Covet your prayers tonight. Greg contacted me a while back and asked me if I would bring a message tonight. My heart was filled with great joy. My heart is knit with the people that attend here and the people that come to these conferences. Our background, Steph and I, our background We've never been in a place with so many people who love the Lord.

And so as I came tonight, of course, I get nervous. I'm not a public speaker, so I fight with myself all day. And I said to Stephanie two days ago, my wife, I said, well, I'm really looking forward to seeing that family from Canada. I sat with them last year. sat with him at lunch and got to really know him and all the conversations of Christ. So we sat down tonight at a table over there and I said, whispered in her ear, I said, I don't see them. I wonder if they're going to be here. About that time, Brother Grad came and told us what took place.

So all the pettiness and all the things that flood my mind all day and the struggle I have with my old nature, Conviction comes because of our faithful Lord. Faithful to show me what's important, that He's important. And the faithfulness that He showed to me to apply His blood and forgiveness for my self-centeredness is the same faithfulness that's attending to them now. That's where my hope and my joy is in. even in times like this. He's a faithful Lord. And I want to declare to you him tonight.

If you'll get out your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Ephesians chapter one, I know you've heard many sermons. I've heard many sermons. But as I said, when Greg Ask me, this passage tonight, the prayer at the end of Ephesians 1 that Paul had for the people of God, the love that flowed into this prayer, just really resonated with me. It's the kinship I feel with the people of God. It's the kinship I feel with Christ, my Redeemer.

By way of introduction, I do want to say a few things until we get to that prayer. And we all come to this book and we're drawn to this book because of those little words, in whom. All throughout it, we have a union with our Lord and Savior. In whom, in whom. We hear it over and over and it just blesses our soul because that's what we have in Him. In whom we have all things. And the first six verses of his letter here, he focuses on the Father. And he gives thanks to the Father in four, he says, as he's chosen us in him. He praises God the Father for his election, for choosing a people before the foundation of the world, something you and I can't even fathom. But by faith, we understand it. And that's what you're gonna see tonight.

I'm gonna ask you that question a lot. I'm gonna ask you how you know he's faithful. How do I know he's faithful? Is it because he keeps proving it over and over to me in my life every time I need him to be faithful? Well, yeah, but how does he do that? How do we see him reigning? How do we see our Lord who's taken away our sins? How do we see that the Father chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world? How do we know that He predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Christ to Himself? And then He says something in 6. He says, to the praise of the glory of His grace. I preached a message last week that the Lord laid on my heart about glorying only in the Lord. And we hear that three times before we get to the prayer. He tells us and reminds us that we glory in the Father, we glory in the Son, we glory in the Holy Ghost. And that's what he says in 6, to the praise of the glory of His grace, His sovereign, electing, loving grace. We are to honor Him because of that. All honor is due to Him, all glory is due to Him because of who he is to his people.

And then in 7 through 12, he moves to glorify the Son. And he says those things in whom, in Christ, in that union, in Christ Jesus, we have redemption through his blood. And we just sang about that. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. And as we sang that song in his faithfulness, He applied the blood again to me, showing me once again, I'm forgiven. Redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. He abounds toward us in all wisdom. He is our wisdom. He's made us to know the mystery of His will, according to his good pleasure.

And then look at 11, he says, in whom we've also obtained an inheritance. This is our Joseph, who as he opens the storehouses, he lets down all of our nourishment, everything that we have need of, every grace. That's why I with confidence can say tonight that he, in his omnipotence, in his omnipresence, in his mercy, is comforting His people wherever they are. He is with them, that ever-present help wherever they are. He is our inheritance.

And then Paul writes in 12, that we should be to the praise of His glory. Let him that glory, glory in the Lord. We glory in the Father, we glory in the Son. You know, the Lord in his infinite mercy toward us, we all have a desire to glory, a glory in something. And because of our fallen nature, we want to glory in ourselves. But the Lord in his mercy didn't take that urge or that desire to glory away from us. But he gave us an object worthy of the glory. He gave us His Son. And so, in His mercy, He enables us to continue to glory, but we glory in the Lord.

