Peter’s Vision           August 26

 

Background:  Last week we heard the story of Cornelius.  He was a Roman Centurion who lived in Caesarea; he was a devout and God-fearing man.  Cornelius gave to the poor and needy and prayed regularly.  One day he had a vision in which he saw an Angel who spoke to him.  The Angel explained to Cornelius that his prayers and giving had come up before God as a memorial offering.  The Angel instructed Cornelius to send men to Joppa to fetch Simon Peter and bring him back to Caesarea.  After the Angel departed Cornelius called three of his men, told them about his vision and the Angel and then sent them to Joppa.

Scripture: Acts 10:9-23

Situation:  About noon the following day, as Cornelius’ men neared Joppa Peter went up on the roof to pray and fell into a trance.  He had a vision in which he saw heaven open; a large sheet containing four footed animals, reptiles, and birds was lowered to earth and a voice said to Peter, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” Peter refused saying, “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”  The voice said to Peter, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”  This happened three times and then the sheet was taken up to Heaven.

While Peter was trying to figure out the meaning of the vision the men Cornelius had sent arrived at the house where Peter was staying.  Peter was still thinking about the vision when the Spirit told him about the three men and instructed Peter to go downstairs and not hesitate to go with the three men because the Spirit had sent them. 

Peter went downstairs, identified himself to Cornelius’ men and asked them, “Why have you come?”  The men told Peter about Cornelius and his vision and then Peter invited the three men into the house to be his guests.

Let’s examine the actions, words and results of what people did in this story and discover what God wants us to learn. 

From the background of last week’s story you will remember that Peter had been travelling around the country preaching the Gospel and healing many.

Prayer: Where it all begins

Why do you think Peter went up on the roof to pray? Was he taking time to seek God’s direction and heart for the next steps?  Would you say his Radar was tuned to God? It is critical that as we serve we get our guidance from God through His Spirit.  We don’t pray, “God help us do what we planned but rather God guide us into your plan and will.”

When we seek God, He responds .

The next thing we notice about the situation with Peter is that he fell into a trance and had a vision. When we seek God’s guidance to discover and do His will, He will respond.  Did Peter understand the experience he had? Why do you think God used this type of revelation? Why not just spell it out clearly? Before you answer this question remember that Cornelius was a Gentile (a non-Jew) and there were strict rules forbidding Jews to eat and associate with Gentiles. At first Peter did not understand the vision.  God used this type of revelation because it fit with the next sequence of events.  We like Peter may not understand how God is working but that does not mean God sits by idly and does nothing. What happened next as Peter was still up on the roof trying to figure things out? (See verse 17, 19) The three men (who were Gentiles) Cornelius had sent arrived and the Spirit gave Peter specific instructions.      

Progressive Revelation: 

Look closely at Peter’s experience; he prays and God gives him a vision.  He does not understand the significance of the vision but continues to think and ponder on it.  He doesn’t jump into action because things are not clear to him yet.  Next God reveals another part of the revelation as the Spirit tells Peter about the three men and gives him some specific instructions. God’s revelation to us is often progressive just like in the story. Discovering God’s will can often be like putting together pieces of a puzzle; it is critical for each of us to wait on God’s leading through His Spirit.  This often involves thinking, pondering, seeking advice from trusted friends and lots of prayer.   Do you know of anyone who has experienced God’s progressive revelation; have you ever experienced it?

God uses people:

Earlier I asked the question why God acted as He did.  Take a moment and reflect on how many people there are in this story, from chapter 10:1-23.  We are not told how many are in Cornelius’ family but we can guess 7 or more people involved in this story.  If we were to closely examine the growth and spread of the early Church we would realize another important truth God is teaching us in this story.  God works through people, ordinary people like you and me.  As you reflect on your own personal spiritual journey can you figure out how many people God used to direct you to Himself?  When God works to affect His purposes He is at work in many different lives at the same time.  

