Let us turn again to God's Word. We turn to Ephesians chapter
3. We have been considering this portion over the last few weeks,
this remarkable prayer of the Apostle, beginning at verse 14. Having addressed the Ephesians
thus far, he begins to pray for them. You may recall that a while
ago we considered the prayer that we have also at the end
of the first chapter. What a remarkable man Paul is
as he addresses these churches. So he cannot but help himself,
he turns from addressing them to address God in prayer. And
we looked at that prayer at the end of chapter one where he says
how he ceases not to give thanks for them making mention of them
in his prayers and then we've been considering as I said another
prayer that we find at the end of chapter 3 verse 14 for this
cause I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ
and so the content of his prayer is to be found in those following
verses now we've looked at this over the last number of weeks
as I said and last week we did break away I was only here of
course in the evening and we looked then more especially at
the end of Luke chapter 1 and that song of Zacharias that we
know as the Benedictus but we've returned today to the closing
part of the prayer and I'll read again from verse 19 through to
the end. His prayer is that they know
the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled
with all the fullness of God 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 unto him be glory in the church,
by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. And so today, this morning,
we looked at verse 19 and I sought to say something with regards
to that experimental knowledge of the love of God. To know to know the love of Christ
which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the
fullness of God. The Lord Jesus in his prayer
there in John 17 says it is life eternal to know thee the only
true God and Jesus Christ no knowledge of God but in and through
the person of his only begotten son the Word of God incarnate
and here we have it to know the love of Christ which passeth
knowledge here is something to be known and yet he says it is
something beyond our knowing it is that that can only be revealed
to us by God we cannot come to know it by dint of our own understanding
by use of our own mental powers no real religion we know is a
revelation that comes from God himself and how God has revealed
himself in the person of Christ that remarkable gift of the love
of God he so loved the world that he gave his only begotten
son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but
have everlasting life all thanks be to God for his unspeakable
gift and so we considered verse 19 earlier I don't want to go
over everything that we were saying this morning but how remarkable
what it all ends in that ye might be filled with all the fullness
of God How can that be? It is when Christ
dwells in your heart by faith as we see at verse 17. But the remarkable petitions
that make up the prayer and then we come to the concluding verses
20 and 21 and how he closes the prayer with praise and with thanksgiving. It's really an expression of
worship, the angel. As we saw there in that portion
we read in Revelation 22, the angel says to John, worship God. God only is to be worshipped.
And so he says here 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, unto him be glory in the church, by
Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end, Amen. And as we come to this closing
part then I want this evening simply to address the subject
of the doxology and the Amen. The doxology and the Amen. First of all we're to recognize
something of God's power through prayer. God's power through prayer. Look at the words that we have
at the end of verse 20 it's all according to the power that worketh
in us and to pray is a demonstration
of God's power in the soul of any person real prayer is no easy matter
and do not God's children have to live to prove how difficult
prayer can be. Newton certainly knew it. He
says in one of his hymns, I would but cannot pray. Now often we
find ourselves in that dilemma. We want to pray and we cannot
pray and words so many times fail us. I know we find comfort
in such words as those that we find in Romans 8, how the Spirit
helpeth our infirmities. and maketh intercession for us
with groanings that cannot be uttered but sometimes we want
to take words and turn to the Lord and we want to express ourselves
but prayer is no easy matter it all comes from God according
to the power that worketh in us says the Apostle you see without
faith we know it is impossible to please God for he that cometh
to he must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of
all that diligently seek him we have to pray in faith and isn't faith in many ways
something that we find to be impossible again Newton is the one who says
I would but cannot pray but also he expresses himself as one who
desires to have faith Oh could I but believe then all would
easily be I would but cannot Lord relieve my help must come
from Thee and we've seen before haven't we what he says in chapter
1 verses 19 and 20 concerning the remarkable power of God that
is necessary in order to true faith the exceeding greatness
of his power to ask or do believe according to the working of his
mighty power all in the same fashion after the same manner
as the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ
when he raised him from the dead and set him into his own right
hand in the heavenly places all that was there in the resurrection
of Christ, in the ascension of Christ, in His session at the
Father's right hand, all that power of God has to come into
the soul of that sinner who truly believes. It is that faith that
is of the operation of God. Now we need that faith in order
to pray. Without faith it is impossible
to please Him. He that comes to God must believe.