And then, if that's not enough, He says, in whom you also trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also that you believed you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. So now we have the third person. And now he tells us in 14, which is the earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of his purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Let him that glory, glory in the Lord, in all that the Lord does for us. That you and I tonight, as we hear Christ crucified preached, that the Holy Spirit comes and reveals and takes the things of Christ and reveals them to us. And we're only revealed those things because we were elected before the foundation of the world.

And how is it that we can all sit together tonight in unity, believing? I know it's according to his faithfulness, but Paul's gonna tell us something tonight that's absolutely astounding. And we'll get to that. But now we get to 15 as he's starting to come down to the prayer and he says this, he says, wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the saints, after praising the Lord and giving all glory and honor that's due his name, he said, I've heard of great reports. These reports I've heard of the brethren, the brothers and sisters in Christ. And that's what I said, this is what the Lord laid on my heart when I heard that I was being allowed to come over here again. In His infinite mercy, giving me another time to be with these people who love the Lord. The same Lord that I do. And Paul describes them, he says, I've heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That you've seen the glory of His person, the fullness of His grace. and that you have a love for all believers, whether they're rich or poor, a Jew or Gentile, old or young. And notice the faith is inseparable from love. Because Paul tells us in Galatians 5, 6, that faith worketh by love. Faith believes and love is manifested. And you can't have one without the other. Faith is the cause of love. And love is the evidence of his faith.

And so as Paul thanks the Lord for that in the people of God, the people there that he's writing to, he says this, I cease, when he's full of the love, what does that love lead to for one another? That's why when brother Greg came up here tonight and he shared that news with you, there was a gasping and a hearts fell and the love was just present. Why? Paul says, but I cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.

So when the Lord reveals Christ in our brothers and he reveals Christ in our sisters, he leads us to two responses. We give thanks to God for them because we know that they only believe because of him That's what unites us together. Faith is a gift of God. He tells us that in the next chapter over in the next page. But after he gives thanks, he says, I pray for them. It reminds me of what Samuel said in 1 Samuel 12, 23, where he said, moreover, as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you. We should always pray. Men, I'd always to pray. I pray that the Lord always in his faithfulness lays one another upon your hearts, each other's hearts, to lift them up in prayer. I think a lot of you often, my brothers in here who preach the gospel, the Lord puts them on my heart a lot. because it's so important. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

As he moves into 17, he then starts to describe what he's praying for. This is his prayer. It's mine, too. And the first thing he asks, he says, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. But you say, wait a minute, didn't they already know Him? Yes. He already thanked the Lord for their faith. He already knew that they knew. So why is He praying that they would know Him? Well, you know the answer, you tried child of God. Because we're dependent. We're dependent upon him every moment of our day and life to believe. That's what he's gonna tell us tonight. It's his exceeding great power is the only way that you and I will believe. The only way that we can trust him. The only way we can believe that he died for our sins. The only way that we can believe that we're sinners in need of grace.

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory, may give unto you the spirit and wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. This is a prayer for the increase of the Lord's knowledge to his people. That's what Peter said in second Peter three, 18 he said but grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ faith isn't a one-time gift faith isn't something that that happens when the new birth comes and then the Lord leaves you to yourself to believe in him God forbid and praise God that it's not because I'm dependent do you find that it's too easy to get into your own head to yourself, we need to be crucified daily to that, that put down in us. And the faith increased daily to believe in him. You may believe in him right now. His faith may be present and powerful in your life right now that you believe the gospel. And in five minutes, you may not. But he's faithful to keep us. He's faithful.

You know, sometimes I get that from people that I talk to. When I tell them he's faithful, it's almost like, well, I know he has the potential to be faithful. No, dear ones, he's full of faith. And he's always that faith to his children.

always we live that's what Paul said I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave his life for me it's the same way you and I will live Paul said in 1st Corinthians 2 12 and 13 now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God I'm getting ahead of myself I meant I'm sorry Philippians 3 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering. That's what Paul's praying for.

