IMAGE: ALIVE IN CHRIST
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IMAGE: THE POWER OF PRAYER
Happy Memorial Day!
Monday, May 29, 2023
WELCOME
Sunday, May 28, 2023
SERIES: ALIVE IN CHRIST
A STUDY IN EPHESIANS
LIVE MESSAGE: THE POWER OF PRAYER
Scripture: Ephesians 3:14–21 ESV
Pastor Philip Miller
Scripture Reading Ephesians 1:3–10; 3:14–19 ESV
Ephesians 1, 3 ESV and Audio
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Prayer for Spiritual Strength
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.
^Videos by Inspirational>1…
“The Lord Prayer” 1935 by Albert Hay Malotte
^Videos by Inspirational>1…
LIVE 11:00 AM EST
Sunday, May 28, 2023
SERIES: ALIVE IN CHRIST
A STUDY IN EPHESIANS
LIVE MESSAGE: THE POWER OF PRAYER
Scripture: Ephesians 3:14–21 ESV
Pastor Philip Miller
^Videos by Inspirational>1…
MESSAGE: THE POWER OF PRAYER
Sunday, May 28, 2023
SERIES: ALIVE IN CHRIST
A STUDY IN EPHESIANS
MESSAGE: THE POWER OF PRAYER
Scripture: Ephesians 3:14–21 ESV
Pastor Philip Miller
Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV
Ephesians 3 ESV and Audio
Prayer for Spiritual Strength
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.
SERMON NOTES
Sunday, May 28, 2023
SERIES: ALIVE IN CHRIST
A STUDY IN EPHESIANS
LIVE MESSAGE: THE POWER OF PRAYER
Scripture: Ephesians 3:14–21 ESV
Pastor Philip Miller
The Apostle Paul has been leading us through a grand celebration of the Gospel: in Christ, by grace and through faith, we have been reconciled with God and with one another. We are alive as God’s sons and daughters. We are unified as God’s family, Jews and Gentiles together in this multi-ethnic family of God.
All of this is—as Paul puts it in Ephesians 3:11-12—through “Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.”
And now, having celebrated our bold, confident, access to God through Christ, Paul decides to show us the way as he launches into one of the most powerful prayers recorded in all the Bible.
In this sermon, we look at three key points about the power of prayer.
1) The Basis of Prayer
There are two images at the start of the prayer. First, “I bow my knees” is throne room imagery. Second, what’s interesting is Paul says we are bowing before the Father, which is family imagery. This imagery reiterates that now, in Jesus, the blessings of God’s promise to all the nations has come true: God brings salvation to Jews and Gentiles together as one new family by grace through faith in Christ.
Our Father loves His multi-ethnic family.
So come to Him like you’re wanted, because you are!
2) The Grace of Prayer
In the middle of the prayer, Paul articulates three prayer requests drawing on the imagery of hospitality, botany, and maturation.
The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are cultivating their abiding life in us.
God gives us Himself, to make us like Himself, so he can give us even more of Himself, so we become just like Him!
3) The Confidence of Prayer
How do we know we’re not just wasting our breath? How can we have confidence in our prayers?
Our triune God is our hope, now and forever.
The Father’s grace. The Spirit’s power. The Son’s love. Our God is doing it all, to the praise of His glory!
Takeaway:
Pray like your life depends on it—because it does!
Prayer is our lifeline to God and our abundant life in Him. Only the Father, Son, and Spirit can take us, this multi-ethnic family, and cultivate their abiding life in us so that we become glorious children of God.
Benediction
Scripture: Philippians 1:6 ESV
Philippians 1 ESV and Audio
Thanksgiving and Prayer
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
PASTOR TO PEOPLE
Ephesians is really setting us up well for our Missions Week on June 4–11. We’ve been learning about the glories of our salvation (1:3–23) that not only brings us to life in reconciliation with God (2:1–10), but also brings us into God’s multi-ethnic family in reconciliation with one another (2:11–22). God’s purpose all along was to display His manifold wisdom to the angelic hosts through His multi-ethnic church, formed by the Gospel, and revealed to the very least of the saints (3:1–13). God uses ordinary sinners saved by grace to narrate His glory to the cosmos (3:7–13)! And this week, Paul’s going to pray that God would give us all we need to grow into our glorious calling as His people (3:14–21). This is what missions is all about! God’s people, filled with God’s Spirit, proclaiming God’s Gospel so the nations see God’s salvation and become God’s children for God’s glory throughout God’s universe! You couldn’t ask for a better set up!
Our Missions Week speakers this year are going to be amazing. Dr. Scott Horrell was one of my favorite professors at Dallas Theological Seminary and has a background in missions, pastoring, and church planting. On June 4, he will help us see how global missions dynamically flows from the heart of our triune God. Then on June 11, we’ll be joined by Pastor Michael Allen, one of our former pastors, who will share about his transformational work of violence reduction in the heart of Chicago. From the glories of God’s eternal purposes to the practicalities of life on the streets of Chicago, you won’t want to miss the challenge and encouragement of this year’s Missions Week. I hope you’ll make it a priority to join us.
Remember, you are loved, more than you know!
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