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Ephesians 3:14,

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"For this reason, I bow my knees

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before the Father

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from whom every family

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in heaven and on earth is named."

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Now, I'm going to just stop right there.

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Every family in heaven 
and on earth is named.

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Every family.

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That makes it sound like 
there's more than one family

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in heaven and on earth that's named.

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And if you just stick right there,

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that's a concept that I'm not sure

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you're going to find other passages

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that substantiate that kind of thinking,

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like there's multiple families.

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The KJV, the New KJV puts 
"the whole family."

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And in fact, if you go 
right back before this,

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chapter 2:21, look at it.

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"In whom the whole structure..."

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It's the same word.

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And why they translated it "every,"

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I'm just not certain.

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And many of you probably hold a Bible

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that doesn't translate it that.

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It's the whole family.

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I mean, what was he talking about?

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Not only does the word mean "whole,"

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not only have the translators 
translated it that way

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back in the end of chapter 2,

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but the reality is that back there

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at the end of chapter 2

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in verse 19, "You're no 
longer strangers and aliens,

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but you're fellow citizens with the saints

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and members of the household of God."

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There's one family of God.

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So to translate this "every,"

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as though there's multiple,

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that's a strange concept.

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I wrote "the whole."

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In fact, I should have struck out "every."

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(incomplete thought)

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I'm not even sure what was 
going through the minds

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of the ESV translators 
to go in that direction.

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But, "from whom the whole family

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in heaven and on earth is named."

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Part of the family is in heaven already,

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and part of the family is here.

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What do they call that?

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The church triumphant there.

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The church here - the church militant.

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That's one way to put it. 
Yeah, there's other ways.

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So verse 16.

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"That according to the riches..."

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Remember, this is a prayer.

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"For this reason, I bow my knees

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before the Father."

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This is the Apostle Paul.

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He's praying for the Ephesians.

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"For this reason, I bow my knees..."

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What? Verse 16,

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"That according to the riches of His glory

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He may grant you to be strengthened

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with power through His Spirit

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in your inner being

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so that Christ may dwell in your hearts

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through faith,

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that you being rooted and grounded in love

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may have strength to comprehend

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with all the saints what is the breadth

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and length and height and depth

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and to know the love of Christ

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that surpasses knowledge

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that you may be filled 
with all the fullness of God."

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Now, that encompasses the prayer.

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That's the prayer.

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It's not exactly the prayer.

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It's what Paul says he prays for

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when he prays for them.

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So that's what it is.

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It's actually Paul 
expressing to the Ephesians,

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"hey, when I pray for you,

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this is what I pray."

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But we can count it as a prayer

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because it is Paul telling us

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how indeed he does pray.

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Now, I would have you 
notice something right off.

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"That..." see it in verse 16.

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"That..." right at the 
beginning, verse 16.

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"That according to the riches..."

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That.

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That has to do with purpose.

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Here's the purpose.

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Here's why Paul prays.

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"That according to the riches of His glory

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He may grant you to be strengthened
with power through the Spirit

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in your inner being."

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You see the "that" at 
the beginning of v. 17?

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That's not there in the original.

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That is added.

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There isn't one there.

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But halfway through v. 17,

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"that you..." - that one 
is in the original.

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"That you be rooted and 
grounded in love."

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And then when you get 
halfway through v. 19,

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"that you may be filled with 
all the fullness of God."

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You've got these three 
purposes thrown at us.

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Like I said, the one at the beginning,

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it's kind of hard to translate

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that transition from v. 16 into v. 17.

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If you try to say it even

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according to the original,

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I was trying to do it.

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Verse 17 starts with this infinitive verb:

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"to dwell,"

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and just putting it all together 
and have it make sense,

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the translators did this this way

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so that it flows.

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But you actually have 
these three purposes.

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Prayer. Prayer. Prayer.

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I've entitled my sermon:

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"Paul, Teach Me to Pray."

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Teach me.

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Paul - I mean, we could 
be looking beyond Paul.

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Father, teach me to pray like Paul prays.

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I want him to teach me

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because there's things to be learned here.

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There's things I don't know about prayer

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that the master - somebody like Paul,

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an evangelist like him,

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a preacher like him,

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an apostle like him.

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Wednesday morning I awoke

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to a Whatsapp message

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from our brother Kevin Williams.

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He was letting me know

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that my old friend Leslie Smith

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had gone to be with the Lord.

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English time, he died about

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roughly 1 a.m. that morning.

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Leslie was a British preacher.

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He came here back in the early 2000's.

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I heard about him through a pastor friend

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over in Houston.

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And we had him come over here

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and we went out on the streets

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in front of the Alamo.

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And he had this technique,

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he brought out this white board

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and he began doing all sorts of things.

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And then it was kind of staged.

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Christians came with him

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and we stood around like

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we're looking at what he's doing.

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And we really were looking
at what he was doing,

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but the idea was you have a crowd

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that's looking interested

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and other people (look too).

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And it worked.

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The crowd started to grow

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and we turned around 
and we evangelized them.

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And because what he was drawing actually,

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it was kind of like Prim 
showed us on Wednesday.

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It was kind of a pictorial view.

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Something like Sam Pitrone does.

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And it was this pictorial 
view of the Gospel.

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And we turned around and began to

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evangelize this family

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and the next thing you know,

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that family was coming to the church.

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They came for a long time.

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They were from California.

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Very interesting thing.

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Anyway, Leslie was one of 
those men who prayed.

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Now, I didn't personally witness so much

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his prayer life,

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but I know this,

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that he told me one time;

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he told me he had a photo of our family

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on his mantle.

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And I believe he told me,

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I pray for you and your family

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every single day.

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What did he pray?

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Honestly, I don't know.

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But I do know this,

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when he began praying for my family,

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none of my children were saved.

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When he went to be with 
the Lord on Wednesday,

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all my children are saved.

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I was thinking of something else.

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I was remembering another Englishman.

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You've heard his name recently:

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Gordon Bayless.

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We talk about him from the 
pulpit from time to time.

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Another evangelist that would 
come over from England.

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Well, I remember one time my pastor

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Pat Horner down at 
Community Baptist Church

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when I was down there, he invited me

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over to his house for dinner

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specifically at a time when Gordon Bayless

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was in town for a conference.

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And he invited me over so that 
I could meet Gordon personally.

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And I remember walking in.

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It was dark outside. 
I remember walking in.

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And I walked by the room where he was

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and I believe the door 
was open a little bit,

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and it was dark in there.

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And Pat ushered me into the living room

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and I sat in there.

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And after a few minutes,

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Gordon came walking out and I remember

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it looked like his hair 
was kind of messed up

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and it's like that look when 
you walk out of a dark room.

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His eyes are trying to adjust.

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And it looked like he had just woken up.

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And I said, "brother, 
have you been sleeping?"

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And he and Pat just kind of smiled

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and they didn't answer.

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And I realized that he was praying.

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He was in there wrestling with the Lord.

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What was he praying exactly?

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Again, I don't know.

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But I know this,

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when he preached, there was power.

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And I was thinking again,

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I remember a time I was over in Romania.

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HeartCry had asked me to go over there.

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I think it was the 2nd or 3rd time,

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I was with Charles.

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We're driving around Romania.

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Sometimes those drives 
would be 8 or 10 hours

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as we criss-crossed the country.

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And he got to telling me 
about Leonard Ravenhill,

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because he knew him personally,

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and he had visited him at his home

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and he knew things about his life.

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And he told me that Ravenhill

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would spend hours in prayer.

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And he told me sometimes

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he would spend 6 to 8 hours in prayer.

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And I asked Charles why he would do that?

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Now look, it wasn't 
because I'm against prayer.

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I'm all for prayer. Yes, we should pray.

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But 6 to 8 hours?

