Can’t You See?

CAN’T YOU SEE?
The Master’s Plan • Ephesians 1:15-23 • Faith Community • 4/30/23
Intro: Christmas hadn’t been all that spectacular for Joseph Heer. He’d been all alone. No presents to open, no friends to celebrate with. Whether by desire or because of his getting along in years, Joseph, at age 89, pretty much kept to himself. He lived alone in a small two-story brick house, near the downtown area in Washington, Pennsylvania. Apparently not a man of means, he lived by scrimping and sacrificing. In his whole house, there was only one working electric light bulb—not much to keep the bitterly cold December air at bay. And this night the mercury dropped especially low. And Joseph seemed to grow especially drowsy as the cold creeped through the walls of his home. It seemed to settle into his bones, and soon began to numb his mind. All he could think of was sleeping. Two years earlier, to save money, he had called the gas company to turn off his gas, so he had no heat, except from a small electric space heater which he had unplugged to save a few more pennies. Soon, Joe drifted off to a deep sleep, never again to awaken. On New Year’s eve, two days later, someone found Joe and called the county coroner, Farrell Jackson. When Jackson examined Joseph, it was apparent that he died of hypothermia: “It was so cold in that house, I couldn’t stand it,” Jackson said. He was upset that a man could freeze to death in his own house just because he couldn’t pay his bills. But as he and the police secured the residence before leaving, they made a shocking discovery: In Joseph’s bedroom, they found an unlocked safe, a steel box under the bed, and another steel box bolted to a table a few feet from the bed—altogether containing $188,545.99. Further, they found his bank account book with a balance of over $400,000. Joseph Heer died rich. You think, something was wrong with that guy! You’re telling me! It’s almost as if he never made the connection between what he had and what he could do with it; maybe he thought of money as something you hoard, not something you spend. All those resources available, but hardly a cent affected his life. He lived as though he had nothing, even though he could have had nearly anything he wanted.
•Couldn’t he see? Answer is, no, he couldn’t. We shake our heads in disbelief over this recluse and think that we’d never be so blind; yet I wonder if sometimes God doesn’t react to us just like we react to Joe. We hear that God has already blessed us with every conceivable spiritual blessing in Christ (1:3), and we yawn and blink and somehow it barely registers what difference it could or ought to make in our lives. We’re still confused about our purpose and direction in life; we wonder if we matter at all to God; we struggle with a lack of power to change our thoughts or break habits or react in a godly manner. Yet, the Bible points out that we have a clear calling from God, an inheritance beyond imagination, and power beyond belief. What’s wrong with us? Can’t we see? And the answer is, no, by ourselves we can’t. The truth is, many of us right this moment fail to grasp who we are and all God has done for us. Spiritually, we are more like Joseph Heer who lived poor and died rich. So what should I do as a pastor? Teach more? Apply more? Yell more? Answer is startling: believe it or not, our ability to understand and accept and apply spiritual truth, and see things as they really are depends in large measure on God working in us. And God’s continued working in us depends upon our praying for one another. Really. NB:
I. [GOD IS CLEARLY AT WORK IN YOU!]
After his outburst of praise for all that God has done for us as believers (vss. 3-14), Paul turns his attention to us, the readers, and tells us that he is thankful that we display the marks of God’s work in our lives (1:15-16).
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers…
NB two marks—
[A. Where do we see God working?]
[1. In whom we trust: faith in the Lord Jesus] You know that God has worked in a person's life when he stops trusting himself and his own performance and goodness to earn God's favor; but confesses his complete inability to please God & cries out for mercy, and then trusts Christ's sacrifice as the basis for the forgiveness of all his own sins. "Was what Christ did enough?" Person who answers "yes" & really rests on it as a forgiven person—in that person God is working!
[2. In how we treat others: love toward all the saints] A 2nd evidence that God is at work in a person's life is the existence of his unselfish, sacrificial concern that he has—not just to a significant other, nor yet to some of his own family, nor even to few close friends, but to everyone. You get in her way & she’ll love you! If a person indiscriminately loves those who know the Savior, it's conclusive evidence that his life has been a divine construction zone. (Wait! How do you know that faith & love are signs of God's wkg?)
[B. Whom are we to thank?] NB that Paul gives thanks…but to whom? God! It implies that God is responsible for what Paul sees in their lives. EG if I gave you $100 bill, and you turned to Bob and said, Oh thank you, Bob, thank you! I might be a little upset. I gave you that money, not Bob. You don't thank a person who isn't involved or responsible for thing you're grateful for! Follow the thanks, and you'll find the person responsible! So Paul doesn't say, "Thank you for your faith and love!" He says, "I thank God"—because God has been at work to bring them to that point!
•Do you realize that your faith in X and love for others is evidence that God is at work in your life? You can be sure God has worked in the person who believes in Jesus and loves other believers.
II. [BUT GOD MUST KEEP WORKING IN YOU!] That requires:
[A. We must pray!] (vs. 16b)
16bremembering you in my prayers…
From this point forward to the end of the chapter is a prayer, asking God to do what Paul as a pastor and teacher could not do; if fact, if God didn’t do what Paul is asking, these Christians would be no better off spiritually than Joseph Heer was financially: having it all, yet living as though they had nothing.