The apostle Paul who wrote all of these beautiful letters under the power of the Holy Ghost, he's praying that I may know him. You say, Paul, you didn't know him? He wants to know him more. Do you? Do I? That I may know him and the power of his resurrection. and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death. It's ongoing knowledge.

And then in 18, he says this, well, before I get there, he says that the God of Father and Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of him. Let's not forget it's the Holy Spirit that reveals Christ to us. That's what the Lord said, I will send you the comforter. He will take the things of me and reveal them to you. And that's what I was reading in 1 Corinthians 2.

Now we have received, now, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God, which things we also speak. Notice that. The child of God speaks them. They're audible. They're spoken in our soul. They're spoken in our heart. They're spoken in our minds. But the child of God speaks of Christ.

That's what I said, to sit and listen to some of you. Yeah, we have commonalities as humans and working but to hear Christ, to hear what He's done in your life, to hear that He is your life. I live for that. I live to hear Christ and to hear Him working in His people. I hope you do too.

Comparing spiritual things with spiritual. That's what we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches. Most of you in here are like me that have jobs and work every day, and you're in the workplace, and there's not a lot of conversation that speaks of the Lord. It's a dry and thirsty place. But when you're with the people of God, When you're with those that Christ is their life, it feeds the soul. And that's what I'm thankful for tonight.

And I'm thankful that I can sit down tomorrow, and Lord willing, I can be fed too, and see you again if the Lord is pleased to give us another day. In 18, he says that your eyes of understanding be enlightened. That were enlightened to see the sinfulness of sin. The insufficiency of our own righteousness and the need for his. To see his beauty. To see his glory. And to see the absolute necessity. Of Christ, our Redeemer. That's what Paul, that your eyes of your understanding be enlightened by the light that is the Lord Jesus Christ. And we can't see by nature. We're blind to everything. But praise God, we see through him and we see by him. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what the hope of His calling is. The hope of His calling, that living hope to joy and to have life in Him. That eternal life is in Him. That's what He said in John 17, 3. This is life eternal. That they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.

I want to know Him more. Because he is worthy. And not only that, Paul says, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. To know that we are his inheritance and he is ours. That's what he tells us right over here in 2, 6, and 7. He says we're raised up together and he made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, right now. Doesn't that blow your mind? We have fellowship with Him, we're in Him, that in the ages to come, He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

You see how everything, when you read these scriptures, everything comes through Christ. Is it any wonder that the ministers preach Christ and Him crucified? He's life. Why would we get up and spend time on dry doctrine or high theological words? The simplicity that is in the gospel is Christ.

And all of these beautiful things that Paul said up to this point, all of them, You know, he tells us all about the election and the Father. He tells us about our redemption in the Son. He tells us that the Holy Spirit seals us and keeps us and reveals to us Christ. He says, I cease not to make mention and give thanks for you. Then he tells us how. He tells us how. And it just empties us. Because he tells us right here in 19, what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us were to believe? And notice how he said that. I mean, there are two words that you think that would kind of cancel. They're the same word, exceeding greatness. But there's a reason the Holy Spirit puts them in there. Because it's something that is so high and so deep and so glorious. It's the exceeding greatness of the Lord to usward, to the people that are in Him who believe. What is the exceeding greatness of His power to believe? That's what it takes, the exceeding greatness of His power to believe. That's where we gotta stop.

As we're reading this letter and we come down, we say, well, what are you saying, Paul? We can't take these glorious words and go into our study or go into our closet, and we can't make them glorious. We can't apply them to our soul. We need Him. And you and I tonight, as we bow our heads and we pray for our brothers and sisters who are going through great loss, we can't do that. without the exceeding great power of the Lord Jesus Christ. We owe everything to this power, this power that's a gift. This power that right over the page he tells us, for by grace are you saved through faith and it's not of yourselves, it's the gift of God. And that tells you something about you and I, doesn't it? It tells you that we're dead without Him, that we have no life without Him.