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I was asking just on the basis of

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it's good to pray, but 
if that's all you do,

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how do you accomplish anything else?

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And that was kind of coming

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from somebody who was a pastor

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and a father and had 
many other responsibilities.

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And Charles just told 
me he prayed like that

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because God burdened 
him to pray like that

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because there were needs 
sufficient to pray like that.

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Ravenhill likewise has 
gone to be with the Lord.

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Bayless has gone to be with the Lord.

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Now Leslie Smith has 
gone to be with the Lord.

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I can't help but think that these men

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knew how to pray.

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And the thing is that as I'm 
preparing for this sermon,

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I've been thinking about these men.

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I've been thinking about Paul.

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Paul - there he is on bended knee

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before the Father.

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And what's he doing?

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He's praying for these churches.

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He's praying, praying, praying,

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bended knee.

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The question that surges 
up in my soul is this:

269
00:11:24,050 --> 00:11:26,664
Where are the prayer warriors?

270
00:11:26,664 --> 00:11:29,083
God give us men like this.

271
00:11:29,083 --> 00:11:31,502
You know the thing that I 
want to emphasize to you

272
00:11:31,502 --> 00:11:34,238
is all these men have 
gone to be with the Lord.

273
00:11:34,238 --> 00:11:36,036
Who is taking their place?

274
00:11:36,036 --> 00:11:37,403
You see, that's the thing.

275
00:11:37,403 --> 00:11:40,137
In this country, in the church,

276
00:11:40,137 --> 00:11:42,418
when men like this, women like this

277
00:11:42,418 --> 00:11:43,733
when they depart,

278
00:11:43,733 --> 00:11:45,716
who is coming up behind them?

279
00:11:45,716 --> 00:11:48,329
Where are the men and women 
who are praying like this?

280
00:11:48,329 --> 00:11:50,874
God give us prayer warriors.

281
00:11:50,874 --> 00:11:52,851
It just seems to me that if we're truly

282
00:11:52,851 --> 00:11:54,525
going to see a new generation

283
00:11:54,525 --> 00:11:57,199
of prayer warriors raised up -

284
00:11:57,199 --> 00:11:58,799
revival in prayer -

285
00:11:58,799 --> 00:12:01,226
we need to be taught by God how to pray.

286
00:12:01,226 --> 00:12:03,335
We need taught by God how to argue.

287
00:12:03,335 --> 00:12:05,831
We need to get beyond, 
like I said last time,

288
00:12:05,831 --> 00:12:07,561
just praying, "Lord, bless this,

289
00:12:07,561 --> 00:12:09,257
bless that, bless the other thing."

290
00:12:09,257 --> 00:12:12,236
We need to know what is it,

291
00:12:12,236 --> 00:12:14,788
what is true, what is characteristic

292
00:12:14,788 --> 00:12:17,154
of the prayers?

293
00:12:17,154 --> 00:12:18,363
And as much as anything,

294
00:12:18,363 --> 00:12:20,758
the effectual fervent 
prayers of a righteous man.

295
00:12:20,758 --> 00:12:22,205
What's true of the prayers?

296
00:12:22,205 --> 00:12:24,075
What's true of the man or the woman

297
00:12:24,075 --> 00:12:26,485
who is able to truly lay hold on God

298
00:12:26,485 --> 00:12:28,993
and when they pray, God answers?

299
00:12:28,993 --> 00:12:30,753
You know, there are people like that.

300
00:12:30,753 --> 00:12:32,926
There are churches like that.

301
00:12:32,926 --> 00:12:35,195
When they pray, God comes.

302
00:12:35,195 --> 00:12:36,636
When they pray, God listens.

303
00:12:36,636 --> 00:12:37,865
And there's an urgency,

304
00:12:37,865 --> 00:12:40,116
that we come to the very well of Scripture

305
00:12:40,116 --> 00:12:42,288
and we put our bucket down in there

306
00:12:42,288 --> 00:12:45,514
and pull up some of the 
pure waters on prayer.

307
00:12:45,514 --> 00:12:47,476
Lord, teach us! Teach us from Paul

308
00:12:47,476 --> 00:12:49,379
how to argue, how to plead,

309
00:12:49,379 --> 00:12:53,275
how to pray, what to pray for.

310
00:12:53,275 --> 00:12:55,237
And I can tell you this,

311
00:12:55,237 --> 00:12:58,346
Paul's prayers resonate with me.

312
00:12:58,346 --> 00:13:00,469
These prayers right here - why?

313
00:13:00,469 --> 00:13:02,316
Because he prays for power.

314
00:13:02,316 --> 00:13:04,691
Look at it. Verse 16,

315
00:13:04,691 --> 00:13:07,139
"According to the riches of His glory

316
00:13:07,139 --> 00:13:11,019
He may grant you to be strengthened

317
00:13:11,019 --> 00:13:13,630
with power through His 
Spirit in your inner being

318
00:13:13,630 --> 00:13:16,243
so that Christ may dwell in 
your hearts through faith

319
00:13:16,243 --> 00:13:18,339
that you being rooted and grounded in love

320
00:13:18,339 --> 00:13:20,873
may (here it is again) have strength

321
00:13:20,873 --> 00:13:22,505
to comprehend with all the saints

322
00:13:22,505 --> 00:13:24,590
what is the breadth and length..."

323
00:13:24,590 --> 00:13:26,519
and on he goes.

324
00:13:26,519 --> 00:13:27,830
You know what?

325
00:13:27,830 --> 00:13:30,036
If there's anything I feel constantly

326
00:13:30,036 --> 00:13:31,862
and I imagine some of you,

327
00:13:31,862 --> 00:13:33,591
you feel the same way.

328
00:13:33,591 --> 00:13:36,010
If there's anything I feel constantly,

329
00:13:36,010 --> 00:13:39,193
it's my weakness.

330
00:13:39,193 --> 00:13:41,141
I mean, I'm faced by it all the time.

331
00:13:41,141 --> 00:13:43,332
And it seems like the more God gives us,

332
00:13:43,332 --> 00:13:44,896
the more God puts on our plate

333
00:13:44,896 --> 00:13:47,157
as far as the ministry, 
as far as the church,

334
00:13:47,157 --> 00:13:50,152
as far as I'll Be Honest,
as far as church planting,

335
00:13:50,152 --> 00:13:53,247
as far as just the needs of the brethren,

336
00:13:53,247 --> 00:13:54,796
the needs of family,

337
00:13:54,796 --> 00:13:56,977
the needs of leadership in the church

338
00:13:56,977 --> 00:14:01,617
like new elders -

339
00:14:01,617 --> 00:14:02,537
weakness.

340
00:14:02,537 --> 00:14:03,908
He prays for power.

341
00:14:03,908 --> 00:14:04,971
You can see it there.

342
00:14:04,971 --> 00:14:07,405
He prays for the very 
things that I so desperately

343
00:14:07,405 --> 00:14:08,775
feel my own need for.

344
00:14:08,775 --> 00:14:13,181
God, give us prayer warriors like Paul

345
00:14:13,181 --> 00:14:16,074
who are going to call 
down the power of God

346
00:14:16,074 --> 00:14:18,641
upon the church of Jesus Christ.

347
00:14:18,641 --> 00:14:21,323
We need that!

348
00:14:21,323 --> 00:14:24,435
Listen, I don't know how you feel,

349
00:14:24,435 --> 00:14:26,252
but I can tell you how I feel.

350
00:14:26,252 --> 00:14:29,897
I would talk with 
Leslie Smith on the phone

351
00:14:29,897 --> 00:14:32,703
After years, he was in a bed

352
00:14:32,703 --> 00:14:34,474
in a nursing home

353
00:14:34,474 --> 00:14:35,745
and I would talk to him.