Building faith:

What is God doing in the lives of the people in our story as He involves them?  Building faith.  God could have done things quite differently but He chooses to work as He does in order to build the faith of those He interacts with as well as family and friends.  God could have revealed His will directly to Cornelius but in choosing to include the people He did God affected an even wider circle of people.  What is God doing in your life right now; how is He using you and to what end?  What great thing is God doing that He has chosen you to be a part of and that is infinitely bigger than you? How is God using our Church in this community and what great plans does He have for Chestermere? 

Conclusion:      

·     If you are looking to God for guidance, waiting for Him to do big things, then you have to pray.  It all starts with prayer.

·     Remember when we seek God and His guidance we must believe that He will respond to us.

·     God’s revelation to us is most often progressive, so don’t rush into action, wait, think, pray and God will lead you.

·     God uses people so what we say and do and how we interact with others can and often is a part of what God is doing. 

·     God desires to build faith in each of us and will use people, circumstances and several other means to accomplish what He is doing in our lives and the lives of others. 

 

       Cornelius Calls for Peter              August 19, 2012

 

Background:  Prior to our story the Church had gone through a time of persecution. Steven had become the Church’s first Martyr, Saul was rounding up and imprisoning believers and the Church was being scattered.  Shortly after this Saul was converted on the road to Damascus.  Things began to settle down and a period of relative peace ensued in which the Church experienced growth in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria.  Philip, who had led the Ethiopian Eunuch to the Lord traveled around and ended up in Caesarea.  The Apostle Peter had also been travelling around the country, preaching the Gospel and healing many.  Of peculiar interest to our story is the healing of Aeneas, a paralytic from Lydda.  This miracle led to the conversion of all those who lived in Lydda and Sharon.  Meanwhile in the town of Joppa not far away a greatly loved servant of the Lord named Dorcas became ill and died.  When the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda which is not far from Joppa they sent for Peter.  When he arrived they told him about Dorcas and Peter raised her from the dead.  This led to the conversion of many in Joppa where Peter decided to stay with Simon the tanner.  This sets the stage for our story which is found in Acts 10:1-8

Scripture: Acts 10:1-8

Situation:  Cornelius, a Roman Centurion had a vision; an angel came to him and said...”your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.  Now send men to Joppa to bring back Simon who is called Peter.”  After the angel left, Cornelius sent for three of his men, told them about the vision and sent them to Joppa.

We want to examine what the people in this story said and did, what the consequences were and what we can learn.  Let’s begin with the man Cornelius. 

What kind of man was Cornelius, how is he described in this story?  (See verses 1, 2, 7, and 8)

·     A Roman Centurion (commander of 100 soldiers)

·     Devout and God-fearing

·     Behaviour- gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly

·     Listened to and was obedient to the instruction of the Angel (even though he did not have all the facts)

Go back over each point we have discovered and let’s see what else we can learn. 

         A)  A Roman Centurion- how did the Jews get along with the Romans? (They were being oppressed by them and usually hated them).  How do you think the Jews in Caesarea felt about Cornelius?

          B) Devout and God-fearing fearing (most likely a Gentile-non Jew, interested in Judaism but not necessarily a convert or proselyte- he would have observed the same God and Law of the Jews but was not circumcised)

          C) Gave generously to those in need and prayed regularly to God. What is implied here about Cornelius? 

           D) Listened to and was obedient to the Angel’s instruction. What does this tell us about Cornelius and his religious experience?

What phrase would you use to describe Cornelius in modern terms? Could you say he was a “seeker?”  Do you know of anyone like this in your circle of influence? Would you describe yourself as a modern day Cornelius?  Is it fair to say that Cornelius was a “seeker of God, knew about God but was not yet in relationship with God?”

In our story how does God respond to Cornelius and what can we learn about God’s character from our story?  See verses 3, 4, 5, and 6.  (God answers his prayer by giving him a vision in which he sees and talks to an Angel who tells him his prayers and giving has been noticed by God.  This shows us that God responds to those who earnestly seek Him and that God’s ears are open to our prayers and He sees our good works.  The Angel gives Cornelius specific instruction, which he listens to and obeys.  This tells us that God has a plan- He knew where Peter was and had Cornelius send his men to Peter- to accomplish His will and uses those who have faith.  God also builds on the faith of those who seek Him.)

