9-10
Feb 2019, Christ Mountain Top
Feb 2019, Christ Mountain Top
Praying
the Psalm, Psalm 145:8-21
the Psalm, Psalm 145:8-21
Children,
John 6.1-21 (feeding 5000)
John 6.1-21 (feeding 5000)
Message,
Ephesians 3.14-21
Ephesians 3.14-21
Mission
Moment, Mission Central 2018 year-end report (video)
Moment, Mission Central 2018 year-end report (video)
In
Ephesians Paul repeatedly offers his prayers for the readers of this letter –
prayers for us – and he closes asking
for our prayer for him. One of those prayers will be our theme Scripture as a
church for 2019 and is our theme today:
Ephesians Paul repeatedly offers his prayers for the readers of this letter –
prayers for us – and he closes asking
for our prayer for him. One of those prayers will be our theme Scripture as a
church for 2019 and is our theme today:
Ephesians
3:18-21 I pray that you may
have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length
and height and depth, 19 and
to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled
with all the fullness of God. 20
Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly
far more than all we can ask or imagine,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all
generations, forever and ever. Amen.
3:18-21 I pray that you may
have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length
and height and depth, 19 and
to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled
with all the fullness of God. 20
Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly
far more than all we can ask or imagine,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all
generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Blessing
in Christ, to the praise of his glorious grace
in Christ, to the praise of his glorious grace
Power
and fullness in Christ, all in all
and fullness in Christ, all in all
Created
and Made Alive in Christ: Grace through Faith
and Made Alive in Christ: Grace through Faith
Reconciled
in Christ: Near and Far
in Christ: Near and Far
This
week: Love and Glory in
Christ: Abundantly Far More
week: Love and Glory in
Christ: Abundantly Far More
Begins
with the theme of family (from the first week)
bows before our Father
with the theme of family (from the first week)
bows before our Father
From whom “every family” or “the entire
family”?
family”?
The theme of last week, the two made
ONE
ONE
Better translation (Stott, 133) is
“the entire family”
“the entire family”
Begins
with prayer
with prayer
Bow the knee – not the typical posture,
which was standing
which was standing
Bowing the knee was reserved for intensive
prayer, for a request that went to the core of the person asking (Stott, 132)
prayer, for a request that went to the core of the person asking (Stott, 132)
Two
prayer requests and a closing benediction, with overlapping themes:
prayer requests and a closing benediction, with overlapping themes:
Power/strength
Glory/richness
Superlatives – love that surpasses
knowledge, power that accomplishes abundantly far more, including a word that
Paul invents (like “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”)
knowledge, power that accomplishes abundantly far more, including a word that
Paul invents (like “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”)
Love
Prayer,
limitless love
limitless love
Benediction,
limitless power
limitless power
(Stott, 140)
Limitless love:
To
know breadth, length, height, and depth – abruptly transitions, bad grammar (at
least in English) – Paul is breathless. He’s already had a 13 verse sentence to
begin chapter 3. He’s on a roll. Don’t stop him now!
know breadth, length, height, and depth – abruptly transitions, bad grammar (at
least in English) – Paul is breathless. He’s already had a 13 verse sentence to
begin chapter 3. He’s on a roll. Don’t stop him now!
Measuring
and counting things
and counting things
Recipe
Run
Dog’s training collar
Puppet stage
Weather
But
you really can’t measure the love of God!
you really can’t measure the love of God!
To
know that love of Christ that surpasses knowledge
know that love of Christ that surpasses knowledge
How do you know what is beyond knowing?
Inviting us into mystery, into mysticism, into
the heart of God
the heart of God
Inviting us into poetry beyond math and science
This
week’s funeral: “I love you more”
week’s funeral: “I love you more”
Competitive
affection … love you more than the waters run into the sea, than the planets
dance around the sun, than a bat pursues a bug
affection … love you more than the waters run into the sea, than the planets
dance around the sun, than a bat pursues a bug
Even
our best poets cannot quantify love
our best poets cannot quantify love
· Song
of Solomon 8:7 If one offered for
love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly scorned.
of Solomon 8:7 If one offered for
love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly scorned.
· You
can’t buy love
can’t buy love
· But
you can EXPERIENCE it
you can EXPERIENCE it
Experiences
of love:
of love:
· Friends
who have forgiven me
who have forgiven me
· Robin
allowing me to be anxious without adding to it
allowing me to be anxious without adding to it
· Dave
presenting me with compression underwear
presenting me with compression underwear
Every
experience of love comes from the heart of God, the glory and riches of the
grace of Christ Jesus, the power of the Spirit. And every experience of love is
another glimpse at its limitless dimensions.
experience of love comes from the heart of God, the glory and riches of the
grace of Christ Jesus, the power of the Spirit. And every experience of love is
another glimpse at its limitless dimensions.
Limitless power:
Above
what we can ask or imagine (think to ask but don’t say)
what we can ask or imagine (think to ask but don’t say)
Double dog dare you
Go big or go home
Our
timid asks: Mom asking for ice cream, “JP, will you be having ice cream
tonight?”
timid asks: Mom asking for ice cream, “JP, will you be having ice cream
tonight?”
Learning
to make the big ask:
to make the big ask:
Development officers, our possible capital
campaign
campaign
Sales
A date
Resources:
John
R. W. Stott, God’s New Society: The
Message of Ephesians, 1979.
R. W. Stott, God’s New Society: The
Message of Ephesians, 1979.