354
00:14:35,745 --> 00:14:37,537
And he'd tell me about his life there

355
00:14:37,537 --> 00:14:41,106
and how they were treating him.

356
00:14:41,106 --> 00:14:44,721
Have you ever heard old 
people in nursing homes?

357
00:14:44,721 --> 00:14:47,526
Most of them, they're 
bitter, they complain.

358
00:14:47,526 --> 00:14:49,042
Not Leslie.

359
00:14:49,042 --> 00:14:52,202
He'd talk about how they just

360
00:14:52,202 --> 00:14:55,754
took such good care of him.

361
00:14:55,754 --> 00:14:58,168
And he told me how one of the nurses

362
00:14:58,168 --> 00:14:59,957
used the Lord's name in vain.

363
00:14:59,957 --> 00:15:09,523
He said, "Oh, you mustn't use 
the name of your Creator..."

364
00:15:09,523 --> 00:15:13,920
Men and women like this,

365
00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:18,554
they could call down the power.

366
00:15:18,554 --> 00:15:23,820
And to have Leslie tell me,

367
00:15:23,820 --> 00:15:26,970
"I have your photo and I 
pray for you every day."

368
00:15:26,970 --> 00:15:30,286
I don't know how that makes you feel,

369
00:15:30,286 --> 00:15:32,471
but when I hear that,

370
00:15:32,471 --> 00:15:34,890
that is one of the best things.

371
00:15:34,890 --> 00:15:41,215
That is one of the best things 
imaginable that I can hear.

372
00:15:41,215 --> 00:15:43,630
When it's somebody who I know

373
00:15:43,630 --> 00:15:45,507
they have a relationship with God

374
00:15:45,507 --> 00:15:46,619
and they talk to Him

375
00:15:46,619 --> 00:15:49,017
and they spend time with Him,

376
00:15:49,017 --> 00:15:51,333
that gives me great encouragement.

377
00:15:51,333 --> 00:15:53,249
It gives me great encouragement that God

378
00:15:53,249 --> 00:15:54,753
would take such an individual,

379
00:15:54,753 --> 00:15:57,338
gift him in that way and 
then burden that man

380
00:15:57,338 --> 00:16:00,430
with the desire to actually pray for me.

381
00:16:00,430 --> 00:16:02,148
That is encouraging to me,

382
00:16:02,148 --> 00:16:03,370
because it tells me

383
00:16:03,370 --> 00:16:06,665
that God is showing me mercy

384
00:16:06,665 --> 00:16:08,631
and acting in my behalf.

385
00:16:08,631 --> 00:16:11,327
The urgent need of the hour -

386
00:16:11,327 --> 00:16:15,501
we need men and women who pray.

387
00:16:15,501 --> 00:16:17,333
And in my immaturity,

388
00:16:17,333 --> 00:16:19,354
whatever I might have thought of Ravenhill

389
00:16:19,354 --> 00:16:20,794
and wondered why he would be

390
00:16:20,794 --> 00:16:24,133
spending 8 hours in prayer,

391
00:16:24,133 --> 00:16:25,999
obviously he wasn't pastoring a church

392
00:16:25,999 --> 00:16:28,264
and he didn't have a 
bunch of children at home.

393
00:16:28,264 --> 00:16:29,889
Obviously, there are some people

394
00:16:29,889 --> 00:16:31,511
that are in a position in life

395
00:16:31,511 --> 00:16:33,629
and that God has specifically burdened

396
00:16:33,629 --> 00:16:35,568
and raised up to be like that,

397
00:16:35,568 --> 00:16:36,830
but we need them.

398
00:16:36,830 --> 00:16:39,617
We need more of them.

399
00:16:39,617 --> 00:16:43,209
What I want to do is I 
want us to examine this.

400
00:16:43,209 --> 00:16:46,302
What can we learn?

401
00:16:46,302 --> 00:16:50,540
What does Paul teach us here?

402
00:16:50,540 --> 00:16:53,223
What can Paul teach us 
that we don't already know

403
00:16:53,223 --> 00:16:54,941
or that we're not already applying

404
00:16:54,941 --> 00:16:56,056
in our prayer life?

405
00:16:56,056 --> 00:16:58,532
So, let's examine Paul's prayer.

406
00:16:58,532 --> 00:17:00,806
What jumps out at us?

407
00:17:00,806 --> 00:17:04,588
Well, it seems that there are

408
00:17:04,588 --> 00:17:09,279
two primary requests here.

409
00:17:09,279 --> 00:17:12,285
Maybe we'd call them petitions.

410
00:17:12,285 --> 00:17:16,376
Paul is asking specifically it would seem

411
00:17:16,376 --> 00:17:19,536
for two distinct things.

412
00:17:19,536 --> 00:17:22,177
Now, they're joined together undoubtedly.

413
00:17:22,177 --> 00:17:26,443
But it seems like there's two petitions.

414
00:17:26,443 --> 00:17:31,063
Notice, the first one is in v. 16.

415
00:17:31,063 --> 00:17:34,646
"That according..." 
there's the first "that."

416
00:17:34,646 --> 00:17:37,281
The purpose.

417
00:17:37,281 --> 00:17:39,240
The purpose clause here.

418
00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:41,111
The reason he's bending his knee.

419
00:17:41,111 --> 00:17:42,626
Why, Paul? Why are you praying?

420
00:17:42,626 --> 00:17:43,941
What are you praying for?

421
00:17:43,941 --> 00:17:47,410
"That according to the riches of His glory

422
00:17:47,410 --> 00:17:49,111
He may grant you to be strengthened

423
00:17:49,111 --> 00:17:51,568
with power through His 
Spirit in your inner being

424
00:17:51,568 --> 00:17:54,569
so that Christ may dwell in 
your hearts through faith."

425
00:17:54,569 --> 00:17:56,429
Now, many of the translators,

426
00:17:56,429 --> 00:17:59,028
they see the same thing here.

427
00:17:59,028 --> 00:18:01,437
That's why they put a 
double dash right there.

428
00:18:01,437 --> 00:18:03,300
There's a pause before he goes

429
00:18:03,300 --> 00:18:04,967
and now asks for the second thing.

430
00:18:04,967 --> 00:18:07,252
Some of your Bibles don't 
have the double dash,

431
00:18:07,252 --> 00:18:08,808
they have the semi-colon.

432
00:18:08,808 --> 00:18:14,854
But there's that break in thought.

433
00:18:14,854 --> 00:18:16,577
That looks to be the first petition.

434
00:18:16,577 --> 00:18:22,381
And then notice v. 17, halfway through,

435
00:18:22,381 --> 00:18:27,868
"that you be rooted and grounded in love

436
00:18:27,868 --> 00:18:30,302
may have strength to 
comprehend with all the saints

437
00:18:30,314 --> 00:18:32,910
what is the breadth and length 
and height and depth

438
00:18:32,910 --> 00:18:35,723
and to know the love of Christ 
that surpasses knowledge."

439
00:18:35,723 --> 00:18:37,509
And then, you get this end

440
00:18:37,509 --> 00:18:40,299
which seems to kind of be a summation.

441
00:18:40,299 --> 00:18:43,121
When the other two happen, 
this is the result.

442
00:18:43,121 --> 00:18:46,066
"That you may be filled with 
all the fullness of God."

443
00:18:46,066 --> 00:18:47,503
Perhaps it's a third request.

444
00:18:47,503 --> 00:18:51,339
Perhaps it's a summary of the first two.

445
00:18:51,339 --> 00:18:55,586
I don't believe that 
this is all one petition

446
00:18:55,586 --> 00:18:56,862
for one thing.

447
00:18:56,862 --> 00:18:59,010
It seems to be two distinct things.

448
00:18:59,010 --> 00:19:02,099
And you can see it: what's the first one?