Having read and talked about the story reflect on the following background points. How do they relate to the story? What do they tell us about God and what can we learn?

·     A time of relative peace and growth in the Church

·     Philip ending up in Caesarea

·     Peter’s ministry and miracles and him ending up in Joppa

God is always at work to accomplish His plans.  He is constantly putting the pieces of the puzzle of His will together.  Each of us fit into His plan somewhere and what is going on with us is often a small part of something much bigger.  How we respond to God matters, a lot. 

Conclusion:  What can we take home from this story? What have we learned about “seekers “of God? What have we learned about how God responds to those who seek Him?  What have we learned about God’s plan?

·     God answers those who earnestly seek Him

·     The prayers and good works of a person who is honestly seeking God are not in vain

·     God’s ears and eyes are open to see and respond to those who seek Him

·     If a seeker has a measure of faith God will build on it and help them to grow in their faith by bringing about circumstances to test the seeker to see if they will listen to Him and Obey instructions given

·     God is at work, has a plan and we can be part of it.  What is happening to us is often part of something much bigger. 

Visiting the sick and Terminally ill... 

Do sick people want Pastoral Care visitors?  Does it only have to be the "Pastor?"

When is a good time to visit them?

What is the appropriate thing to say to someone who is dying ... 

What can I do to ease their fears?

How do I know if I should talk about their death?

Are these questions you would like answers to?  Join us for comprehensive sessions to help yourself and ailing families through some difficult times. 

Dates...............Thursdays -  September 6th, 13^th, 20^th

Time: ...............7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Place................ home of Corleen and Kerry Kilburn,

                              (235048 Range Road, Rocky View) call for directions

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The Good Samaritan           August 12, 2012

Introduction: Today we are going to look at the story of the Good Samaritan; a story Jesus told in answer to the question, “Who is my neighbour.” This story serves to remind us all of the three founding principles of our Fellowship.  Can anyone tell me what these three principles are? (Love God, Love others and Serve)  Our story touches each principle. 

As we read the Scripture passage we are confronted with some very important questions and then some very peculiar responses to those questions. It will be helpful to realize that this is a story within a story and we will have to be careful not to lose sight of the original encounter and the original questions. Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Situation: The expert in the Law and Jesus were having a conversation about eternal life and trying to answer the question who is my neighbour.  In order for us to get the meaning of this story we have to ask ourselves what did people say, what did they do and what were the results and what can we learn from this? 

Look closely at verses 25-28 what can we learn about the expert in the Law from what he says?  How would you describe or define an, “expert in the Law?” (extremely knowledgeable in the teaching of the Law; the first five books of the Bible) We are also told that he wants to test Jesus- Why? - He refers to Jesus as “Teacher”- is this a sign of respect? As you reflect on the first question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” can you think of why this particular question was asked? Was he asking Jesus to answer questions he already knew the answers to?

Do you find anything peculiar about how Jesus responds to the question?  (Jesus responds to the question with a question?) Why? Was Jesus gauging the man’s knowledge? (if he understood the Law did that make him accountable to keep it?)

In verse 27 and 28 it appears as though the man had answered correctly and the conversation was over. 

What else can we learn about this man from verse 29?  (Scripture says he wanted to justify himself- Why -pride- was he really interested in the answers to his questions, or was he trying to make himself look good- could motive be suspect here? It seems that the man had a lot of knowledge about the Law in his head but what about his heart?) This second question seems simple and innocent enough, however, in light of the fact that the Scripture tells us the man’s motive (self justification); what do you think the man was really asking Jesus? (clue, remember he is an expert in the Law; remember the hero in Jesus story is the good Samaritan. Notice the use of contrast; this is a Hebrew writer’s method to amplify the difference between how the expert of the Law felt and how the good Samaritan acted) Could the expert of the Law be saying something like, “Do I have to love even Samaritans?” In order for us to get to the truth here we need to look closely at how Jesus answers the man and then compare the man’s question with Jesus question in verse 36. 