•Many of us wrongly interpret, “I pray…” to mean “I wish, I hope, I think good thoughts about…” No. Far from it! Prayer is asking God to do what only He can do, what we are incapable of doing. Every time we pray, it is an exercise in faith, in believing that God hears us, & that He will answer and reward those who seek Him. So what is Paul asking for?
[B. Our prayers should include two requests]:
[1. To know Him better] (vs. 17)
17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him…
•What is it that Paul keeps asking God to give them? the Spirit of wisdom and revelation…Some have thought this can’t refer to the Holy Spirit because God already gave every believer the Spirit the moment we believed in Christ. Also, spirit can mean attitude or mindset as it does later in 4:23 (to be renewed in the spirit/attitude of your minds). But I think it is indeed the Spirit. It’s one thing to have the Holy Spirit in your life, but another to have Him at work in your life. I fear that for many believers, the Spirit is dormant in their lives. And actually, only the Holy Spirit Himself can open our eyes and give us a spirit of insight and perception, so we have the ability to grasp "wisdom/revelation." Wisdom takes what God has revealed (revelation), and makes it practical so we live it out in life.
Why do we need to see this? in the knowledge of Him
•Knowledge here refers to knowing experientially. Not just the facts about who God is (which wouldn't hurt), but rather the intimate and experiential knowledge that results from getting to know, love, appreciate, interact with a person in a relationship. What he’s asking God to do is to enable us to know Him better by making us receptive to His revelation of Himself and applying that to our experience of Him.
•EG: Does God love the world? (Of course.) Does he love you? (I think so.) This past week, at that precise moment when you failed miserably, did He still love you? Hmmm.
•OR is God infinite? Sure—in time, space, power, knowledge. But when you pray, do you believe it? ("God, you prob haven't ever seen anything like this, might not be able to do anything about it, but let me fill you in on the details, and maybe you could send someone to look into it.")
•OR is God sovereign? "Sure!" Is he in control of your life? "I think so." Do you see Him providentially at work in your life for your good/His glory? ("Not often.") Getting to really know God depends upon His giving us a mentality to personalize what He reveals about Himself! Further, we're dependent upon God's work in our lives not only to know him, but also:
[2. To see His blessings] (vs. 18a):
18ahaving the eyes of your hearts enlightened…
•the eyes of your heart is a figure of speech: Cut open my chest with a scalpel, you won’t find the heart muscle with two eyeballs embedded in it. When we speak of one’s heart, we mean the innermost center of a person, where he thinks and feels and makes decisions. We’d say, “deep down inside, in the core of who you really are.” And eyes are figurative for perception. We say "Ahhh, I see!" when we mean "I get it! I understand!" So, eyes of heart having been enlightened means that deep down inside a light_has turned on, and you understand clearly, you grasp the truth and really believe it for yourself!
•If you are a believer, you first experienced that “aha” experience with the Gospel. And now Paul asks that God continue to make you spiritually receptive so you can grasp for yourself the truth of what God has really done for you. (Like?)
[C. We need to see that…]
[1. …we are not directionless!] (vs. 18b) 18bthat you may know what is the hope to which He has called you…
•We often think of hope as something uncertain; sort of a wish (“Gee, I hope that happens"); but in the NT hope is more substantial; it has the idea of certainty or expectation. And the hope of his calling means that God has given us a reason to get up in the morning; we typically default to thinking a calling is something we have to do, like a to do list; and absolutely, there are things he wants us to do now (part of His mission is sharing the Gospel with others). But our calling isn’t just something to do; it’s also someone to become. You are not just to do something, you are to become someone—a certain kind of person. Every day we moving toward being more like the person God calls us to be, or away from His calling. So we should never be directionless! He's laid out for us in Scripture the end game; but we need His help to see it clearly, and not be shortsighted. In the past when God called us, He set the course for our lives, so now we should never be groping in uncertainty and confusion about what God expects.
[2. …we are not worthless!] (18c) 18cwhat are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints…
•In the end, when all the dust settles, we will be reigning in glory with Jesus! We’ll have a share of an inheritance which goes beyond anything we can now imagine. It will be so wonderful and amazing that Paul can only describe it as riches and glorious—i.e. more than we could imagine or expect, certainly more than we need or deserve, all awaiting us when this short, trouble-ridden life is over. All this Paul has already said (1:11); but here he goes further. NB not our inheritance, but His/God’s inheritance in the saints. Hold on to your seats: I think Paul is saying that you and I are God’s inheritance. When all is summed up in Christ, we belong to Him and He wants us! We are His treasure. Crazy. God values you as a priceless inheritance! Can you see it?
We need God’s help to grasp not only what He calls us to, but who we are to Him and what awaits us in the future. So what about right now?