449
00:19:02,099 --> 00:19:04,530
They're both requests for power.

450
00:19:04,530 --> 00:19:07,206
They're both requests for strength.

451
00:19:07,206 --> 00:19:09,052
But strength for two different things.

452
00:19:09,052 --> 00:19:11,521
The first one is the power necessary

453
00:19:11,521 --> 00:19:14,015
to be the dwelling place of Christ.

454
00:19:14,015 --> 00:19:15,419
The second one is a request

455
00:19:15,419 --> 00:19:16,741
for the strength necessary

456
00:19:16,741 --> 00:19:19,210
to have something going on in the brain

457
00:19:19,210 --> 00:19:22,206
that you comprehend something

458
00:19:22,206 --> 00:19:24,094
of Christ's love for His people.

459
00:19:24,094 --> 00:19:27,013
Both requests - requests for power.

460
00:19:27,013 --> 00:19:29,621
But power to do two different things.

461
00:19:29,621 --> 00:19:34,815
So, today, I want to focus on the first

462
00:19:34,815 --> 00:19:36,407
of the two requests.

463
00:19:36,407 --> 00:19:38,107
I want to start out at verse 16

464
00:19:38,107 --> 00:19:41,911
and go halfway through v. 17

465
00:19:41,911 --> 00:19:47,443
with this first request.

466
00:19:47,443 --> 00:19:48,932
Just hear it again.

467
00:19:48,932 --> 00:19:52,664
Look at it.

468
00:19:52,664 --> 00:19:56,251
"I bow my knee to the Father."

469
00:19:56,251 --> 00:19:59,313
I'm praying to the Father for this:

470
00:19:59,313 --> 00:20:02,173
"That according to the riches of His glory

471
00:20:02,173 --> 00:20:04,673
He may grant you to be strengthened

472
00:20:04,673 --> 00:20:10,389
with power through His Spirit 
in your inner being

473
00:20:10,389 --> 00:20:14,686
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts

474
00:20:14,686 --> 00:20:16,537
through faith."

475
00:20:16,537 --> 00:20:17,840
Now, did you notice that?

476
00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:23,005
So that Christ may dwell in 
your hearts through faith.

477
00:20:23,005 --> 00:20:27,537
You say, what's that?

478
00:20:27,537 --> 00:20:29,898
Exactly.

479
00:20:29,898 --> 00:20:32,045
What is this?

480
00:20:32,045 --> 00:20:38,382
Christ dwelling in my heart by faith.

481
00:20:38,382 --> 00:20:41,788
I mean, you know, if we want to be honest,

482
00:20:41,788 --> 00:20:43,964
when you start talking about Christ

483
00:20:43,964 --> 00:20:47,532
dwelling in your heart,

484
00:20:47,532 --> 00:20:49,641
you know what that sounds like?

485
00:20:49,641 --> 00:20:53,467
It sounds like a lot of the 
cheap evangelism today.

486
00:20:53,467 --> 00:20:58,553
Say the sinner's prayer.
Ask Jesus into your heart.

487
00:20:58,553 --> 00:21:01,233
It sounds like that kind of thing.

488
00:21:01,233 --> 00:21:04,250
And you'll be saved.

489
00:21:04,250 --> 00:21:08,428
But, think with me.
Think with me.

490
00:21:08,428 --> 00:21:10,771
Let me ask you one very important question

491
00:21:10,771 --> 00:21:13,391
right at this point.

492
00:21:13,391 --> 00:21:17,243
Is Paul speaking to lost people

493
00:21:17,243 --> 00:21:22,116
who need to be saved?

494
00:21:22,116 --> 00:21:24,739
What say you?

495
00:21:24,739 --> 00:21:27,071
No.

496
00:21:27,071 --> 00:21:29,162
Is Paul saying to unbelievers,

497
00:21:29,162 --> 00:21:32,185
"Accept Jesus into your hearts"?

498
00:21:32,185 --> 00:21:35,802
See, the thing is, Paul wasn't 
speaking to unbelievers at all.

499
00:21:35,802 --> 00:21:39,510
This very letter - in 
no place in this letter

500
00:21:39,510 --> 00:21:41,438
does it seem that Paul

501
00:21:41,438 --> 00:21:43,432
is reaching out to the lost

502
00:21:43,432 --> 00:21:46,371
and giving them instruction 
in how to be saved

503
00:21:46,371 --> 00:21:49,781
or praying for them as to 
how they should be saved.

504
00:21:49,781 --> 00:21:50,721
We know this.

505
00:21:50,721 --> 00:21:52,922
The letter opens up with:

506
00:21:52,922 --> 00:21:56,397
"To the saints who are at Ephesus

507
00:21:56,397 --> 00:21:59,117
and are faithful in Christ Jesus."

508
00:21:59,117 --> 00:22:01,979
In fact, at the end of 
the previous chapter

509
00:22:01,979 --> 00:22:03,017
he said this:

510
00:22:03,017 --> 00:22:05,172
"To you who were once far off

511
00:22:05,172 --> 00:22:07,726
and have been brought near 
by the blood of Christ."

512
00:22:07,726 --> 00:22:09,683
These are the people that are reconciled.

513
00:22:09,683 --> 00:22:12,063
"So then, you are no longer 
strangers and aliens."

514
00:22:12,063 --> 00:22:13,842
This is who he's talking to.

515
00:22:13,842 --> 00:22:15,748
Those who used to be strangers and aliens,

516
00:22:15,748 --> 00:22:17,564
but they're no longer 
strangers and aliens.

517
00:22:17,564 --> 00:22:19,391
Now they're fellow 
citizens with the saints

518
00:22:19,391 --> 00:22:20,956
and members of the household of God,

519
00:22:20,956 --> 00:22:22,241
and they're being built together

520
00:22:22,241 --> 00:22:23,758
into this dwelling place for God.

521
00:22:23,758 --> 00:22:25,326
That's who he's speaking to.

522
00:22:25,326 --> 00:22:26,339
These are Christians.

523
00:22:26,339 --> 00:22:30,440
Now this is a very strange thing.

524
00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:33,656
Because if one of you came up to me

525
00:22:33,656 --> 00:22:35,275
and I wasn't specifically thinking

526
00:22:35,275 --> 00:22:36,687
about Paul's prayer here,

527
00:22:36,687 --> 00:22:38,922
and you said, "Brother, 
I'm praying for you

528
00:22:38,922 --> 00:22:40,303
that you may have strength,

529
00:22:40,303 --> 00:22:44,302
that Christ dwell in 
your heart by faith."

530
00:22:44,302 --> 00:22:46,384
Okay.

531
00:22:46,384 --> 00:22:50,195
I guess I'm good with that.

532
00:22:50,195 --> 00:22:55,973
But what is this?

533
00:22:55,973 --> 00:22:59,963
I mean, what's going on here?

534
00:22:59,963 --> 00:23:02,962
What kind of prayer is this?

535
00:23:02,962 --> 00:23:04,718
What do we say to this?

536
00:23:04,718 --> 00:23:06,294
Ho hum... whatever.

537
00:23:06,294 --> 00:23:08,304
Yes, I see it.

538
00:23:08,304 --> 00:23:09,869
I mean, sometimes we can feel

539
00:23:09,869 --> 00:23:11,297
when we read stuff like this,

540
00:23:11,297 --> 00:23:14,722
it's like sometimes we're getting so much

541
00:23:14,722 --> 00:23:18,428
spiritual - I don't know if you want

542
00:23:18,428 --> 00:23:20,570
to put the words "mumbo jumbo" in there.

543
00:23:20,570 --> 00:23:24,942
It's like it's spiritual, but it's 
not registering with me.

544
00:23:24,942 --> 00:23:26,373
What is this?

