3. Ephesians chapter 3. We'll be looking at verse 13
down through the end of this chapter, verse 21. And the title of the message is,
A Prayer for the Fainthearted. A Prayer for the Fainthearted. The Apostle begins here in verse
13 saying, "...wherefore, I desire that you faint not at
my tribulations for you, which is for your glory." Now Paul
says here, wherefore, and you know when you see that, wherefore
or therefore, you should find out what it's there for. And
the apostle had just informed them again, reminded them that
he was chosen of God to be an apostle. He was chosen of God
to declare the Word of God to them. He says in verse 8, "...unto
me, who am less than least of all the saints, is this grace
given." that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable
riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the fellowship
of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been
hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, listen to the
intent, that now unto the principalities and powers in the heavenly places
might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God."
What is that? "...according to the eternal
purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." in whom
we have boldness and access with confidence by faith in Him."
Paul had declared to them the gospel. He said, this is my office,
this is my mission, this is my purpose to declare unto you the
mysteries of God. And those mysteries he had declared
of God's eternal purpose and how Christ had redeemed them,
how the Spirit is to call them through the preaching of the
gospel. He had already declared this to them. But something had
taken place in the church that Paul was much aware of, and it
was they were fainting over his suffering. The apostle of God,
the man sent of God, the man given the office to write the
Word of God, had now been cast into prison. And these believers
were faint-hearted. He said, Wherefore I desire that
you faint not at, listen, My tribulations. They were fainting
at His tribulation. How could God do this? How could
God allow His man to be set into prison? Yet you remember that's
what He told him in Acts chapter 20, wasn't it? He said, look,
I'm going to prison. I'm going to die. This will be
the last time you see me. Take heed unto yourselves and
to all the flock of God which He had made you overseers, to
feed them that He purchased with His own blood. And remember what
he said, their grievous wolves will come in. And you remember
that last scene with them at Ephesus. They had wrapped their
arms around him and they cried on his neck, knowing it was the
last time they would see him. And now look, it's come to pass. This letter, he had known that
this letter was written. He was in prison, he's writing
this letter. They're about to faint. What
are we going to do? The apostle of God has now been
imprisoned. Is this not the question that
we often ask? Why do the righteous suffer and
the wicked prosper? You see it. You know it's true.
You know it's true. The wicked prosper, and the righteous
suffer. Now listen to me, believer, if
you don't keep your eyes on Christ, you'll be falling just like they
will, these people did, with a faint heart. As soon as we
take our eyes off of Christ, what does our heart begin to
do? It begins, just like Peter, it begins to sing. We take our
eyes off of Christ. We become like Asaph. We say,
surely God is, truly God is good unto Israel. But as for me, my
feet had nigh well slipped. I was almost gone, for I was
envious at the foolish and saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Many times God's people look around them and see the evil
prospering, they gain while the righteous are persecuted and
fall into many tribulations and at times become so fainthearted
as to think, can I make it any further? Can I go any further? We see many of our brothers and
sisters in pain while evil men abuse them. But isn't this what
Peter said? Evil seducers will wax worse
and worse. It's not going to get better,
friends. Not in this world. And if we're
expecting that, I think we're setting ourselves up for failure.