How does Jesus answer the question, “Who is my neighbour?”(With the story of the Good Samaritan)

Jesus now answers the man’s original question, “Who is my neighbor,” with another question, “Which of these three was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

Can you see what Jesus has done here? How does Jesus question differ from the original question? Jesus’ story and question put the onus on the expert in the Law.  To have the proper perspective here we have to realize the point is not, ‘Who is my neighbour’ but rather, “How can I be a neighbour to those in need.”  The point is not, you only need to be a neighbour to certain people( i.e. those you like, those who treat you nicely in return), your neighbourliness only needs to extend so far. How far should neighbourliness extend?  To get the truth principle on that let’s look again at how Jesus ends this conversation. He turns to the expert and asks this question, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour…”Why did Jesus say this, what is He doing? (Helping someone who does not want to see the truth see it—Jesus is leading this man to the truth) Look at the man’s reply, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus has now maneuvered the man to the moment of truth (the man answers his own question) and Jesus says to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Extending Mercy: Take a moment and look at what the Good Samaritan did and what we can learn about extending mercy from this man.  He helped the helpless at considerable cost and inconvenience to himself.  He ignored all cultural and religious barriers and had mercy.  He saw a need and didn’t shy away from it.  He stayed with the man until he could get him to a good care facility.  He did not look for anything in return for what he had done.

Conclusion:  In this story we have discovered a more accurate picture of “the expert in the Law;” how would you describe him now that you have read the entire story? (Self-centred, proud, arrogant, blind to the truth about himself, blind to the needs of others, a full head and an empty heart.)   What was his downfall in the story?  Pride – wanted to look good – justify himself.

Do you see this kind of thing going on today?  Where, or in whom? Have you ever found yourself more concerned with looking good in the eyes of others, personal image, pride, or justifying yourself? Do you avoid facing the truth about yourself (for example, if you see inconsistencies in your own life, are you reluctant to deal with them) what about the needs of others? Would you say you are aware of the needs of those in your circle of influence, and the opportunities God puts in your way to show mercy to others? What is your motive for showing mercy to others? (a sense of duty or true concern)

What can we learn from this story that would help us to show mercy to others, be more like the Good Samaritan and less like the self- righteous expert in the Law? (true mercy has no agenda and no boundaries; we show mercy to others unconditionally because God showed mercy to us unconditionally; showing mercy has nothing to do with self-justification; an abundance of Biblical knowledge in the head, does not guarantee an abundance of mercy in the heart; when Christ reveals our heart and what is lacking in it to us, we need to accept that truth and ask Him to help us face and deal with it; we are on a spiritual journey, a process of becoming “Christ-like.” It takes time for Biblical knowledge to move from our head to our heart, and it takes time for us to face truth about ourselves.

In your desire to help those in your circle of influence and the people in this community by showing them God’s mercy, are you ready to follow Jesus’ instruction to the expert of the Law, to “Go and do likewise?”

                     Helping God      July 15, 2012

Introduction: This morning we are going to look at the story of Isaac and Rebekah and their twin sons, Esau and Jacob.  Our story is found in Genesis 27: 1-46 but before we turn there we need to look at a few scattered passages that will help us sketch a background picture. There are certain things we need to know, preliminary events that occurred before our story that will help us understand the situation better. 

Quick facts:

 The prophecy: Gen. 25:20-23 tells us that Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah; 20 years later she became pregnant and had twins.  She had a difficult pregnancy, and when she prayed to the Lord and asked Him what was going on the Lord said, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” This is important to remember because this prophecy goes against the cultural norm of the time; usually the firstborn son became the chief heir.

Favouritism: Look closely at Gen.  25:28 which tells us that Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau (who would hunt game and cook delicious meals for his father) and Rebekah loved Jacob a quiet man who liked to stay at home. Even though this statement seems trivial the favouritism we see early on increased as the twins got older, resulting in serious trouble. 