545
00:23:26,373 --> 00:23:28,320
I mean, Paul, come on. Get practical.

546
00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:29,674
If you were praying for them

547
00:23:29,674 --> 00:23:32,122
and they were having trials 
over there in Ephesus,

548
00:23:32,122 --> 00:23:34,966
and they were being attacked
and they were facing persecution,

549
00:23:34,966 --> 00:23:36,752
and some of them got thrown in prison

550
00:23:36,752 --> 00:23:38,865
and you were praying that 
they'd get put out of prison,

551
00:23:38,865 --> 00:23:40,732
or if they were having 
financial difficulties

552
00:23:40,732 --> 00:23:42,122
and you were praying that God would

553
00:23:42,122 --> 00:23:44,033
provide and supply all their need,

554
00:23:44,033 --> 00:23:47,026
or if they were struggling with cancer

555
00:23:47,026 --> 00:23:48,759
or something like that?

556
00:23:48,759 --> 00:23:51,471
Well, yes, Paul, if you prayed 
that they be healed,

557
00:23:51,471 --> 00:23:52,606
we can all get that.

558
00:23:52,606 --> 00:23:54,739
That's relevant, Paul. What's this?

559
00:23:54,739 --> 00:23:57,566
What are you praying for?

560
00:23:57,566 --> 00:23:59,734
What is this?

561
00:23:59,734 --> 00:24:01,271
Those things seem real.

562
00:24:01,271 --> 00:24:02,807
Those things seem relevant.

563
00:24:02,807 --> 00:24:05,396
But praying for the power to be 
strengthened in the inner man

564
00:24:05,396 --> 00:24:07,213
so that Christ can dwell in my heart?

565
00:24:07,213 --> 00:24:08,532
What's that all about?

566
00:24:08,532 --> 00:24:10,034
Don't we automatically assume

567
00:24:10,034 --> 00:24:11,310
that if we are Christians,

568
00:24:11,310 --> 00:24:13,935
Christ already dwells in our heart?

569
00:24:13,935 --> 00:24:15,263
So let me ask you that.

570
00:24:15,263 --> 00:24:18,459
If you're a Christian, does 
Christ dwell in your heart?

571
00:24:18,459 --> 00:24:20,621
Then why do you need 
anybody to pray for you

572
00:24:20,621 --> 00:24:22,066
that you might be strengthened

573
00:24:22,066 --> 00:24:23,934
so that Christ may dwell in your heart?

574
00:24:23,934 --> 00:24:29,659
Isn't that a redundant, useless prayer?

575
00:24:29,659 --> 00:24:31,553
I mean, Paul, why are you praying

576
00:24:31,553 --> 00:24:34,146
for that which already is?

577
00:24:34,146 --> 00:24:37,724
Now, look, if you're saved

578
00:24:37,724 --> 00:24:39,867
and you're around 
somebody who's praying

579
00:24:39,867 --> 00:24:41,631
for you to be saved all the time,

580
00:24:41,631 --> 00:24:43,586
isn't that a bit weird?

581
00:24:43,586 --> 00:24:45,888
Now, it either means that 
they just don't think

582
00:24:45,888 --> 00:24:47,766
your profession is real,

583
00:24:47,766 --> 00:24:49,269
but if you said to them,

584
00:24:49,269 --> 00:24:51,336
"Brother, why do you always pray for me

585
00:24:51,336 --> 00:24:53,371
that I be saved?"

586
00:24:53,371 --> 00:24:54,873
"You don't believe I'm saved?"

587
00:24:54,873 --> 00:24:57,121
And he says, "I altogether 
believe you're saved."

588
00:24:57,121 --> 00:24:59,261
"Then why are you 
praying that I be saved?"

589
00:24:59,261 --> 00:25:01,480
Well, you know, there is a place 
for doing that in Scripture

590
00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:03,673
because there is a place 
in Scripture that says

591
00:25:03,673 --> 00:25:06,328
that you're not saved 
unless you endure to the end.

592
00:25:06,328 --> 00:25:07,923
And if somebody was 
actually praying for you

593
00:25:07,923 --> 00:25:09,769
that you be saved and that's 
what they meant by it,

594
00:25:09,769 --> 00:25:11,732
you see, sometimes it's 
just a matter of knowing

595
00:25:11,732 --> 00:25:13,553
what the person means.

596
00:25:13,553 --> 00:25:16,389
It's our misunderstanding that makes us

597
00:25:16,389 --> 00:25:22,726
not perhaps count this 
thing to be so relevant.

598
00:25:22,726 --> 00:25:25,853
Christ already dwells in your heart.

599
00:25:25,853 --> 00:25:27,652
But see, this is the point.

600
00:25:27,652 --> 00:25:30,292
It's hard to enter into the importance

601
00:25:30,292 --> 00:25:31,380
of praying this way

602
00:25:31,380 --> 00:25:32,952
if we really don't feel the need

603
00:25:32,952 --> 00:25:34,825
of what's being prayed for.

604
00:25:34,825 --> 00:25:37,350
But the thing to do is 
not to despise this.

605
00:25:37,350 --> 00:25:40,045
The thing to do is learn from this.

606
00:25:40,045 --> 00:25:42,282
And I would say this,

607
00:25:42,282 --> 00:25:44,089
even if you looked at it and you said

608
00:25:44,089 --> 00:25:45,066
I don't get it.

609
00:25:45,066 --> 00:25:48,190
It doesn't really sound 
all that great to me.

610
00:25:48,190 --> 00:25:50,228
But if you just backed up and you looked

611
00:25:50,228 --> 00:25:51,769
at the context around it,

612
00:25:51,769 --> 00:25:55,489
whatever this is and 
whatever Paul means by it

613
00:25:55,489 --> 00:25:57,803
when you have Paul appealing

614
00:25:57,803 --> 00:26:00,002
to the riches of God's glory

615
00:26:00,002 --> 00:26:02,337
to bring this to pass,

616
00:26:02,337 --> 00:26:05,619
whatever this is requires 
the almighty Spirit of God

617
00:26:05,619 --> 00:26:08,827
to unleash power by which 
I must be strengthened

618
00:26:08,827 --> 00:26:10,514
for this to take place.

619
00:26:10,514 --> 00:26:12,508
And you don't want to fail to notice,

620
00:26:12,508 --> 00:26:14,907
if indeed what we find there

621
00:26:14,907 --> 00:26:17,149
at the end of v. 19

622
00:26:17,149 --> 00:26:19,897
is the culmination of 
both of these petitions

623
00:26:19,897 --> 00:26:20,886
coming to pass,

624
00:26:20,886 --> 00:26:23,571
"that you may be filled with 
all the fullness of God."

625
00:26:23,571 --> 00:26:24,722
What is that?

626
00:26:24,722 --> 00:26:27,729
Filled with all the fullness of God.

627
00:26:27,729 --> 00:26:31,146
Would to God that we knew 
more of what that was.

628
00:26:31,146 --> 00:26:33,073
But when you look at this in context,

629
00:26:33,073 --> 00:26:35,745
Paul's not dealing with some meager,

630
00:26:35,745 --> 00:26:37,092
little things here.

631
00:26:37,092 --> 00:26:39,315
He's dealing with glory.

632
00:26:39,315 --> 00:26:41,303
I hope you can feel, Paul is lifting

633
00:26:41,303 --> 00:26:45,356
way up into the glory 
when he's asking for this.

634
00:26:45,356 --> 00:26:48,754
So what is this?

635
00:26:48,754 --> 00:26:50,924
Well, I kind of hinted on this already,

636
00:26:50,924 --> 00:26:53,504
but for our own learning,

637
00:26:53,504 --> 00:26:55,297
let's really know.

638
00:26:55,297 --> 00:26:58,088
This is spiritual.

