My Life is Yours to Control
By Pastor Matt Black
27 May
2007
Lord's Day morning
Ephesians 3:16-19
Introduction: Open your Bibles to the book of Ephesians 3. The title of this morning’s message is “My Life is Yours to Control”. Once you’ve found Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, won’t you stand with me out of great reverence for God’s voice to us this morning?
We’ll be focusing on verse 16, but let’s read verses 14 through 19, “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
This prayer is sandwiched between two phrases that will give purpose and direction to you life.
ALL the Fullness of God
First look at that last phrase in verse 19, “that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God”—Paul prays for the Ephesians for this to happen. The whole goal of His prayer is that they may be “filled with all the fullness of God”.
Filled with All the Fullness of God: this is the objective of living! This is why God created you.
What does it mean to be filled with God? It means that His touch is upon every part of your life. His fingerprints are all over you. It meant that from your face shines the Shekinah glory.
No Room for Anything Else!
When you are Filled with ALL the fullness of God, there is no room for anything else.
Illustrations:
If your life is filled with all the fullness of God, it means:
There is no room for your own power!
There is no room for your own planning!
There is no room for your own passions!
And so in these verses we have three marks of God working and moving in a person’s life. So before we begin, let me ask you, Are you filled with ALL the fullness of God today? If not, I’m asking God that you will yield to the Lord TOTAL CONTROL of your life today. It is a scary prospect at first, but it is the safest thing you can do for now and for eternity.
The second phrase that is key here is found in verse 16, “according to the riches of his glory”. God’s glory is at stake here. If you are not filled with ALL the fullness of God, you are robbing God of His glory. We are going to see why that is so important in a shortly, but let’s first ask our selves the important question:
How can I be filled with all the fullness of God? First…
You need to EMPTY yourself of all self-reliance and…
I. Lean on the Power of the Spirit (verse 16). Paul prays, “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man”.
A. So the first step in toward the fullness of God in your life is a TOTAL God-dependence.
What are you leaning on to get you through each day? You are leaning on something, because you are not strong enough to go through a day.
B. We are weak, and we need God’s power! You cannot survive on your own. We cannot deny physical weakness among us this morning. In fact I can prove it this morning! Any one here ever been sick? Sometimes I think that at our church there’s something in the water. So many are sick among us.
Where did this weakness come from?
1. In the Beginning…
God created the universe out of nothing. It was all very good the way he made it. It had no flaws, no suffering, no pain, no death, no evil. Then Adam and Eve did something in their hearts that was so horrifyingly evil that God not only sentenced them to death (Genesis 2:17), but also subjected the entire creation to “futility” and the “bondage of corruption” (Romans 8:21-22).
2. The curse. Genesis 3:17, God said, “cursed is the ground for thy sake”
God said, cursed be the ground, in other words, because of you. But why?
· Why are there natural disasters in creation in response to moral failures in man?
· Why not just simple death for all the guilty offspring of Adam?
· Why so many children with heart-wrenching disabilities?
· Why does every human being have to suffer?
· Why do animals suffer?
· This year, in some remote area of the world, rivers will overflow their banks suddenly and sweep villages away—families, children!
· Not long ago a tsunami kills 250,000 people in one night
· Recently, storms sank a group of Philippine ferries with 800 people on board
· AIDS and malaria and cancer and heart disease kill millions of people old and young
· Right now, droughts and famines are bringing millions to the brink—or over the brink—of starvation.
· Every day freak accidents happen,
o somebody falls while climbing and falls on his leg—has to have his leg amputated
o Another loses an eye
o a baby is born with no face.
If we could see one ten-thousandth of the suffering of the world at any given moment, we would we would collapse under the horror of it all. Only God can endure that sight.
3. Why all the mess of sin? The answer: Genesis 3:17, God said, “cursed is the ground for thy sake” God said, cursed be the ground, in other words, because of you. But why?
God put the natural world under a curse, so that the physical horrors we see around us (diseases, disasters, etc.) would become a vivid picture of how horrible sin is.
4. What is sin?
Sin is a distrust of God. It is a breaking of God’s law. It is a failure to yield to the power of God and instead be self-reliant.
The truth of the matter is, we are either depending on and trusting in God, or we are sinning. So when Paul says in our text in Ephesians 3:16, “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man”, he is saying, ‘For the sake of God’s glory, you need to be God-dependent!” You need to depend on the strength of God’s Spirit with every activity: mind will and emotions need to be governed by the Almighty Spirit of God!
The problem is that we are not affected by the horrible corruption of sin in our own lives and in this world, and so God allows great pain and suffering to mirror the disaster and disease of sin. “The wages of sin is death” right? Let me put it a different way. The wages of sin is pain. Crying. Sorrow. Disease. The wages of sin is emotional darkness. The wages of sin is depression and fear.