or the impossibility then of prayer, the impossibility of
faith. And yet, men ought always to
pray, and not to faint, says the Lord Jesus Christ. We might
be prone to fainting and failing, but we're to endeavor in praying,
that's what the Lord is saying. And when he comes to pray, what
are we to do? Well, we're to remember the greatness
of God. Or we're to remember the one
that we seek to address in our prayers. And we sang it, didn't
we, again, just now in the hymn. Now I'm coming to a king, large
petitions with the ring, for his grace and power as such. None can ever ask too much. or we should have such large
views of God. Though we feel so inadequate,
so hopeless in ourselves, we look to One who is able to do
all things, One with whom nothing is impossible. And look at the
language that the Apostle is using here in verse 20. What
does he say concerning that One to whom we come? They want a
Him that is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we
ask or think according to the power that worketh in us nothing
in us but all the remarkable ability of our God and what he
can do in the souls of his people and look at the language here
this Pauline language the fullness of it, the force of it what does
he say? he says God is able to do all
that we ask all that we ask for with God nothing shall be
impossible wasn't that the language of the of the angel Gabriel to
Mary when he came to announce that she was going to be with
child of the Holy Ghost the power of God would come upon her and
what would be conceived in her virgin womb that true human nature joined
to the eternal son of God he should be called the son of God
how can this be? I know not a man says Mary all
with God nothing shall be impossible he is able to do all all things
that we would ask of him. Ask and it shall be given you,
he says. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened. Everyone that asketh receiveth
he that seeketh. Findeth to him that knocketh
it shall be opened. We're to ask. We're to ask. But then, he doesn't just mention
asking, he also goes on to mention thinking. all that we ask he
says or think it's an interesting word we might understand it in terms of those
thoughts that might pass through our minds we don't feel we can
express them in words but do we have dreams? do you have dreams? of what God might do should it
be according to his goodwill and pleasure or remember where
there is no vision the people perish when we come before this
God we're to come with something more than our poor stutterings
in prayer we're to meditate on his greatness and we're to dream
dreams what might be if you could but please God here is a God
who can do all that we ask or even think but he can do above
all that that's what it says he can do above all that we ask
or think and this word above literally means over and above
on top of all that we could ever ask or think but more than that he says he
can do abundantly above all that we ask or think not only more
but far much more than ever we could imagine this is how Paul
writes is so remarkable in the use of
the words. He's writing, of course, under
the inspiration of the Spirit of God, but this, I would say,
is a peculiarity of the writings of this apostle. He just piles
the words, one on top of the other. God is that one who can do abundantly,
above all. He's able to save to the uttermost
all that come unto God by Him. But he goes on, doesn't he, to
say something more than this really? Because we have this
word exceeding in the text. He is able to do exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask or think. As I said, this is Paul. This is the way in which Paul
speaks of the gods that he has come to know through the Lord
Jesus Christ, the God that he would worship, the God that he's
praying to for these Ephesians. He does just lay word upon word. And of course, we saw it, didn't
we, back in that prayer at the end of chapter 1. There in verse
19 where he speaks of the power of God in believing, not just
his power, not just his great power. No, Paul says the exceeding
greatness of his power to ask what you believe. Here we see then something of
the power of God and now that that power is demonstrated in
those who pray when we come to pray we need to know that gracious
power of the Spirit in our souls because God is so great, great
is the Lord and a great power says the psalmist his understanding
is infinite this God is altogether above and beyond our comprehension
so we have God's power through prayer he demonstrates his power
when he moves us to pray and we think of our prayers as poor
things mere stumblings and stuttering and broken sentences and yet
this is the product of the power of
God in the soul of the sinner. But then also here we see something
of God's power in practice. God's power is practical. He
demonstrates it. Look at what is said here at
the end of the 20th verse and then into the 21st verse. It's all according to the power
that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church,
he says, by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Where is it that God demonstrates
his power? Why, it's in the church. Unto him be glory in the church.