For a faint heart. We see the evil doing well, but
the righteous, they don't, the evil don't feel any guilt, do
they? They don't feel guilt for their sins. They don't feel struggle
within their breasts like a believer does. And so we may have the
same common calamities, but it's not the same, is it? We struggle
with our sin. We struggle against the world,
against the flesh, and against Satan. We have a fight that the
world don't have. And I tell you, it does not take
long for us to be fainthearted. It does not take us long to be
weary. At times we feel the weight of our
sin, we feel as though God has left us, we feel as though He
is punishing us for our sins, all of which are not true. All
of which are not true. In fact, believer, God desires
and will do only that which is good for you. Over in Jeremiah
chapter 32 and verse 41, listen what God says. He says, yes,
I will rejoice over them to do them good. And I will plant them
in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole
soul. And in chapter 33, the very next
chapter in verse 6, he says this, Behold, I will bring it health
and cure. And I will cure them. and I will
reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth and I will
cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to
return and will build them as at the first and I will cleanse
them from all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against
me and I will pardon their iniquities whereby they have sinned and
whereby they have transgressed against me and listen and it
shall be to me a name of joy Is God begrudging to forgive
you? Is God begrudging to save you? No. He said, I'm gonna make
a name and it's for my joy I do this. A praise and an honor before
all the nations of the earth which shall hear all the good
that I will do unto them. And they shall fear and tremble
for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure
unto them. So what does God desire for you,
believer? What does He not just desire, what will He do? That's
not just a wish, is it? God's not just wishing you good.
We do that. We say, man, I just wish you
good, I wish you well. God doesn't wish anybody well.
If He wants you to be well, you'll be well. God wants good for you,
it will happen to you. That's exactly how we should
see this. God only intends always everything
for your good and His glory. Everything. Everything. Look
over with me in John chapter 16. I'll give you something,
a word from our Lord concerning our troubles. John chapter 16 and verse... Let's look at verse 29, because
I want you to see what the disciples are saying here. They say this,
now we are sure. that thou knowest all things
and needest not that any man ask of thee by this we believe
thou camest forth from God you hear that in verse thirty
now we're sure now believer how many times you said that I'm
just now I am sure that thou art the Christ I am sure that
I have access unto God. I am sure His blood hath cleansed
me from all my sin. I'm sure. Nothing shall move
me." Look what Jesus said. Do you now believe? He's not asking if they have
faith. He knows they have faith. What He's doing is He's rebuking
their cockiness. He's rebuking their arrogance.
He says, do you now believe? Let me tell you what's going
to happen. Behold, the hour cometh, yea, now has come, that you shall
be scattered every man to his own, and you shall leave me alone. And yet I am not alone because
the Father is with me. These things, now listen why
he's told them this. These things I've spoken unto
you that you might have peace. In the world you shall have,
what? Tribulation. But be of good cheer,
I have overcome the world." How many times have we been so
arrogant in our faith? So condescending. No man needs
to ask you anything. I don't need to ask you anything
anymore, I'm sure. I don't need to pray anymore. I know you're
working this. I know you're doing everything. He said, really? Watch this. Watch this. In less than an hour, you'll
be running like scared children. And you'll leave me. You'll leave
me. Now listen, friends, the world
promises men the best life now. That's what the world promises.
The world and its false religion, they want the things of this
world. They want the health. They want
wealth. They want prosperity. That's their end game, is to
have that. But Christ doesn't promise us
that, does He? What does He promise you? In
this world you shall have tribulation, trouble, difficulty. He promised
that everyone who believes in Him will suffer faith. Suffering is always the result
of faith in Christ. He told them that they would
be hated of all men. Why? Because the world hated
him first. It will also hate you. And so,
James says, he says he that is a friend with the world is an
enemy of God. An enemy of God. Now listen, if this world loves
us and loves our message, there's something wrong with us, or there's
something wrong with our message. I bet you if they love it, you've
compromised somewhere. If they love it, then you've
compromised. You've compromised. Why? Because the world don't love
this gospel. If we preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to right
the world, and all its system will hate us, and will hate the
gospel we preach, seeing how weak and vulnerable
we are, should we not pray, Lord, keep us from compromise? Yes, give us a loving heart. I tell you, we should need a
loving heart for the lost. All of us should have a loving
heart. Why? We were there. We understand
their plight better than anybody. We know their plight more than
they do. We should be compassionate. Of all people, compassionate,
but not so compassionate as to compromise. Never compromise
the gospel to win people to Christ. That's not going to happen. We
should never do that. Our Lord promised us troubles, but he
also gives us in this a word of peace. He says this, but be
of good cheer. Look, you're going to run, you're
going to be scattered, you're going to leave me. All of your
arrogance is going to fly away and your faith is going to be
brought to nothing. Don't worry. Don't worry. I have overcome
the world. Be of good cheer. I have overcome
every enemy, every obstacle that would keep you from me. I have
overcome it. I have overcome. Not you. Not
a cooperative effort, is it? No. It's all Him. I have overcome
the world. Therefore, what is our troubles
for? What was His trouble here? It was to abase His disciples
from their pride. That's why they must be scattered.