[3. …we are not powerless!] (vs. 19a) 19aand what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe…
•We need to see that God is working in and through us, right now, and that there’s no power shortage with Him. He has the ability to handle anything we’re facing. Q is, “do we see that?” (“Yeah, but you don’t know the problems I face. Not sure God’s up to dealing with it. I’m sure not.”) OK, so what’s His power like?
[D. How great is God’s power?
1. His power available to us is immeasurable! (vs. 19)
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might…
•God’s power is immeasurably great (so great you can’t assess or measure it!). In Ephesus, there were a lot of gods and goddesses worshiped, and they all claimed greatness—to the point that in Acts 19, belief in the Lord Jesus was undermining the worship of the goddess Artemis. A huge crowd gathered to protest, and chant “great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” —as though somehow that would bolster and protect the goddess’ power and greatness. So Paul piles on the descriptive words here to probe God’s power, his potential, his supernatural abilities, His energizing working, His greatness, His capability to overcome any obstacle and fulfill any end that He so desires. God’s power is immeasurably great—you can’t compare it with anything or anyone! So where do I see God power like this? You should focus on Christ, because:
[2. God’s power is centered in Christ] (20a) 20athat He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead… i.e.
•Jesus was raised from the dead: This shows the extent of God's power—He is able to reverse the irreversible. Nothing is stronger, or more inevitable than death. At best you can postpone it, but not prevent it. When death approaches, nothing can escape its clutches. But when it smothered X, God's power broke its neck, and raised His Son from the grave. That's the kind of power that God has for you, the kind that can reverse the irreversible!
(God not only exercises power over death, but also over evil): (vss. 20b-21). 20band seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
•Jesus was exalted over all rivals: rule, authority, power, dominion are terms that refer to either human or demonic powers. And it demonstrates the magnitude of God’s power. He has exalted the Lord Jesus over every evil angelic being working against Him and us; and He has authority that overrides every other natural and supernatural power, both now and forever. In Ephesus, the common belief that love, health, success and good fortune were controlled by spiritual powers and influences; so many used magic, amulets, charms, and astrology to manipulate fate and get what they wanted. Paul wanted them (and us) to know that regardless of the power (spiritual, political), they are not ultimately in control. God is.
•In the first century, power exuded from three sources:
1) the immoral current of the culture
2) the oppressive overreach of the government
3) the hostility of evil spiritual forces
•Paul knew exactly what he was saying when he asserted that Christ has no rivals in power. Whether human, angelic or demonic, all power is subject to Jesus. And it’s no contest. So:
•Jesus was declared sovereign: (vs. 22a) 22aAnd He (God) put all things under His (Jesus’) feet…
•This reveals the completeness of his power. God has given to Jesus the power to judge and to control everything. He has the right to call the shots in the universe, and everyone/everything will ultimately answer to Him.
•Jesus is appointed as Head of the Church (vss. 22b-23)
22band gave Him (Jesus) as head over all things to the church, 23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
•What is the ultimate demonstration of God’s power? Not that He created the universe (He did!), or that He trampled the opposition (He did!), but that He has taken men and women controlled by the Evil One, bent toward unrighteousness, and He has called us, adopted us, redeemed us, and made us members of His family and inheritors of His kingdom. He exercises His vast power to make us blameless and holy before Him in love. What a God!
•How powerful is He? His power is strongest in the universe. Nothing else matches it; words fail to completely exhaust it. If God's power is unequalled, and if Jesus reigns with that power at his disposal, what does it say about our ability to trust in him? Any problem too large? Any habit too strong? Any temptation too alluring? Any handicap too paralyzing that His power cannot work in, through, and for us to accomplish His glory? [x]
Conclusion: In the over 43 years I've been a pastor, I've taught well over 5000 times. ("Phew, I figured this guy blabbed a lot, but never knew how much!) I admit, I work hard on understanding, communicating clearly, accurately and motivationally the truth. Yet, every time I teach I am faced with the realization that there are some things I just can't do. I can't make you see. Sometimes I look into your eyes, and I see that you see. But sometimes I see haziness; sometimes it is apathy; sometimes it’s as if a spirit of stupor has set in us. I quietly stand back and pray. When beginning to teach, sometimes I’m startled to watch the light go on, and I realize God must be at work. God must work in our lives; His Spirit must work to give us wisdom and revelation to know Him better; HE must enlighten the eyes of our hearts or none of us will get it.
•The difference between a church where people believe in the greatness and glory and power of God, and love others indiscriminately, who see clearly all that God has done for us and can do in and through us, and a church where people come once a week to sit, and sing, and can’t wait to get out of the parking lot is God working in their eyes. And for us to see as God wants us to see, to have our blinders torn off and our vision cleared is praying for one another.
•Make no mistake: our ability to believe and grasp the truth of who we are, and who God is for us, is not merely an intellectual exercise, but a moral and spiritual one: the battle for your life today depends not merely on what is said, but on what is prayed.
•What if we began to pray earnestly for one another, that we see who God really is, what He’s really like; we pray that we get to know Him more intimately and personally, and grasp all that He has for us, wouldn’t it revolutionize our lives? God does not want you to be like Joseph Heer who had so much and used so little…
Can you see?