Ephesians 1:15-23

Open The Eyes of Our Hearts

To be on a winning team

• We should:

– Hope – visualize victory at the end of the game.

– Know the Reward – There is a prize.

– Believe you’re able (power, resources) – have and know how to use your resources.

– Believe in, know, and obey the Coach.

– Trust and protect the members of the team.

Believing in one’s country

• A Mercenary fights for the money.

• A Patriot fights out of love for his country:

– He believes in the ideals of his country and is willing to defend it for others (inheritance).

– He believes/hopes for the nation he fights for.

– He believes in the leaders

– He fights with other Patriots

Our Prayer

That we may know the Father, and the eyes of our hearts be opened to comprehend the Hope,

the inheritance (rewards) and the resources (power) of His Kingdom.

Ephesians 1:15–23 (ESV)

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Thank God For Our Blessings

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you,

• Give thanks that we have been blessed in Christ (vs. 3-14):– The Chosen

– The Adopted

– The Redeemed

– The Forgiven

– Hope - Stewards of the mystery of the fullness of time

– We have an inheritance

– We are Spirit Sealed

Thank God for others of the Faith

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you,

• Thank God for faithful believers.

• Thank God for those that demonstrate their love toward all the Saints.

Pray:

remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,

• Pray for spirit of Wisdom and Revelation of:

– The Knowledge of Him

• The Father of glory

• Our Lord Jesus Christ

Pray:

18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened,

• Pray for more than an abstract knowledge of Him.

• Pray for more than just the facts about Him

• Pray for an intimate, experiential knowledge of Him

• Pray this for yourself

• Pray this for all believers

Pray:

that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,

• Pray that the eyes of our heart will be opened to see the hope that we have been called into.– Ephesians 1:9–10 9 making

known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Pray that we may visualize the end of the game.

Pray:

what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

• Pray that we will intimately comprehend that we are Hisinheritance.

– We have an inheritance in him: Ephesians 1:11 In him we have obtained an inheritance,

– But “His Inheritance” is His People.

Pray:

19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might

• Pray the eyes of our heart will comprehend the immense power God:

– Has performed toward us and in us

– The power He can perform through us.

Pray:

20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

• Pray: We will know through the eyes of our heart how great this power is.– The power that raised

Christ from the dead

– The power that placed Christ in the seat of authority• Above every power in the

universe.

• Now and forever.

Pray:

22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

• Pray: We will comprehend with our hearts Christ’s authority and the authority he shares with his church.

Pray we comprehend:

22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Head: Christ

Body: Church

All things: Principalities, dominions, powers, etc

Psalm 110:1 1 The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

We are on the Winning Team

Victory has been declared.

The players have been chosen.

Visualize the End the Game.

Know the inheritance (Reward).

Embrace the resources made available to do his work.

Love the team players.

Play your position on Team Jesus.