and we see also it's by Christ Jesus. Consider those two matters
for a little while. God reveals himself and God reveals
his remarkable power in the saving of the sinful sons of men and
as he saves them what does he do? He gathers them together
in churches We believe in the gathered church. The Lord calls a people, the
Lord calls that people to himself and gathers them together to
worship him. Remember the blessing that Jacob
pronounces upon Judah. The scepter shall not depart
from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh
come. And unto him shall the gathering
of the people burn. or the Lord Jesus is at Shiloh. And as we gather together, we
gather in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a privilege
it is! What a responsibility to be a
member in a local church, and to gather together for the public
worship of God. We are not to forsake the assembling
of ourselves together, says Paul, as the manner of some is. We're
to recognize how privileged we are. Why? This is where God demonstrates
so much of his glory. According to the power that worketh
in us unto him be glory in the church. Remember what he says previously,
back at verse 10. to the intent that now unto the
principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known
by the church the manifold wisdom of God." A remarkable statement. The principalities and powers
in heavenly places. Isn't this the angels? There
are elect angels, there are fallen angels. Later in chapter 6 he
reminds us of a conflict, our warfare with the host of the
demons. We wrestle not against flesh
and blood, he says, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places. The whole host of the fallen
angels. But Here in this third chapter
in that tenth verse the reference I would say is to the elect angels. One of the principalities and
powers in heavenly places might be known by the church. The manifold
wisdom of God. Angels are in the very presence
of God. Angels are about the throne of
God. In Isaiah 6 we read of the Seraphim. before the throne, and they veil
their faces, and they veil their feet, and they fly, they have
six wings. They are there to do the bidding
of God, or they worship God in his temple. And yet, these angels
in the presence of God desire to look into these things. those in heavenly places come
to know by the church the manifold wisdom of God they
see something in this fallen world in the salvation of sinners
and the gathering of sinners into churches that is a wonder
to their eyes those words we just referred to of course are
found in Peter's first epistle where he's speaking of salvation
Sure, many of you are well familiar with the passage there in 1 Peter
1 at verse 10. He speaks of the salvation, of
which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently,
who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching
what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in
them did signify. when it testified beforehand
the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow
unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves, not unto
those prophets of the Old Testament, but unto us they did many of
the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached
the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven
which things the angels desire to look into. Oh, they love to behold these
things, don't they? That great work of redemption
accomplished by the Lord Jesus. He hasn't taken upon Him the
nature of the angels. He's taken upon Him the seed
of Abraham. And for as much as the children
were partakers of flesh and blood, He has likewise taken part of
the same. made lower than the angels for
the sufferings of death and yet the angels oh they love to look
into these things and we we have it wonderfully in the type don't
we back in in exodus 25 where we read of the the ark of the
covenant and the the mercy seat atop of that and on each end
of the mercy seats the cherubim with their wings out had spread
and their eyes towards the Mercy Seat. And that Mercy Seat, of
course, that's where the Blood of Atonement was to be sprinkled
on the Great Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16. The High Priest
would venture then beyond the Second Veil into the Holy of
Holies, but not without the Blood of Sacrifice and he would sprinkle
the Blood before the Mercy Seat, upon the Mercy Seat. and the
cherubims their eyes towards it, the angels all they love
to look into these things, this is their desire to behold the
wondrous salvation of sinners in the person and work of the
Lord Jesus and Christ says there's joy in
the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that's repenteth
or what glory is to be seen then in the church where God really
demonstrates his great power the salvation of sinners according
to the power that worketh in us unto him be glory in the church and that power it's the outworking
of God's eternal decree as we see in the former part of the
epistle there's that eternal purpose of God that he speaks
of in verse 5 of chapter 1 having predestinated us unto the adoption
of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good
pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein
he hath made us accepted in the beloved it all to the praise
of his glory or what God has purposed. And then there's the
preaching. How the Apostle makes mention
of the need of that preaching. He was made a minister. That's
what he says at verse 7. I was made a minister according
to the gift of the grace of God, given unto me by the effectual
working of His power, unto me who am less than the least of
all saints. That's another typical Pauline
expression, isn't it? You can't get lower than the
least. And yet Paul says he is less than the least. In a sense
he's coining a new word, the leaster. Unto me who am less
than the least of all saints is this grace given that I should
preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.