639
00:26:58,088 --> 00:26:59,852
I'm not saying that praying

640
00:26:59,852 --> 00:27:04,123
for health, finances -

641
00:27:04,123 --> 00:27:08,967
I'm not saying that's 
necessarily unspiritual.

642
00:27:08,967 --> 00:27:12,057
But those things definitely have to do

643
00:27:12,057 --> 00:27:15,364
with what is earthly.

644
00:27:15,364 --> 00:27:16,723
And the thing is

645
00:27:16,723 --> 00:27:19,340
what I would have you to notice

646
00:27:19,340 --> 00:27:22,460
is that when Paul tells them,

647
00:27:22,460 --> 00:27:26,914
"Ephesians, let me tell you 
how I'm praying for you,"

648
00:27:26,914 --> 00:27:31,443
not a single mention of 
any earthly circumstance.

649
00:27:31,443 --> 00:27:35,651
Like, he's not praying them out 
of circumstances in their life.

650
00:27:35,651 --> 00:27:37,004
So often we pray that way.

651
00:27:37,004 --> 00:27:38,276
So often, reports come,

652
00:27:38,276 --> 00:27:44,083
"Oh brethren, this 
calamity happened to me.

653
00:27:44,083 --> 00:27:45,600
Please pray for me."

654
00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:47,094
And you know what they want?

655
00:27:47,094 --> 00:27:50,946
They want you to pray 
them out of the calamity.

656
00:27:50,946 --> 00:27:56,360
Right? Oh, I lost my job.

657
00:27:56,360 --> 00:28:00,357
I don't have a car.

658
00:28:00,357 --> 00:28:03,558
And you see, what Paul would say to us

659
00:28:03,558 --> 00:28:05,580
is you know how I'm going to pray for you?

660
00:28:05,580 --> 00:28:06,813
I'm not going to pray necessarily

661
00:28:06,813 --> 00:28:08,126
that you get a car, and I'm not saying

662
00:28:08,126 --> 00:28:10,288
that there's anything wrong 
with praying for a car,

663
00:28:10,288 --> 00:28:12,096
but if he's really going to hit on

664
00:28:12,096 --> 00:28:13,384
the things that are most important

665
00:28:13,384 --> 00:28:14,602
to pray for other people,

666
00:28:14,602 --> 00:28:15,937
what he's going to pray

667
00:28:15,937 --> 00:28:21,129
is the things that bypass 
circumstances altogether.

668
00:28:21,129 --> 00:28:24,207
It's like the circumstance 
isn't really the issue.

669
00:28:24,207 --> 00:28:27,080
The issue is who you are on the inside.

670
00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:28,900
And he's going to pray that 
we're right on the inside

671
00:28:28,900 --> 00:28:30,582
because if we're right on the inside,

672
00:28:30,582 --> 00:28:32,188
no matter what's happening on the outside,

673
00:28:32,188 --> 00:28:34,153
we're going to respond to it right.

674
00:28:34,153 --> 00:28:35,641
Even if they're putting us to death,

675
00:28:35,641 --> 00:28:38,957
putting us in prison, 
putting us in the fire.

676
00:28:38,957 --> 00:28:41,977
You see, the issue is not 
praying away the circumstances,

677
00:28:41,977 --> 00:28:45,559
but that's oftentimes how we

678
00:28:45,559 --> 00:28:47,315
are very specific to pray.

679
00:28:47,315 --> 00:28:49,462
And yet, that doesn't even enter in here.

680
00:28:49,462 --> 00:28:51,822
Nothing about trying to pray away

681
00:28:51,822 --> 00:28:54,586
their sufferings and trials.

682
00:28:54,586 --> 00:28:57,875
Rather, he's praying for 
their spiritual welfare

683
00:28:57,875 --> 00:29:00,971
in the inner man.

684
00:29:00,971 --> 00:29:02,945
The inner man.

685
00:29:02,945 --> 00:29:04,656
Now, that's helpful for us to learn.

686
00:29:04,656 --> 00:29:06,126
When we pray for one another,

687
00:29:06,126 --> 00:29:08,663
what are the most important 
things to pray for?

688
00:29:08,663 --> 00:29:10,136
Yes, there's a place to pray

689
00:29:10,136 --> 00:29:12,078
that God would supply all of our needs.

690
00:29:12,078 --> 00:29:14,811
But you know, all of our needs -

691
00:29:14,811 --> 00:29:16,864
so often when we hear that kind of thing,

692
00:29:16,864 --> 00:29:19,185
we think money.

693
00:29:19,185 --> 00:29:22,246
And yet our greatest 
needs are not financial.

694
00:29:22,246 --> 00:29:25,251
Our greatest needs are spiritual.

695
00:29:25,251 --> 00:29:27,209
Two young men may find themselves faced

696
00:29:27,209 --> 00:29:29,586
with the same spiritual trial for purity.

697
00:29:29,586 --> 00:29:31,062
That happens all the time.

698
00:29:31,062 --> 00:29:32,434
Young man faced with trials

699
00:29:32,434 --> 00:29:34,817
that challenge their purity.

700
00:29:34,817 --> 00:29:37,002
One young man falls.

701
00:29:37,002 --> 00:29:41,389
One young man does not.

702
00:29:41,389 --> 00:29:44,381
One was prayed for.
Somebody was praying for him.

703
00:29:44,381 --> 00:29:46,448
Somebody like Leslie Smith had his picture

704
00:29:46,448 --> 00:29:48,795
up on the mantle and 
prayed for him every day

705
00:29:48,795 --> 00:29:50,038
that he not fall,

706
00:29:50,038 --> 00:29:52,903
that God strengthen him.

707
00:29:52,903 --> 00:29:54,803
One was prayed for, one was not.

708
00:29:54,803 --> 00:29:57,115
Look, if you don't think 
things work that way,

709
00:29:57,115 --> 00:30:00,689
then you're missing exactly 
what Paul's doing here

710
00:30:00,689 --> 00:30:02,703
and how the kingdom does in fact work.

711
00:30:02,703 --> 00:30:04,537
Paul doesn't pray for these Ephesians

712
00:30:04,537 --> 00:30:08,346
and say," well, prayer 
for people like that

713
00:30:08,346 --> 00:30:10,402
is just useless."

714
00:30:10,402 --> 00:30:13,201
Do you think Paul actually 
felt like if he prayed

715
00:30:13,201 --> 00:30:15,615
that these Ephesians be strengthened

716
00:30:15,615 --> 00:30:17,229
that the result would be

717
00:30:17,229 --> 00:30:18,716
that they wouldn't be strengthened?

718
00:30:18,716 --> 00:30:21,284
Or do you think he actually 
thought that praying for them

719
00:30:21,284 --> 00:30:23,553
would yield the very 
result he was praying for

720
00:30:23,553 --> 00:30:24,874
and that them being strengthened

721
00:30:24,874 --> 00:30:27,101
would help them to stand, to run,

722
00:30:27,101 --> 00:30:29,574
to do better, to win, to conquer,

723
00:30:29,574 --> 00:30:32,245
to fight, to resist?

724
00:30:32,245 --> 00:30:33,759
You see, that's the reality,

725
00:30:33,759 --> 00:30:35,627
and if we lose that -

726
00:30:35,627 --> 00:30:37,251
oh, hyper-Calvinism,

727
00:30:37,251 --> 00:30:39,320
it is a plague in the church.

728
00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:42,170
I love the sovereignty of God -

729
00:30:42,170 --> 00:30:44,558
what James was talking 
about in the first hour.

730
00:30:44,558 --> 00:30:48,822
Of course, the Lord - if the Lord wills.