What is the exceeding greatness of His power to us who believe? What is that according to the working of His mighty power? You know, we still have this thing that's preached across this land of easy believism. And the child of God knows. He knows. The old Puritans used to say, it would be easier for them to make a world than to believe in Christ. You say, gosh, look at all that he's done. Well, look what he did while he walked on this earth. And they said, crucify him. He said, we won't have this man to reign over us. And don't you make no mistake, we'd be right there with him if it wasn't for him.

How do we join our hearts together? How do we love one another? Because we believe him. That's what Paul said. He said, you know, When he said that up there in 15, the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, he's jumping at, he says, listen, you believe him. That's what I said.

If you knew my background and you know what the Lord delivered me out of, me and my wife, you would just know how much we beam when we're in a place that has so many people who love Christ. I can't even express it to you. They believe Him. And we know that we only believe Him because of Him.

Exceeding greatness of power. Thy people will be willing in the day of His power. And yet so many, so many have a form of godliness And they deny the power thereof. How many times could the Apostle Paul say, yet not I? And how many times do when we talk to one another, not one another, but when we talk to people in this world, we hear that word I. I've done this for the Lord. I've done this for the Lord. Oh, dear ones, I want to hear what he done for you. Because that's all I can speak about is what he's done for me.

And then he tells us in 20, you want to know what that power is? You want to know? He said it's the same power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead. We are told in these scriptures, we've got a scripture that told us that the father raised him, We've got scripture telling us that the Holy Spirit raised Him, and we've got scripture telling us that Christ raised Himself.

And this triune God, where death had a hold upon Christ, He was made sin for His people, and He died upon that Christ, and He was really dead. And all of those enemies thought they had it all figured out, and they thought they'd won the day. and death thought it won too. But it tells you something, doesn't it? It tells you that if it's the power that we just to believe is the same power that brought Christ up out of the grave, what does that tell you about your deadness and your need of this Savior every day and moment of your life?

Because dear ones, I don't know about you, but I still have deadness. I carry it around with me every day. And the only antidote for it is the life of Christ. Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. It's this power where Jesus said, if you can believe, all things are possible. Lord, I want to believe, but I need your power. And he took and they raised Christ. He says, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places.

The wages of sin is death. are the sacrifice that He offered to the Father, He must die to do it. And He must die in your place, and He must die in my place for us to have life.

You know, some people think that when Christ said that, when He said, I die that you may have life, We have this part in our brain that sections that. And it makes it some kind of material thing, like it's a life, it's a thing. But it's His life. That's what He puts in us. His life. That's how we believe. That's Christ in us, the hope of glory. That's how we trust Him. That's how we know our brothers will be okay. That's how we know we will continue to love him and believe him because the Lord continues. He's the faithful and true one who continues and that faith grows and it grows by him.

He is our surety. He bore our sins and He's now free from them just like we are. And His resurrection, that's the whole point here Paul's making. His resurrection pictures and shows what our quickening to life, our spiritual life looks like. In His human body He was lifeless, just like you and I are without spiritual life. We were dead, dead as dead can be. His human body could not raise itself as we cannot raise ourselves to life. His resurrection was pure and all of God, as I told you earlier, all three of them mentioned, they all had a hand in the power of his resurrection. And you and I too, they all have a hand in our regeneration.

His resurrection led to his exaltation to the right hand of God, and that's what he says right here in 20. As we, the regenerated, as we are already seated. That's what we just read over there in 6 of chapter 2. We're seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We're risen with him. When the Lord at one time called us to make that profession, to go down into the water to show forth His resurrection and His death and burial and resurrection, that's what we were raised to, to walk in the newness of life. That's what He is, the newness of life.

I want so much to talk to you about Him. I want so much for you to talk to me about Him. He's worthy. What is the exceeding greatness of His power to us were to believe according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places? Far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.

Because, see, that power to believe, it exalts Christ in your life and gives Him the preeminence. You know why it gives Him the preeminence? Because the Father gave Him preeminence. The Father said, Hear ye Him, This is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased.

Look over with me just over here in Colossians 1, if you will. In Colossians 1, look at 16. This is speaking of our Lord and Savior. For by Him were all things created. that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things. And by Him, all things consist.