Our hearts are so dull and blinded to the dirtiness and arrogance of our own sin. Almost no one is nauseated at how they belittle the glory of God, so God must send sickness to demonstrate it to us.
You are either leaning on what the Bible calls “the arm of the flesh”, or you are leaning on God.
I want you to see this truth clearly taught in Scripture.
C. It is totally vain to trust in your own power.
1. All power comes from God.
Acts 17:28, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being”.
Colossians 1:17, “by him [CHRIST] all things consist.”
Listen, Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Jesus Christ is “the brightness of [God’s] his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power”.
You cannot sneeze without the permission of God. Every word you speak, every breath you take is by God’s life and power flowing in you. It is the very Word of Christ’s power that gives you life. He is your King right now whether you yield your life to Him or not.
Jesus said, “Without Me, ye can do nothing” (John 15:15).
Matthew 28:18 “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth”
Romans 13:1 “For there is no power, but of God . . .”
1 Corinthians 1:24 “Christ, [IS CALLED] the [VERY] power of God…
2. No one is delivered from trials through their own power. It is totally decided by the Lord what will happen. We see this in Psalm 33:16-17, “There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. 17 An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.”
3. In fact, God says if you don’t trust in Him you are living in the DANGER ZONE! Look at Jeremiah 17:5, “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.”
What is your motto today? I know what it ought to be! You ought to say with David in Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”
As we read in Zechariah 4:6, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Do you ever feel weak? The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak! Not my will but thine be done, Lord!
D. Every weight of this life is an opportunity to be strengthened by the Spirit!
Paul prays, “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man”.
Every day you need to lean on God’s Power! It is vain to trust your own power! Abide in Christ! Bear fruit!
II. Live the Life of Christ, verse 17a, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith”.
This means having an eternal perspective.
A. By faith. verse 17a, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith”.
What is faith? It is realizing that this life is temporary.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
B. Christ must fill your life! There’s no room for YOU in your life! “That Christ” That means your agenda is not your own! You must give up your agenda. Paul said in Galatians 6:14, “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
Then the Scripture says “That Christ may dwell in your hearts”.
C. Christ must be living out of your life! The word “dwell” means to occupy, to reside, to live.
When Christ lived in this world he said that he was not of this world. Look over at John 17.
John 17:16, 19, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world…. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
The idea here is that you are not living for the here and now. You are living with an eternal perspective.
Do you have an eternal perspective?
Illustration: It is Memorial Day. When we think of all the great wars this country has fought in, there was always a chance that we could lose. Especially you think of our War for Independence. Who knew who would win? Imagine if you knew you were a soldier, and you were guaranteed victory!
Friend, Turn your eyes upon Jesus!
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
Here is a test if you are living in the faith of Christ. Do you fear and worry? Then you are not walking by the faith of the Son of God.
Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Supplication: ask God to supply what you need! He can change a heart! He can give you the grace to endure if He decides not to change a heart. He can provide a need. He can give you the grace to learn to be content with what you have.
Are you full of worry and fear? Then you are not filled with all the fullness of God. You are not Living in the Life and faith of Christ.
Cast all your care upon Him, for he cares for you!
III. Learn the Love of the Father (verses 17b-19)
Verses 17b-19, “that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
A. The foundation of your life needs to be the love of God. You need to be “rooted and grounded in love” –in a deep understanding of the Love of God. This is the only way that God is going to get glory from your life.
God didn’t save you because He needs you. God is totally independent of all things! He doesn’t need a thing.
He saved you be cause He wants you. He loves you. When you get a hold of this, it will change your life.
God does not love us because we are good! He loves us because He is gracious!
B. God’s love cannot be measured!
Look at Ephesians 3:18, That you “May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height”.
You cannot measure the love of God. How wide is the love of God? How long? How deep? How high?
When did God’s love for you begin? Listen, if God loves you today, He must always have loved you. This needs to be the foundation of your life. Have you ever heard someone say, well, I fell out of love with this person? With the passing of time, the love of wicked people changes. But God’s love never changes with time. His love is constant and unchanging. He has loved you for as long as He has been God. Listen to God’s voice in Jeremiah 31:3, “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Why did God draw you to Himself? He’s loved you long before the world was ever formed! He doesn’t need you, He wants you! Let that be the foundation for your life!
C. God’s love is conditional only ON HIM! You will never deserve God’s love!
Listen to Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” You are the apple of God’s eye. You are His beloved, the precious jewels in the crown of His mercy and love. He has loved you with an everlasting love. Yes you were born condemned, dead in sins, But…
But!!
Romans 8:1, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
BUT!!
Ephesians 2:4, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,”
Verse 19 (Ephesians 3): “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge”.
God has thrown your sin in the sea of His forgetfulness!
Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Conclusion: You want to be filled with all the fullness of God? Let your life fully glorify God!
The Love of God
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Closing Hymn: 130 The Love of God