They must be abased so that they might be useful. So what is our
troubles? Why is we afflicted so that we
might be useful for the service of God? And so these troubles, our Lord
says, they're coming. But listen, they're not meant
to destroy you, they're meant to refine you. As gold is refined
in the fire, The fire does not hurt the gold. You got it? It only burns the dross. And
so what is the reality then of our trials? What is really hurting? Is it the inner man? Is the inner
man hurting? No, that's the gold. What's hurting? The flesh. The flesh is being
burned. The flesh, the dross of our sin
is being consumed. It must be burned off if we're
to be useful. If the gold is to be more valuable,
it must be purified. And listen, if we're to be of
any worth or value in this world, we must be purified. Therefore,
our Lord said, you will have tribulation. Why? Because we
will be useful. God's people will be useful.
And so we have these to be refined. Just as we sang, have we trials
and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We
should never be discouraged. I got that. I finally decided,
it's clicked in my head. We should be never discouraged,
but I know we are. We shouldn't be discouraged.
What's the remedy? Take it to the Lord in prayer. Wherefore, Paul says. Look at
your text. Go back to your text. Look at this. Verse 13. If I
can get back to my text. There. Verse 13, wherefore. I desire that you faint not at
my tribulation, which is for your glory. Listen. For this
cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Now then, is there any trouble? Is there any trial? Is there
any faint-hearted? What did Paul do? For the faint-hearted,
what did he do? He said, I bow my knees. Is this not instruction? Is this not good instruction?
This is not my instruction. This is God's instruction. Bow
down and pray. Pray. Remember all that are in Christ. You listen. You have access to
God at every moment. Even now. Even now. You and I who are in Christ have
access unto God. Those that are chosen of God,
those that are washed in the blood of Christ, those that are
clothed in the righteousness of Christ, we have access unto
God. Now those outside of Christ,
they don't. They don't have. You are outside
of Christ. You do not have access unto the
Father. But we do. We who are in Christ
do have access. You remember what he said in
Romans chapter 5 and verse 1? He says this, "...therefore being
justified by faith." Now listen, our faith manifests
our justification. Now we weren't justified because
we believed. We were justified long before
we believed. But when we believed, it was evident but it's rather
the object of our faith that justifies us, isn't it? We are
justified by Christ! By Christ we have peace with
God through who? Our Lord Jesus Christ by whom
also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand
and rejoice in confidence in hope of the glory of God. Come ye sinners poor and wretched,
weak and wounded, sick and sore. Jesus ready stands to save you,
full of pity, love, and power. I will arise and go to Jesus. He will embrace me in His arms. In the arms of my dear Savior,
oh, there are 10,000 charms. Now listen, you may pray that
when you come the first time, but is that not good enough to
pray every time you come? Isn't that always how we come?
Weak and wounded, sick and sore. We're always fainting. Always
troubled. You've come to God by Christ,
then go to God by Christ. And you are accepted, be confident
of your approach. Be confident. But now then notice,
look how Paul comes. Does he come rashly? Does he
come arrogantly, as the disciples did that day? No, he said this,
I bow my knees. Come reverently before thy father. Reverently. I bow my knees. Let us come boldly with reverence.
He who is our father is also our king. We should come. You
remember Esther, how she came? She had a good request and she
had a good trouble. I mean, Israel was about to be
exterminated. She had a good reason to come
before the king, which was her husband. And you remember the
law. The law in the court says if
he did not extend you the scepter, you would be killed. I didn't
care if you, it didn't matter if you were the king's wife or
not. You were to be killed. And remember she came in there
boldly but reverently looking for his acceptance and as soon
as his eyes saw her, what did he do? You. He stopped all business. He said you. Come on. Come here. Why? That was his love. That
was his heart. And that's what he says to you.
