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Book: Ephesians
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Ephesians 1:17 Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians
I. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory.
A. Great is the mystery of Godliness, God was manifested in the
flesh.
1. Here is one of the mysteries, where the Father of
glory is called the God of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. In John 14 Jesus said to His disciples, "If you
loved Me you would rejoice, for I said that I go
unto the Father, for the Father is greater than I."
3. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not
greater than his lord; neither he that is sent
greater than he that sent him. John 13:16
4. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet
ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and
say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your
Father; and [to] my God, and your God. John 20:17
5. But I would have you know, that the head of every man
is Christ; and the head of the woman [is] the man;
and the head of Christ [is] God. I Cor. 11:3
6.
1CO 15:24 Then [cometh] the end, when he shall have delivered up the
kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all
rule and all authority and power.
1CO 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1CO 15:26 The last enemy [that] shall be destroyed [is] death.
1CO 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all
things are put under [him, it is] manifest that he is excepted,
which did put all things under him.
1CO 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the
Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under
him, that God may be all in all.
B. We know that Jesus is one with the Father.
1. I and the Father are one. John 10:30
2.
JOH 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God.
JOH 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
JOH 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing
made that was made.
3.
MAT 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a
son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being
interpreted is, God with us.
4.
JOH 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before
Abraham was, I am.
5.
JOH 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet
hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen
the Father; and how sayest thou [then], Shew us the Father?
Believe me that I [am] in the Father, and the Father in me: or
else believe me for the very works' sake.
6.
JOH 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in
thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may
believe that thou hast sent me.
7.
ROM 9:5 Whose [are] the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh
Christ [came], who is God, over all, blessed for ever. Amen.
8.
PHI 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be
equal with God:
9.
1TI 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God
was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of
angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world,
received up into glory.
10.
HEB 1:8 But unto the Son [he saith], Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever
and ever: a sceptre of righteousness [is] the sceptre of thy
kingdom.
11.
1JO 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which
we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our
hands have handled, of the Word of life;
1JO 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen [it], and bear
witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the
Father, and was manifested unto us;)
12.
REV 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the
Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the
Almighty.
13. Then in verse 11 Jesus is speaking and declares,
REV 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What
thou seest, write in a book, and send [it] unto the seven
churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and
unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, unto
Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
C. I go back to the verse in Timothy, "Great is the mystery of
godliness, or the godhead."
II. "May give to you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge
of Him."
A. No man by an intellectual quest can discover the fullness of
God.
1.
JBO 11:7 Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the
Almighty unto perfection? Zophar
2.
1CO 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man
which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but
the Spirit of God.
3.
MAT 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man
knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the
Father, save the Son, and [he] to whomsoever the Son will
reveal [him].
B. The gap between the infinite God and the finite man is too
great for the mind of man to span.
1. Thus it is impossible to start with a human base and
reach the infinite God.
2. This is the weakness of all religious systems, and why
they fail.
3. It is the attempt of man to know and understand God
apart from revelation.
4. Many men with noble desires have sought to reach God,
but the folly of the attempt is absurd when you stop
to think at what man is attempting to do.
5. Man, poor man, so ignorant in that which he knows best.
a. There is so much of the finite things which we
do not know or understand.
b. How much less our ability to comprehend the
infinite God.
C. The Bible is God's revelation of Himself, but the natural man
cannot even understand the Bible.
1. Jesus said to His disciples,
MAT 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to
know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is
not given.
2. When talking to Nicodemus,
JOH 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God.
3.
JOH 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me
draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
4.
JOH 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of
God Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the
Father, cometh unto me.
5.
1CO 2:12 Now we have received, 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.
1CO 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's
wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing
spiritual things with spiritual.
1CO 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know
[them], because they are spiritually discerned.
1CO 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is
judged of no man.
1CO 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct
him? But we have the mind of Christ.
6.
2CO 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
2CO 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of
Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
7.
1JO 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an
understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in
him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the
true God, and eternal life.
8.
PSA 25:9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach
his way.
PSA 25:14 The secret of the LORD [is] with them that fear him; and he will
shew them his covenant.
9.
1CO 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither
have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath
prepared for them that love him.
1CO 2:10 But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
10. Verse 9 of this chapter, "Having made known unto us
the mystery of His will, according to His good
pleasure."
D. How can you begin to understand the Bible?
1. Ask God to give you understanding.
JAM 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to
all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given
him.
2. Turn to God, and He has promised.
PRO 1:23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto
you, I will make known my words unto you.
3. By seeking the help of the Spirit.
JOH 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you
into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but
whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will
shew you things to come.
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