Birthright Sold: Gen. 25:29-34 gives us the account of Esau selling his birthright for a bowl of stew.  A birthright was a special honour given to the firstborn son -Esau- It included a double portion of the family inheritance and eventually becoming the leader of the family.  The oldest son could sell his birthright or give it away if he chose to, but in doing so he would lose material goods and his leadership position.  By selling his birthright Esau showed complete disregard for the spiritual blessings that would have been his.  These facts, the prophecy, the favouritism and the selling of the birthright set the stage for a serious family crisis.

 

Scripture: Now to our story, it’s found in Gen. 27:1-46

The situation:  Isaac, the father of the twins is now old and blind.  He calls his older son Esau, and asks him to go and hunt some game, prepare him a tasty meal and then he would give him the blessing.  Rebekah, Isaac’s wife overhears this conversation.

Rebekah now has a difficult decision to make because it appears that Esau is going to get the blessing, not Jacob.  Now we need to review what we already know from the quick facts.  There was a prophecy, (what was it? - the older will serve the younger.) Both parents had their favourite son.  Esau had already sold his birthright to his brother for a bowl of stew.  These truths may or may not have entered Rebekah’s thinking, but a decision was made.  Let’s see what happens as a result of Rebekah’s choices.    

Helping God:  As soon as Esau leaves to go hunting Rebekah tells her son Jacob what she has heard and together they plot to fool Isaac into giving the blessing to Jacob. In order for us to learn from this story we need to discover what people said, what they did, and what the consequences were, and finally what we can learn from their behaviour. 

Rebekah: What exactly did she say and do and what does that tell us about her?  See Gen. 27:5-17 she eavesdropped on Isaac’s conversation with Esau, formulated a plan to fool her husband, brought in an accomplice, her son Jacob, and together they fooled Isaac and Esau.  How far was Rebekah willing to go with this plan?  See verses 13, 15, 16 (she was willing to incur a curse; she helped Jacob with his disguise) is there anything missing from Rebekah’s decision making process? (God) Notice that back in Gen. 25:21-23 when confronted with the confusion about her difficult pregnancy, Rebekah had inquired of the Lord.  There is no mention of Rebekah enquiring of God or thinking of any of the consequences of these choices) as we reflect on Rebekah’s behaviour what can we learn about her? (something has changed in Rebekah’s relationship with her God.  She either forgot what He had told her-Prophecy-maybe she didn’t trust God to follow through. She may have panicked, or she was not willing to wait on God and did not seek Him for guidance or insight. This appears to have been a quick decision, one that was not well thought through.   

Have you ever come across a situation like this or do you know of someone who has experienced the same situation as Rebekah? Can you share your experience with us?  As is always the case each decision we make has consequences. 

Consequences:  Several things happened to Rebekah and her family as a result of her poor choices.  Let’s look at Gen. 27:30-46, and Gen.28:5, 8 and see what happened.  (Esau returns with game, makes his father a meal and goes in to get the blessing and finds out Isaac was fooled by Jacob who stole Esau’s blessing.  The blessing on Jacob could not be reversed so Esau held a grudge against his brother and planned to kill him after Isaac died.  When Rebekah gets wind of this she tells her son Jacob to flee for his life and go to relatives that live far away.  She tells him she will send for him when Esau cools off.  Isaac sends Jacob away and Esau decides to marry a Canaanite woman to get back at his dad for blessing Jacob. We are not told what happened to the relationship between Isaac and Rebekah but we can speculate that there were also consequences there.

 Rebekah’s decision to fool her husband alienated her son’s from each other, so much so that Esau wanted to kill his brother.  How do you think this made Rebekah feel?  This in turn led to Isaac being exiled from the family.  How do you think this made Rebekah feel?  (Little did she know that she would never see her son again)  Just to add insult to injury Esau marries a Canaanite woman to further aggravate the family problems.  How do you think this made Rebekah feel? Add to all of this the strain this would certainly put on Rebekah’s relationship with her husband and you have to ask yourself a question.  Could Rebekah have done things differently? Could she have made a better choice? What can we learn from Rebekah?

