1. KNOWING GOD!

2. Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23.

3. Our reading is known as part of Paul’s prison prayers that he prayed whilst imprisoned in Rome.

4. Paul’s heart desire was that the people would come to fully know God for themselves.

5. Paul prays for four requests of enlightenment for the people in Ephesus:

6. 1.That they/we might know GOD. 2. That we might know GOD’S CALLING. 3. That we might know GOD’S RICHES. 4. That we might know GOD’S POWER.

7. 1. THAT THEY/WE MIGHT KNOW GOD (Ephesians 1:17)

8. The atheist claims there is no God for us to know.

9. The agnostic states there is a God but we cannot know Him.

10. But Paul has met God in the person of Jesus Christ and he knows that a man cannot really understand God until he knows God personally!

11. The better we get to know God the better we get to know ourselves!

12. 2. THAT WE MIGHT KNOW GOD’S CALLING (Ephesians 1:18)

13. The word CALLED is an important word in the Christians vocabulary.

14. The Church are ‘CALLED OUT’

15. We have a ‘HOLY CALLING’ (2 Timothy 1:9)

16. “…who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”

17. We have been ‘CALLED OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELLOUS LIGHT’ (1 Peter 2:9)

18. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.”

19. We have been ‘CALLED TO GLORY’ (1 Peter 5:10)

20. “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

21. Ephesus was a wealthy city. It boasted the Temple of Diana, one of the wonders of the ancient World. Today, Ephesus is an archaeologists paradise, but all its wealth and splendour are gone. But the Christians who once lived there are today in Heaven, enjoying the glory of God!

22. 3. THAT WE MIGHT KNOW GOD’S RICHES (Ephesians 1:18)

23. This refers to God’s inheritance in us.

24. What an amazing truth that God should look on us as a part of His great wealth!

25. Just as a man’s wealth brings glory to his name, so God will get glory from the Church because of what He has invested in us.

26. From the Bible we understand that Christ will not enter in His promised glory until the Church is there to share it with Him.

27. He prayed for this before He died, and the prayer will be answered (“Father, I desire that they also whom you gave me may be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which you have given me.” John 17:24)

28. Christ will be glorified in us: 2 Thessalonians 1:10 – “..when He comes, in that day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe…”

29. We will be glorified in Him: Colossians 3:4 – “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

30. 4. THAT WE MIGHT KNOW GOD’S POWER (Ephesians 1:19-23)

31. God’s power is seen in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

32. Much more was involved than raising Him from the dead, for Christ also ascended to Heaven and sat down in the place of authority at the right hand of God.

33. He is not only Saviour, He is also Sovereign (Acts 2:25-36)

34. No authority or power, human or in the spirit world, is greater than that of Jesus Christ, the exalted Son of God.

35. He is ‘far above all’ and no future enemy can overcome Him, because He has been exalted ‘far above all powers’.

36. May Paul’s prayer be answered in our lives that we might experience, GOD’S CALLING, GOD’S RICHES and GOD’S POWER!