He'd stop all the world to have you in his presence and come
and make your request known unto God. Come quickly, you fainthearted. Come quickly, bowing the knee. And understand this. Paul was
expressing here the sovereignty of God. Not only did he come
reverently, he come recognizing this. This is the only one can
help. That's the only one here. Who
could help these Ephesians? Could they help themselves? Could
Paul help them? He wanted to. He was in prison. He could not help. Where did he go? He went to the
only one that could. Friends, if you're fainthearted,
don't go to anyone else. Go to God. Bow to His sovereign
will. You see, He knew who they belonged
to. They belonged to God. And when we come before God,
let us desire... before God and desire to be free
from our troubles, let us be mindful that God knows what's
best. I bow my knees. In other words,
whatever you think is best for them, that's what should be.
That's what you should be. Are you in trouble and difficulty?
Then bow the knee to Christ our mediator. Yield yourself to his
care. Pray what you will. Now listen,
pray what you will. Anything you want, pray. God
does never limit our requirements except for sin. That'd be foolish,
arrogant. But I'm talking about your troubles,
your difficulties. Pray to be delivered from them.
By all means, lay it out. Lay your case out before Him
as Hezekiah did the papers from the Assyrian army. Lay them out
before the Lord. Look, I can't do this. Lay it
out. Don't pick it up. Don't take it back. Leave it. Leave it with Him. And notice
this, Paul says this, I want you to see how he includes every
one of us in this. He says, I bow my knees unto
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's not just His Lord,
it's our Lord. We bow our knees unto our Lord. The unity of believers is here
mentioned. And all who, we have the same
Father in heaven, we're the same family, the same children, Look
at this in verse 15. He says, "...of whom the whole
family in heaven and earth is named." That word named means
assigned. You know you were assigned to
be part of this family? In election we were assigned.
This is my family. How do you know that? God assigned
me to it. He assigned you to it. That's
how you're part of this family. And so then I ask you, parents,
do you care for your children? Do you want them to do good,
do well? Do you want the best for them?
Listen, you are in no way can compare to our Father. How much
more God the Father wants the good for all his saints in heaven
and in earth? Now listen, what are those saints
that went before us? Do they not testify of God's
goodness to us? Can you not read their accounts
and see the testimony of their life? How that God led them all
the way? And how God was not slack concerning
His promises? That God was always delivering
them, always bringing them into trouble, and always bringing
them out. And so what does Paul say? Wherefore
seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us run the race that is set before us. How with patience,
waiting, waiting, on the Lord to deliver us. Paul knew that
God was the only one that could comfort and strengthen these
believers, and so then how did he manifest that God would do
this. How should they be strengthened? Look back at your text. So Paul's
praying. He's praying for these faint-hearted
saints. He wants them to be strengthened. He says, in verse 16, this is
what I'm praying, that God would grant you, according to the riches
of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit Where? In the inner man. In the inner
man. How is it that we are strengthened? How then, if God would strengthen
the fainthearted, how are they strengthened? How is it that
we may be encouraged in such difficult times? You listen,
only by the Spirit of God and only in the inner man. This is
where it begins. If we're going to have any lasting
encouragement, any lasting strength, it's got to be done by the Spirit
of God and it's got to be done in the inner man. In the inner
man. When troubles come, remember
the target of God is to mortify, what? The deeds of the body. That's his target, isn't it?
His target is to strengthen the inner man, but in doing so, he
must mortify the old man. It must be put off. It must be. If there's to be any strength
or encouragement, it must be burned off the dross. The inner
man, the new creation created after God in true holiness, and
the nature that loves God, believes the gospel of God, that nature
is what needs to be built up and encouraged, strengthened.