All God's purpose and that gospel is to be proclaimed
to the ends of the earth and then has he not also reminded
us of how the power of the Spirit is so necessary if that preaching
is going to be made effectual where were these Ephesians when
the gospel first came to them they were dead in trespasses
and sins that's what he says at the beginning of the second
chapter but then God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith
he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us
together with Christ hath quickened us, made us live together all
that great work of regeneration in the soul of the sinner how
this salvation must be made real. God's purpose, then the proclamation
of it, and the power of the Spirit, and churches, churches gathered
together, the people to praise the God of Abraham according
to the power that worketh in us unto him be glory in the church. But it's all, it's all by Christ
Jesus. it's all by Christ Jesus or there
is a union you see between Christ and his church there's a covenantal
union isn't it? this act that in many ways is
imaged in the marriage relationship how the Apostle we'll go on in
chapter 5 to speak of those relative duties and he speaks of husbands
and wives but then when we come to the end of chapter 5 he says
this is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church
Christ and his bride that's a church that was given to him in the
great covenant of redemption before the foundation of the
world, there was an eternal union. Oh, there's an eternal union.
There's a people that have been given to the Lord Jesus. And
now the Apostle speaks so clearly of that. Doesn't he there in
that opening chapter? Verse 3, God hath blessed us. with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ according as he has chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world that we should be
holy and without blame before him in love and so Christ united
to that church he comes to accomplish the salvation of his people he
goes on doesn't he there in verse 7 in whom we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of His grace, wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom
and prudence. All redemption. That ransom price
that's been paid to the Holy Lord of God in the dying of the
Lord Jesus for His people. All the soul that sinneth shall
die. The wages of sin is death, but
Christ has died. and it's either just for the
unjust to bring the sinner to God and then that eternal union that Christ comes to make a reality
when he accomplishes the great work it then becomes an experimental
union and that's what we have here,
is it not? Verse 16, that He would grant unto you according
to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with might by
His Spirit in thee in a man that Christ may dwell in your hearts
by faith. It's all made real you see. It's
made real in the sinner's soul. Christ dwelling in the heart
by faith that she might be filled with all the fullness of God. or if any man is in Christ he's
a new creation, a new creature all things have passed away,
all things are become new all that seed that remaineth
in him partaker of divine nature it's all by Christ Jesus it's
by Christ Jesus unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus
throughout all ages world without end. This is the great doxology
with which he begins to conclude the whole of the prayer. Worship God, worship God for
of him and through him and to him be all things to whom be
glory forever and ever. What is the great end of the
work of the Lord Jesus Christ as the mediator? Well, we're
told, aren't we, there in 1 Corinthians 15 and the end of verse 28? That God's may be all in all. That God's may be all in all. That's the blessed end of all
the work of the Lord Jesus. by Christ Jesus throughout all
ages, world without end. Amen. Do you know the significance
of the Amen? It literally means, so be it.
It's often in our authorised version translated by the word,
verily, and we know how it's a favourite word of the Lord
Jesus Christ. How many times, particularly
in the Gospel according to Saint John, does the Lord use that
word, we know it verily. Many times it's a double. Verily,
verily. I say unto you, literally means
truly. And Christ himself is that one
who is the army. Is the Amen the faithful and
true witness? I like the definition of the Amen that
we have in the Heidelberg Catechism. It says there, Amen signifies
it shall truly and certainly be. For my prayer is more assuredly
heard of God then I feel in my heart that I desire these things
of him how comforting that is so often we feel in our hearts
that our prayers are such poor prayers and we wonder sometimes
if we've ever prayed at all but when we consider the Amen and
the Lord Jesus is that blessed Amen He takes those poor prayers
And you know when the Lord intercedes, and He ever lives to intercede,
His very presence there in heaven is a continual plea on part of
His people. When He takes those poor prayers,
those sighs, those cries, those groanings, they're perfect. They're perfect prayers. That's why I like the definition,
it's so objective. I know we have to look to ourselves,
we have to examine ourselves when we come now to the Lord's
table presently as a church. Let a man examine himself, so
let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. All we're to examine ourselves,
not that we find any qualifications in ourselves, but we want to
come as we ought, poor needy sinners. or to examine ourselves, to prove
ourselves, to know ourselves it is good to do some of that
self-examination but remember the language of
dear Robert Murray McShane when he would say one look at self
ten, a hundred, a thousand looks at Christ all we have to turn
away from ourselves we have to look to Him as that one who is
the great Amen to all our prayers. He is the faithful. He is the
true witness. Again, I remind you of the language
of the Heidelberger. Amen signifies it shall truly
and certainly be. For my prayer is more assuredly
heard of God than I feel in my heart. that I desire these things
of Him. O God, help us then to be found
looking unto the Lord Jesus Christ, the author and the finisher of
our faith. 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. Unto Him be glory in the
church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end,
Amen.