"Paul's Prayer for Us"Dr.
James L. Mayfield
November 24, 2002 Text: Ephesians 1:15-23 Today is both the last Sunday in the Church Year and the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I want you to help me with this sermon. As you think about the past 12 months in our church, will you tell me and the others here, what ministries, activities, opportunities of the past year are you especially appreciative? (CONGREGATION'S RESPONSES) Paul wrote to Ephesians: "I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you ... in my prayers." Faith and love, in and of themselves, are invisible, but the fruits of faith and love are clear for all to see. Paul heard the evidence; he had been told what the Ephesians had been doing, and Paul was convinced of their faith and love, and for that he was grateful. And if Paul were here this morning, and had heard you list just some of what has been done by this congregation during the past 12 months, Paul would have said to us: "I have heard of your faith and love, and for this reason, I do not cease to give thanks for you." But as much good as we have done, we are not yet the congregation God intends us to be. There is room for growth in each of us. And so it was for the Ephesians to whom Paul wrote. In the passage we read this morning, after thanking God for their faith and love, Paul offered a prayer of intercession on behalf of the Christians in Ephesus. Paul was aware that as strong as their faith was, their faith needed to be strengthened. As great as their love was, it needed to be more Christ like. Paul knew that for them to be able to continue loving in an unloving world, for them to have faith in the midst of skeptical people, they must have strong confidence in God. Their faith needed to be strengthened, and their love needed to become more Christ like so they would be able to deal with the hard times -- especially in times when faith and love would lead them to a cross. Paul knew that living lives of faith and love sooner or later lead all followers of Christ to some sort of cross; this is why Jesus said to all his followers, "Pick up your cross and follow me." Paul wanted the Ephesians to have the kind of confidence in God that enabled Christ to face the cross, so that when following Christ meant facing some kind of cross the Ephesians would be able to do it. Paul knew it is in focusing on what God has done in Christ -- especially in the resurrection -- that we are able to have such hope, such confidence in God. When sin and evil had done their worst and tortured the Son of God to death, sin and evil still did not win. The resurrection of Christ is more than a miracle related to Jesus; it is the declaration of God's victory over sin and evil and death. Paul's prayer for the Ephesians was, in effect, the prayer that God would give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they would be even more aware of the world transforming truth revealed in the resurrection. Regardless of what may happen to us, it is God and the love of God that finally triumphs. This is what gives us confidence to face whatever must be faced. The crosses we must bear and endure are not the last word. God's declaration revealed in the resurrection is the last word. This is what gives us hope in all situations. Paul's prayer for the Ephesians and for us is that we will have such hope in God, such confidence in God, we will be able to face whatever comes our way in life - including the worst life has to offer. If Paul were standing here today, I am confident this would be his message to us and his prayer for us. He would thank God for the evidence of faith and love at work within the life of this congregation, and he would also pray that our faith and love would increase. In an unloving, skeptical world, we need great confidence in God to live by faith, loving even our enemies. Paul knew that such confidence or hope in God is very closely related to how keenly aware we are of the resurrection of Christ and what that means for our lives. So, Paul prayed that we would be so aware of what God had done in the resurrection of Christ we would be able to face whatever comes with deep and profound hope. Let us pray. God, enable us to be so aware of what the resurrection of Christ means, that regardless of our circumstance, we live with confident hope. Amen. Let us thank God for the gifts and blessings we have received. We have come here with a variety of concerns and problems. Let us ask God for guidance and help. O God, forgive us when we are so focused on what we have lost or on what we do not have that we are blind and insensitive to all we have been given. When we pause to identify our blessings, we are amazed and grateful When we focus on our blessings, we become aware of the abundance in our lives. God, make us sensitive to those who truly are in need. Motivate us to do what we are able to do on their behalf. Make us sensitive to those in whom the pulse of life grows weak, to those who must stay in bed through all the sunny hours, to all those who are shut off from the light of day and especially those who are shut off from the light of love. Help us be aware of the overworked who have no joy of leisure and of the unemployed who have no joy of labor. Make us sensitive to those who suffer because of unjust policies of government or business and motivate us to do what we can to right what is wrong. Rescue us from our fear and discomfort in the presence of those who are in need. Open our eyes to see what we can do and motivate us to do it. We thank you, O God, for our many blessings. Rescue us from the temptation to selfishly hoard all we have been given. Motivate us to invest our blessings in works that spread your blessings to others. Show us how to use our blessings the way Christ used his. Help us live as he was teaching us to live when he taught us to pray: "Our Father ...."
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