The old man is never going to be strengthened and encouraged
in the gospel. You got that? The old man is never going to
be encouraged or strengthened by the gospel. Only the inner
man is encouraged and strengthened by the gospel. And so, I want you to be encouraged. I pray the Spirit of God will
do that. Go to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter
4. Oh, may God use this and encourage
us. This will be good. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse
15. For some things are for your
sakes. Is that what it says? You know it doesn't. What's for your sakes? What is
for your sake? All things are for your sakes. That The abundant grace might,
through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God. See, believer, all things are
for your sakes, and this is the reason God says, I'm doing it
for your good, which shall redound to, what? My glory. I'm doing this for you so that
you should praise me. That's what God does this for.
Everything. All things are working right
now for the good of God's saints and the glory of Jesus Christ. That's right. Everything. I don't
care what it is. I don't see how. Don't matter
if you see how or not. That's for you. Now what does that do for you?
Verse 16, for this cause we faint not. Does that not encourage you?
Does that not strengthen the inner man to know that all things
are for your sakes and for the glory of God? For this cause
we faint not. But though the outward man perish,
he's perishing, isn't he? Anybody can identify with that? Anyone? This man is perishing. He's getting older. He's dying. That's exactly what's happening
to all of us. We're dying. The old man perishes. Yet, what happens? The inward
man is renewed day by day. And so how do we look at our
afflictions? For our light afflictions are but for a moment. Worketh
a far more exceeding eternal weight of glory. While we look
not at the things that are seen, but the things which are not
seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, and the things
which are not seen are eternal. Oh, believer, listen. God intends
for this, since this old man is wearing out and the new man
is not. What happens? The old man suffers,
the new man is renewed day by day. How are we renewed? The gospel. The gospel. The gospel the scripture declares
is as the dew. on the tenderer. You know how dew comes? It just appears.
Isn't that how the gospel comes? You're a desert, you're thirsty,
you're starving for the things of God, and yet all of a sudden,
gospel. And what is it? You're refreshed. Somehow you're refreshed. Somehow
you're strengthened. Somehow the trouble is not as
difficult as it was. Why? The Gospel has come. It
is the dew on the tender herb. Believer, are you scorched by
the heat of your trials and troubles? It is my prayer that God Almighty
would come and refresh you, would give this Gospel to you. It comes
by His sovereign work. And how does it come? It comes
by the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. Paul says this, He says that He would grant you,
according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened by
might, by His Spirit. His Spirit. Now listen, I can
preach to you, I can never make it effectual to you. I was speaking with a lady this
afternoon, and she says, man, you have passion about this.
All the passion in the world won't get it to anybody's heart. without the Spirit of God. You
won't learn this except the Spirit of God teach you and teach me.
This is how it is. And that He may grant you. So
who's sovereign here in this matter? God is. God is. Now look
at verse 17. That Christ may dwell in your
hearts by faith and that you being rooted and grounded in
love may be able to comprehend with
all saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ that passes all knowledge." Now listen, the only way for
us to be able to stand and face our trials and troubles is this.
You must be rooted and grounded in the love of God. You must
understand who it is that put you in Christ, who it was that
saved you by Christ, and who it was that keeps you in Christ. Who does all this? Why must he
do this? Love. Love. Looking at our troubles, will
not help us, do not look to the arm of flesh, look to Christ,
and see His heart, and you'll be strengthened. If
you can see His heart for you, you will be strengthened. You
will be strengthened. Set not your affections on the
things of the world, but rather set them on Christ. Behold, it
was the Father that chose you, the Son redeemed you. And listen,
He puts you in Christ. He puts you in union with Christ
and made Christ to be all your salvation for you. But of God
are you in Christ who have made of Him wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption. All of it. Christ is all of it. God made us to be in Christ and
made Christ to be all of these things for us. And so if Christ
is our head and we are His body, how safe are you? How safe are
you? And seeing that we are in Him,
don't you know this? He dwells in you. He dwells in you. By His Holy
Spirit, He dwells in you. And what does Paul say? He says
that you may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth,
height, and depth of the love of God. You know what I desire? I desire a lively sense of God's
great eternal love. I want that. If I have that,
I don't care what trouble I have because it won't matter. If I can comprehend, now this
word comprehend, it means to seize that you may be able to
seize and know the love of God. That's what he's praying for.