731
00:30:48,822 --> 00:30:50,927
But I'll tell you this, 
what the Lord does will

732
00:30:50,927 --> 00:30:52,651
is He wills for His people to pray

733
00:30:52,651 --> 00:30:53,557
and He tells us,

734
00:30:53,557 --> 00:30:56,426
and it's His will too to answer prayer.

735
00:30:56,426 --> 00:30:57,230
God says it.

736
00:30:57,230 --> 00:30:58,992
God says if you ask, you will receive.

737
00:30:58,992 --> 00:30:59,954
That's His will.

738
00:30:59,954 --> 00:31:02,665
His will is that if you have 
not because you ask not

739
00:31:02,665 --> 00:31:06,304
in the same letter from James,

740
00:31:06,304 --> 00:31:07,595
that's a reality.

741
00:31:07,595 --> 00:31:09,838
Throw your hyper-Calvinism out the window.

742
00:31:09,838 --> 00:31:11,551
What you do mean by hyper-Calvinism?

743
00:31:11,551 --> 00:31:13,136
What am I talking about there?

744
00:31:13,136 --> 00:31:15,034
I'm talking about where you say

745
00:31:15,034 --> 00:31:15,918
God is sovereign.

746
00:31:15,918 --> 00:31:17,234
God's going to do what He's going to do,

747
00:31:17,234 --> 00:31:18,529
so praying for somebody to be strengthened

748
00:31:18,529 --> 00:31:20,938
in their inner man is relatively useless.

749
00:31:20,938 --> 00:31:23,029
I'll say that's crazy, that's backward,

750
00:31:23,029 --> 00:31:27,299
that's not biblical, that is error.

751
00:31:27,299 --> 00:31:28,644
You know what the reality is?

752
00:31:28,644 --> 00:31:30,007
That the guy that's being prayed for

753
00:31:30,007 --> 00:31:31,700
all the time by somebody,

754
00:31:31,700 --> 00:31:35,528
is going to run better 
than the guy that's not.

755
00:31:35,528 --> 00:31:37,490
You say, how can you prove that?

756
00:31:37,490 --> 00:31:38,746
I can prove that everywhere

757
00:31:38,746 --> 00:31:41,350
by the fact that prayer is guaranteed

758
00:31:41,350 --> 00:31:43,438
results in the Scriptures.

759
00:31:43,438 --> 00:31:44,582
That's just a reality

760
00:31:44,582 --> 00:31:46,366
and when God does answer these things,

761
00:31:46,366 --> 00:31:50,773
these requests that 
somebody be strengthened,

762
00:31:50,773 --> 00:31:51,784
then what happens?

763
00:31:51,784 --> 00:31:53,515
Well, they're strengthened.

764
00:31:53,515 --> 00:31:55,428
And what happens when you're strengthened?

765
00:31:55,428 --> 00:31:56,796
You perform better.

766
00:31:56,796 --> 00:31:58,453
You can handle greater weight.

767
00:31:58,453 --> 00:32:00,738
(incomplete thought)

768
00:32:00,738 --> 00:32:01,793
You think about it.

769
00:32:01,793 --> 00:32:03,154
Two young men.

770
00:32:03,154 --> 00:32:04,736
They're going to try to lift

771
00:32:04,736 --> 00:32:07,906
the same huge weight in weightlifting.

772
00:32:07,906 --> 00:32:09,363
One drinks an energy drink

773
00:32:09,363 --> 00:32:11,269
and it actually gives him energy.

774
00:32:11,269 --> 00:32:12,908
Which one's going to perform better?

775
00:32:12,908 --> 00:32:14,913
It's the same way in the spiritual realm.

776
00:32:14,913 --> 00:32:16,187
That's what Paul's praying for.

777
00:32:16,187 --> 00:32:17,499
Paul is praying for power.

778
00:32:17,499 --> 00:32:18,712
He's praying for strength.

779
00:32:18,712 --> 00:32:20,135
That things may happen.

780
00:32:20,135 --> 00:32:22,435
Strength of comprehension.

781
00:32:22,435 --> 00:32:25,235
Strength that you may have Christ

782
00:32:25,235 --> 00:32:29,300
dwell in your hearts by faith.

783
00:32:29,300 --> 00:32:32,622
Two Christians encounter 
the same difficulty.

784
00:32:32,622 --> 00:32:34,079
Which will advance more?

785
00:32:34,079 --> 00:32:35,513
Which is going to do better?

786
00:32:35,513 --> 00:32:36,866
Which is going to face the temptation?

787
00:32:36,866 --> 00:32:38,624
Which is going to face the devil better?

788
00:32:38,624 --> 00:32:41,480
God, give us prayer warriors

789
00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:44,293
who will pray the power of God

790
00:32:44,293 --> 00:32:45,592
down upon the church.

791
00:32:45,592 --> 00:32:46,758
Not for money,

792
00:32:46,758 --> 00:32:48,346
not for better health,

793
00:32:48,346 --> 00:32:51,414
but for the power of God 
in the inward man.

794
00:32:51,414 --> 00:32:52,710
That's what we need.

795
00:32:52,710 --> 00:32:54,513
Oh, if we're praying for one another,

796
00:32:54,513 --> 00:32:56,493
I'll tell you, it will make a difference.

797
00:32:56,493 --> 00:32:58,699
Don't be hyper-Calvinistic!

798
00:32:58,699 --> 00:33:01,343
Don't be unbiblical.

799
00:33:01,343 --> 00:33:03,148
(incomplete thought)

800
00:33:03,148 --> 00:33:04,233
You know what?

801
00:33:04,233 --> 00:33:05,626
Paul's going off to do something.

802
00:33:05,626 --> 00:33:07,004
He's going off to face enemies.

803
00:33:07,004 --> 00:33:09,848
He's going off to take the 
Gospel into dark places.

804
00:33:09,848 --> 00:33:11,713
And what does he say to the churches?

805
00:33:11,713 --> 00:33:13,107
Pray for me.

806
00:33:13,107 --> 00:33:16,213
Pray for me that I might 
be sped on my way,

807
00:33:16,213 --> 00:33:17,843
that I might be able to handle

808
00:33:17,843 --> 00:33:20,998
the enemies of the cross 
I'm going to encounter,

809
00:33:20,998 --> 00:33:22,931
and that I may speak with boldness.

810
00:33:22,931 --> 00:33:24,071
Do you think he felt like,

811
00:33:24,071 --> 00:33:26,020
well, that's just senseless; 
that's useless.

812
00:33:26,020 --> 00:33:29,012
I won't be any more bold 
if you pray for me or not.

813
00:33:29,012 --> 00:33:33,144
That's absolutely contrary 
to what he's saying.

814
00:33:33,144 --> 00:33:35,101
He every bit believed

815
00:33:35,101 --> 00:33:36,891
that if they were praying for him,

816
00:33:36,891 --> 00:33:38,564
there would be results 
that would not happen

817
00:33:38,564 --> 00:33:40,102
if they weren't praying for him.

818
00:33:40,102 --> 00:33:41,617
That is the reality.

819
00:33:41,617 --> 00:33:43,810
God, give us men and women

820
00:33:43,810 --> 00:33:45,453
who are convinced of this.

821
00:33:45,453 --> 00:33:47,030
Yes, God is sovereign.

822
00:33:47,030 --> 00:33:50,214
But He has determined that people

823
00:33:50,214 --> 00:33:52,894
who lay hold on His sovereignty,

824
00:33:52,894 --> 00:33:55,255
have what they would not otherwise have

825
00:33:55,255 --> 00:33:56,399
if they didn't pray.

826
00:33:56,399 --> 00:33:57,651
Do you remember the king?

827
00:33:57,651 --> 00:33:58,797
Do you remember the king

828
00:33:58,797 --> 00:34:00,106
when the prophet was going to go

829
00:34:00,106 --> 00:34:01,239
be with the Lord?