Letting God be God:       Rebekah did what she did to ensure that Jacob got the blessing.  She wanted to help the process along, make sure Jacob didn’t miss out.  But what had God already told her in the prophecy about the twins?  What was He saying when He said the older will serve the younger?  Right, the blessing would be Jacobs.  Does this mean that Rebekah was striving for something that God had already said would happen?  Absolutely,      

Conclusion: Rebekah’s situation is not unlike similar situations we find ourselves in from time to time in our faith journey.  What can we learn from all of this? 

1.  When you are unsure of what is going on, seek the Lord; that is how Rebekah started out.  Prov. 3:5, 6, 7, warns us Trust in the Lord…lean not on your own understanding…acknowledge Him…He will direct you.

2.  Base your behaviour on the truth of what God has already said Rom. 10:17; don’t strive to get something God has already promised you or given to you. Put your faith in God.

3.  Seek God’s kingdom first and stop worrying that you will miss out if you don’t act right away Matt. 6:33.  God is your loving Heavenly Father and He longs to give you the very best.    

4.  Wait on God; His timing is perfect, He knows the big picture and can see well ahead of you and knows the best time for things to happen Psalm 139.                

Manasseh, King of Judah

                             Manasseh King of Judah      July 8, 2012

Intro: Last Sunday was July 1^st and because we did not have a place to meet we volunteered in the community.  Today we are going to talk about Manasseh one of many Kings of Israel.  Manasseh reigned during the time of the Prophet Isaiah, he was a wicked king but God intervened in his life. 

Scripture: 2 Chron. 33:1-17

In order for us to appreciate and understand this story we need to go back into chapters 29- 32 and try to find some background information about Manasseh. Chapter 29 starts out by telling us that Hezekiah, Manasseh’s father, was 25 years old when he became king and that he, “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.”  As you read through this chapter and on to chapter 32 you see that Hezekiah was a religious reformer, and a King dedicated to serving the Lord.  After his illness and God’s intervention Hezekiah had a son named Manasseh.  During the latter years of his life God tested Hezekiah to see what was in his heart because he had become proud. 

A good heritage: From the background given in the story so far how would you evaluate Manasseh’s religious training in the light of who his father was and what he did?  (For the most part Manasseh’s father was a positive influence on him) Despite this good example what do we learn about Manasseh from 2 Chron. 33:2? (He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.) 

Depths of Sin: Verses 2-9 of chapter 33 describe the depths of depravity to which Manasseh sank.  Read these verses and see what you can learn about Manasseh’s character.  He had no respect for the reforms his father had made; he went so far as to undo them all. He not only followed the pagan religions, he promoted them. He was anti God in his behaviour, almost taunting God with his idols which he set up in Solomon’s temple.  He had a total disregard for God and seemed to be bent on doing more and more evil. Why do you think that God wanted us to know how evil Manasseh really was?  As you think about this man, how would you describe his spiritual journey?

Affects of Sin: It has been said that no-one is an island, no-one lives only to themselves.  How did Manasseh’s choices and behaviour affect his life, his family’s life and the lives of his subjects? (He was a murderer of his own children, vs. 6, he provoked God to anger, vs. 6B, and he led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord destroyed before the Israelites.) What kind of picture of Manasseh is emerging for the reader? (Godless, faithless, depraved rebel)  If each of us were to sit on a jury and had to cast a vote on Manasseh’s guilt, how would you vote? (guilty) As we think of the makeup of someone who may respond to God where would Manasseh fit? (Least likely candidate) There is a turn of events in this story; despite Manasseh’s rebellion and obvious guilt God does not destroy him. Take just a moment and reflect on this scenario; have you seen any modern day examples?