How many times can you, you're in trouble and you just can't
get your mind around the love of God. You just, no matter how
hard you try, you can't, it doesn't, you don't find comfort in it,
you don't find any strength in it. You see, the Holy Spirit
must show you that you may seize it. Oh, I want to seize it. I want to grab a hold of it.
I want to know it. I want to know the love of God.
Comprehend with all saints. And what are we to comprehend?
Listen. Comprehend the breadth of it. That's the width. The
width of it. The width of the love of Christ
supports all the elect from righteous Abel to the very last saint.
This foundation upon which we stand is so broad that none will
fall off. It's so firm because God Jesus
Christ is the one we stand on and his breath is so far, that
love of Christ is so broad. Isn't it? What about the length of his
love? How long is it? It is from eternity
and it goes to eternity. There's the length of God's love.
Duration. The duration of God's love. It's
from eternity to eternity, but listen, there's no gaps. There's
no gaps in time in this love. Its length is constant, perpetual
duration. Forever. Thy mercy endureth forever. Forever. What is the depth of
this love? This is no thin love. You may
have a, look, you may have a long, broad piece of paper, but if
it's thin, it ain't gonna do you any good. Now how deep is
this love? How deep is it? It is so deep
that the Son of God condescended and was made sin for us. So low the Son of God reached
that He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree. How deep is hell? He went deeper. He went so deep, He went underneath
hell to get us. Isn't that what He says? Underneath
are the everlasting arms. You see, you've got to go further
than the person to go underneath. That's how deep this love is
for us. And thirdly, this love is not only deep, it's high. It's high. Scripture says that we are quickened
together with Christ and made to sit where? In heavenly places. This is as high as God is. Our salvation, His love, is as
high as He is, and He will bring us all home to Himself. And this love passes all understanding,
that you might be filled with the fullness of God. Now then,
what is the confidence of the Apostle Paul in his prayer? Did he have confidence in them?
No. Did he have confidence in his
ability to pray? No. He said, now, unto him that
is able. Who is able to answer our prayers?
Only God. Unto him who is able. But what
is he able to do? He's able to do more than you
even ask him for. He said he was able to do exceedingly,
abundantly above all that you ask or think according to the
power that worketh in us." He is able. He is able to save
us. He is able. Spurgeon wrote this. He said, God is too good to be
unkind. Too wise to be mistaken. Too
powerful to fail. Too just to demand twice payment
for sin. And he is too loving to leave
one of his children to perish. God says, I will never leave
you nor forsake you. I am a very present help in trouble. I will cleanse you from all your
iniquities. I will pardon all your sins.
I have redeemed thee. And he's seeing that Jesus has
reconciled, redeemed us, taken away all of our sin, and clothed
us in his righteousness. Now what will stop God from doing
us good? Isn't that the first objection
you have? Well, God shouldn't do me good
because I sin. What sin? He's already removed that. He
didn't ignore it. He paid for it. So what then
should stop Him from keeping you? What's going to stop Him
from strengthening you? Nothing. Nothing. A prayer for
the faint-hearted. Are you faint-hearted? Pray. Bow your knees before God. Come boldly Come reverently. Pray that God would reveal to
you the love of Christ. The depth, the broad, the height,
the width of Christ's love. And leave it all to Him that
is able. Leave it to Him. God help us
to do this. He is able to do more than this.
And pay attention. He will do more than you ask. He will. Because your way is
just not the best way. Y'all found that out yet? Your
way is not the best way? His way is the best way. God strengthen you. Let's stand
and be dismissed in prayer.