4:16, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”
  - “what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height”
    - 1Corinthians 13:9-10, “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.”
    - Ephesians 1:9, “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:”
    - This familiar verse says it best…
      - Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
      - God is our understanding!!!!!
- Ephesians 3:19, “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
  - Knowing the Love of Christ is to know God!
    - 1John tells us that “God is LOVE”!
    - We know God my being “filled with the fullness of God”!
      - Isaiah 6:1, “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.”
        
        Now the “temple” is our body à 1Corinthians 6:19, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
        
        We need to be filled! à Acts 4:31, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” è Yes, I WANNA BE RIGHT for God!!!!!

Conclusion:

Let us not forget the final two verses. Here Paul makes it clear as to whom He is praying to!!!
- “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think”
  - I THANK GOD that He can do EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY above all that I ask or think!!!
    - More than I could think
      - Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.”
    - What I ask
      - Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
    - More than I could ask
      - Romans 8:26, “… but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
- “according to the power that worketh in us,”
- “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.”
  - God gets the glory!! As the song says,

It is to You I give the glory.

It is to You I give the praise.

For You have done so much for me,

And I will bless Your Holy Name!

Even the Old School has to give God the glory in the hymn when it says,

To God be the Glory,

For the things He has done!

We shouldn’t deny it especially since in Psalms 19:1 it makes clear that, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”

“Amen”
- Signifies the validity, truth and value of the words that have previously been spoken.
- Biblically it is known to be synonymous with “so it is, so be it, let it be done”
- Gives Divine CLOSURE
- Paul had CLOSURE to his prayer…do WE?
  - Do we KNOW that God has heard our prayer?
  - Do we FEEL His Presence as comfort?
  - Do we EXPECT the miracle of His hand on our lives after the prayer?
  - Do we LIVE God’s having answered our prayer?
    - I WANNA BE RIGHT!!!
      - I wanna KNOW God!
      - I wanna FEEL God!
      - I wanna EXPECT God!
      - I wanna LIVE God!
        
        I WANNA BE RIGHT!!!

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I Wanna Be Right

Ephesians 3:14-21:

I Wanna Be Right

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