A Merciful God: Verses 10-13 records God’s intervention in Manasseh’s life; what happens and what does this tell us about God.  (First God warns Manasseh-but Manasseh pays no attention.  Next the nation of Assyria overpowers him, takes him prisoner, and exiles him to Babylon where he is put in prison for 12 years.)  What do the circumstances of Manasseh’s life bring about?  (See verse 12, first distress, and then he sought the Lord, and then he humbled himself greatly and prayed) How did God respond to Manasseh, and what does that tell us about God? (The Lord was moved-compassion-by Manasseh’s plea; God listened to him-mercy- God brought him back to his kingdom and reinstated him- God of restoration)

As you reflect on the change in Manasseh can you think of a contemporary example?  Do you know of someone who was running from God, maybe even in open rebellion against God?  But God pursued them, even afflicted them because of His great love and mercy.  How do we know that Manasseh’s change of heart was genuine? (See verses 15-17

True repentance shown by Changed Behaviour

 Manasseh got rid of the foreign gods, removed the image from the temple of the Lord, as well as the altars, he restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it.  He told Judah to serve the Lord.) As you reflect on your own relationship with God can you identify times in your journey when your behaviour changed?  Sort of like this: when I was running from God I used to….. but now that I have a personal relationship with Him I …

Conclusion: So what can we learn from this story.  In a sense this account is an Old Testament account of the Prodigal, but instead of a prodigal son we have a prodigal King.  Though Manasseh grew up with a Godly influence this did not guarantee he would turn to God in his adult life.  Manasseh is a worst case scenario of a lost, rebellious sinner, guilty before God and deserving of punishment.  His sin had destroyed his own life and the lives of countless others including his family.  Despite his rebellion, God intervened in Manasseh’s life because of His great love and mercy.  God pursues us and in love brings us back to Himself.  He endures our sin and rebellion to a point and if need be He will intervene in a loving, though sometimes painful way to restore us to Himself. 

    

Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians

                             

        Prayers in the New Testament      June 24^th

                  Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians

Review: Last Sunday we began to look at another one of the Apostle Paul’s prayers for the Ephesians.  In this prayer Paul was petitioning God for strength for the Ephesian believers.  Can anyone remember what the source of that strength is?  (God’s glorious riches) We learned that these riches are boundless, immeasurable and that they exceed anything we can even imagine.

Next we learned that this strength was with power, God’s power, for His agenda and His purposes.  We also learned that God’s power is stronger than anything we know; it is a power that cannot be calculated because it is unlike anything we know here on earth.

The Agent of God’s power and strength is the Holy Spirit.  Divine strength flows from God to the Holy Spirit and then to us; if God’s Spirit lives in us.  We need God’s strength to live the Christian life and empower and enable us to do His will.

If we are in relationship with God, His Spirit resides in our inner being.  It is here deep within us that God renews us day by day and transforms us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.  This renewing strength and power enables us to faithfully live for Christ and follow Him despite the difficulties life throws at us or the chaos the Devil tries to create in our lives. 

Finally our motive for praying and asking God to strengthen us is that Christ would dwell (settle down) in our hearts by faith. 

Scripture:  Let’s read the passage in Ephesians again and move on to the next part of Paul’s prayer.  Eph. 3:14-21

Power: The second request in Paul’s prayer is for power.  Before we look into the nature of this power and all that is connected to it we need to examine the position Paul talks about in the second half of verse 17.  Here we read, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power…”

Positioned for Power: What do you think it means to be “rooted and established in love;” how would you describe this to someone else in your own words? The power Paul is asking for here is somehow connected to being rooted and established in love.  What do these words mean?  Lets’ examine them to see if we can gain a better understanding of what Paul is trying to communicate to us. 

A) Rooted- Gk. Rhizoo-means to take root, become rooted, be rooted.  It also means, strengthened with roots, and firmly fixed. In a physical sense, roots are anchored in soil.  In a spiritual sense where are the believers roots anchored? See verse 18 (in love, the Love of Christ) In the physical world what is the function of the root/s of a tree? (Roots draw nourishment; roots create stability so the tree can withstand the wind) What is the result of poor roots or little roots for a growing tree?  (Poor growth, little growth or no growth and eventually the tree will die) Now take this idea and apply it to the spiritual life.  Are you rooted in God’s love; how far down do your roots go?  Or are you rooted in religion, doctrine or some other seed bed.  Exactly where you are rooted is critical because being rooted in the right place leads to power.  Are your roots deep enough to stabilize you from the winds of life?  Is there a way for us to be more intentional in putting down our roots, deeper and deeper into the love of Christ? 