I stop right there and I say, this is why, once again, this is why we preach Christ and Him crucified. Everything is by Him. Everything consists in Him. Everything, our salvation, our forgiveness, our redemption, our atonement, our life. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things, in all things, this is what faith leads us to. This is the power of God in our hearts and minds to believe it, that in all things, He might have the preeminence.

and that's why the gospel conversation that you and I speak exalts him because he's worthy for it pleased the father that in him should all fullness dwell that's why I said that's why over here when he says right here in 21 far above all principality well that's where the father raised him on all power and might and dominion in every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And hath put all things, all things under his feet.

He's reigning, dear ones. He's reigning on our behalf. His headship in the church honors him as our everything. It praises him as our everything. It rests in him as our everything. He's put all things under his feet. And he gave him to be the head over all things to the church. And there's no better hands to be in. I hope he's revealed that to you. He rules for our good. He performs all of his offices for our good, and he communicates all good to us.

As we come to the end of this message tonight, and I pray that it's edifying and glorifying to him. I'm so thankful once again for what the Lord has given here in this conference and this time to come away. I've been looking so forward to it. I've talked to some of you tonight, and you've said the same. Lord, just keep the world on the outside of these doors and fill this place with thyself.

I want to read two passages to you, and I don't want to make many comments. I just want to read them as I leave you tonight. And first one is in Psalm 8. If you'll go with me over to Psalm 8. I just want to read this song.

Oh, Lord, our Lord. How excellent is thy name in all the earth? Who has set thy glory above the heavens? Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, thou hast ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained, oh, what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the Son of Man that thou visiteth him? For he has made him a little lower than the angels, and has crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beast of the field, and the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth.

A lot of those things that were mentioned there were physical things. And what we read in Ephesians were the spiritual things. It's because He's over all of it. And don't ever forget that. Every minute detail in our lives, the Lord reigns over. There's so many times I have those thoughts that come in my mind, like, you know, this isn't important, or this, what I'm doing isn't important, or this, Oh, despise not the small things, because the Lord's in them, if He's in your heart and in your mind. And that's what I'm saying tonight.

Let's go over to Philippians as we close. I just want to close with these words of Paul in Philippians 3. And I want you to listen to him because Paul's brought somewhere again by the power of faith, by power of the Lord again to bring him here. And he says, verse 7, what things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ. That's a powerful statement. And faith makes that statement because that faith rests in him. and that faith comes from him. And doubtless, I count all these things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of all things and do count them but done that I may win Christ.

You know, a lot of times in this life, we hear a lot of people complaining about all the things that they lost. But when I hear the Apostle Paul say those words and write those words, I don't believe he's complaining. I believe he's praising the Lord. He's praising the Lord that he's lost all those things and he counts them but dung that he may win Christ and to be found in him, not having mine own righteousness.

See, that's the beauty of that faith that the Lord gives us, that power. It takes that power to reveal to us that we want His righteousness, that we desire His righteousness. And praise God, He's not short on power. To be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know Him, know Him more.

Because that's what Paul's going to say down here in 12. He says, not as though I'd already attained. Paul, you haven't attained? Do you know how precious these things are that the Lord has opened the heavens and his heart for you to see and put them upon your heart? And you haven't attained? No. And neither have you and I, as we continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. And don't ever forget that. We need him every day to grow.

Oh, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death. I pray tonight that the Lord has come with power and that in his faithfulness as we leave this place tonight, and as he draws us back again by his power, that that power goes with us tonight to continue to believe, because we are dependent upon him. And praise God that we are. Praise God that we are.

Dear Heavenly Father, add thy power and thy glory to thy word tonight, Lord, and remove any error Just put down the speaker, Lord, and exalt Thee. Lord, bring us to Thy feet to be instructed. May You allow the crumbs to fall from Thy table. Lord, give us a desire for Thee and Thee alone. And in Thy faithfulness and in Thy power, Lord, may You fill it. Fill us with Thyself according to Thy faithfulness and Thy will. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.