B) Established-Gk. Themelioo- to lay the foundation of anything.  There is another related word in the Greek, themelios, which carries the metaphorical meaning of elementary doctrines, fundamental doctrine or principle, i.e. Gospel, teachings of Christ.  What Paul is saying here is that the foundation of our faith must be built on, or laid in, the love of Christ, His teaching, the Gospel.  In the building trade any structural engineer will tell you that one of the most important parts of any structure is its foundation.  Remember the earthquake in Haiti, the mass destruction and devastation. Poor foundations and standards that were not up to code, inferior building material resulted in unthinkable death and destruction. Do you know, understand and believe the basic doctrines of the faith, the Gospel and the love of Christ; is this what your faith is built on? So then being rooted in the love of Christ enables us to be nourished and sustained.  Being established in the love of Christ means our foundation is solid and will withstand the storms of life.   

Power: Now that we have gained a better understanding of these words and how they relate to the love of Christ we can see their relationship to the power Paul is talking about.  When we, as believers, are rooted and established in love we will experience God’s power.  But what is the significance of this power and why do we need it?

A) Verse 18 starts out with the phrase, “may have power.”The word used here for power means, to be strong, able, full of strength.  It is the strongest word available to indicate strength or ability.  Being rooted and established in love gives us our best chance at being able to appropriate God’s power.   

B) Notice that verse 18 also says, “… may have power, together with the saints…” This being rooted and established in love and experiencing the power of God is a corporate affair.  We learn, grow, love and serve in community.  There is no such thing as a lone ranger Christian; we need each other, it is critical for us to be part of the body of Christ, the church, of which He the head.  Just like a coal taken from the fire and left on its own will die out, we as believers disconnected from the church will eventually shrivel up and die. This doesn’t mean we lose our salvation but it does mean we no longer give heat and light, we become ineffective for God.       

C) Look closely at the next phrase, “to grasp,” which gives us more information about God’s power and why we need it. The word grasp means to, “Seize with the mind.”What is it that we are to grasp?  (The love of Christ)  How is this love described for us?

The Love of Christ

·     Wide, long, high, and deep

·     To know(come to know, experientially, to gain or receive a knowledge)

·      Love that surpasses knowledge (Goes beyond what we can know intellectually-not just something we know in our heads like facts and formulas but something we know through experience) As we experience God personally in the realm beyond the teaching of man, beyond what we can learn in a fellowship meeting; as we encounter God day to day, moment by moment and see His hand in our lives and interact with Him and begin to recognize the part He has given us in His plan.

There is also another aspect of this love that we need to experience.  This experience can only be ours through revelation.  Rom. 5:5 says, “…God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”This is a divine act of God not something we can learn or acquire on our own. We certainly need to study the Scripture, learn the truth of the Gospel and the basic tenants of the faith but if we are lacking a personal one on one experiential relationship with God Himself we have only religion.    

The purpose of this love is to fill us up to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Moral fullness)The Greek here implies to be fully supplied, to abound.

Conclusion: When it comes down to knowing the love of God would you describe yourself as being rooted and established in the love of Christ?  Would you say that your experience of being rooted and established has led you to greater power to know the depth of God’s love? In your Spiritual journey do you have both intellectual and experiential knowledge of God? Is God someone you know about or someone you know personally?  Do we need to Join Paul in petitioning God to help us know Him better?  I know I do, and I know I will; will you join me?  This may seem like a huge mountain to climb and it is but we must never forget the truths of the doxology in this chapter.  Look at verse 20 which says, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory…”

Take heart, we can know Him and know His love better too because He can do more…immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine… according to His power….that is at work within us.  This is a process, we are God’s construction project and He is continuously at work in us through His Spirit.