830
00:34:01,239 --> 00:34:02,822
His days are done.

831
00:34:02,822 --> 00:34:04,823
He goes to the king of Israel.

832
00:34:04,823 --> 00:34:06,272
He says, "take that arrow."

833
00:34:06,272 --> 00:34:08,585
He said, "Bang it against the floor."

834
00:34:08,585 --> 00:34:10,005
He banged it three times.

835
00:34:10,005 --> 00:34:11,814
What did he say?

836
00:34:11,814 --> 00:34:13,707
He was angry with him.

837
00:34:13,707 --> 00:34:15,661
He said, "if you would 
have banged that more,"

838
00:34:15,661 --> 00:34:17,050
he said, "you know what's going to happen?

839
00:34:17,050 --> 00:34:19,085
You're going to have victory 
over your enemies three times.

840
00:34:19,085 --> 00:34:21,145
If you would have banged it 5 or 6 times,

841
00:34:21,145 --> 00:34:23,274
you would have totally 
subdued your enemy."

842
00:34:23,274 --> 00:34:24,302
What's that?

843
00:34:24,302 --> 00:34:27,435
That is a picture of prayer.

844
00:34:27,435 --> 00:34:29,673
Bang the arrow, brethren!

845
00:34:29,673 --> 00:34:32,614
You say, what?

846
00:34:32,614 --> 00:34:34,091
It's like our brother Andy.

847
00:34:34,091 --> 00:34:37,278
He talks about when the Amalekites

848
00:34:37,278 --> 00:34:38,976
were fighting against Israel,

849
00:34:38,976 --> 00:34:40,764
and as long as Moses' arms were up

850
00:34:40,764 --> 00:34:43,533
which is a picture of 
upraised hands in prayer,

851
00:34:43,533 --> 00:34:45,490
Israel prevailed.

852
00:34:45,490 --> 00:34:46,896
And when his arms fell,

853
00:34:46,896 --> 00:34:48,215
Amalekites prevailed.

854
00:34:48,215 --> 00:34:49,799
And you remember what happened.

855
00:34:49,799 --> 00:34:53,928
Two of his friends came 
and upheld his arms.

856
00:34:53,928 --> 00:34:55,635
And so Israel had victory.

857
00:34:55,635 --> 00:34:58,656
Those are the kinds of 
things you find in Scripture.

858
00:34:58,656 --> 00:34:59,950
We need to think that way.

859
00:34:59,950 --> 00:35:01,933
We need men and women who are convinced;

860
00:35:01,933 --> 00:35:03,507
we need men and women who are convinced

861
00:35:03,507 --> 00:35:05,451
that we've got people in this church

862
00:35:05,451 --> 00:35:07,059
who will stand if they pray for them;

863
00:35:07,059 --> 00:35:09,167
they will fall if they don't.

864
00:35:09,167 --> 00:35:11,399
They're convinced that prayer 
matters that much;

865
00:35:11,399 --> 00:35:13,089
that the spiritual welfare of our church

866
00:35:13,089 --> 00:35:15,290
matters that much.

867
00:35:15,290 --> 00:35:17,538
Listen, we live in a culture -

868
00:35:17,538 --> 00:35:18,771
many are desperate.

869
00:35:18,771 --> 00:35:21,319
They're desperate for health.

870
00:35:21,319 --> 00:35:23,205
Ruby and I, we go to the gym at times.

871
00:35:23,205 --> 00:35:25,408
The place is full and there's a 
lot of old people in there.

872
00:35:25,408 --> 00:35:28,452
They're trying to just 
keep the engines going.

873
00:35:28,452 --> 00:35:30,085
They're trying to keep the health.

874
00:35:30,085 --> 00:35:33,982
And you know, anything that promises

875
00:35:33,982 --> 00:35:38,741
youth in your old age, it sells well.

876
00:35:38,741 --> 00:35:44,073
And I've probably spent 
my dollars on some of it.

877
00:35:44,073 --> 00:35:47,703
And you should spend more.

878
00:35:47,703 --> 00:35:52,105
But desperate for health.

879
00:35:52,105 --> 00:35:53,355
Good diet.

880
00:35:53,355 --> 00:35:55,089
Going to the gym.

881
00:35:55,089 --> 00:35:57,302
And financial things.

882
00:35:57,302 --> 00:35:58,110
Desperate.

883
00:35:58,110 --> 00:36:00,887
I see it all the time.

884
00:36:00,887 --> 00:36:04,196
Right south of 35 on this 
side of the highway

885
00:36:04,196 --> 00:36:05,608
when you're driving south,

886
00:36:05,608 --> 00:36:07,036
there's a big billboard there.

887
00:36:07,036 --> 00:36:09,993
And it's all about having peace,

888
00:36:09,993 --> 00:36:11,489
being at rest concerning

889
00:36:11,489 --> 00:36:15,035
your financial future.

890
00:36:15,035 --> 00:36:17,606
I drive by it and I think,

891
00:36:17,606 --> 00:36:20,784
Lord, I don't have anything in there.

892
00:36:20,784 --> 00:36:22,710
I'm trusting You.

893
00:36:22,710 --> 00:36:24,747
You're my trust for retirement.

894
00:36:24,747 --> 00:36:26,565
You're my trust for the future.

895
00:36:26,565 --> 00:36:29,183
And look, I'm not saying you 
can't save some money.

896
00:36:29,183 --> 00:36:33,263
But our Lord said store up 
your treasure in Heaven.

897
00:36:33,263 --> 00:36:35,651
But this same culture that is so hungry

898
00:36:35,651 --> 00:36:36,900
for financial security

899
00:36:36,900 --> 00:36:38,191
and for health security,

900
00:36:38,191 --> 00:36:40,200
they're not very hungry for transformation

901
00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:42,378
of the inner man.

902
00:36:42,378 --> 00:36:44,970
That seems to get passed over,

903
00:36:44,970 --> 00:36:48,200
but that's where Paul goes.

904
00:36:48,200 --> 00:36:49,297
And you know what?

905
00:36:49,297 --> 00:36:51,112
I just heard it from my sister-in-law.

906
00:36:51,112 --> 00:36:54,963
She was saying concerning children,

907
00:36:54,963 --> 00:36:58,637
and I was taking this to heart -

908
00:36:58,637 --> 00:37:01,619
she was saying concerning our children -

909
00:37:01,619 --> 00:37:06,002
it was like she was having 
a conversation with the Lord.

910
00:37:06,002 --> 00:37:07,540
And the Lord was saying to her

911
00:37:07,540 --> 00:37:11,042
concerning her children,

912
00:37:11,042 --> 00:37:14,891
"when do you grow the most?

913
00:37:14,891 --> 00:37:17,304
When there's trials or 
when there's not trials?"

914
00:37:17,304 --> 00:37:18,699
And she was saying,

915
00:37:18,699 --> 00:37:21,256
"Well, Lord, when there's trials."

916
00:37:21,256 --> 00:37:23,403
It was like she was hearing His voice say,

917
00:37:23,403 --> 00:37:25,396
"Well, when are your children 
going to grow the most?"

918
00:37:25,396 --> 00:37:27,094
You see, we don't like 
our children in trials.

919
00:37:27,094 --> 00:37:28,498
We want to protect them from it.

920
00:37:28,498 --> 00:37:29,556
I don't like it.

921
00:37:29,556 --> 00:37:31,507
I don't like to see my children cry.

922
00:37:31,507 --> 00:37:36,845
I don't like to see my 
children in distress.

923
00:37:36,845 --> 00:37:39,971
But you know what?

924
00:37:39,971 --> 00:37:45,289
That's what's best for the inner man.

925
00:37:45,289 --> 00:37:50,588
You see, Paul doesn't come along and say,

926
00:37:50,588 --> 00:37:52,998
you know what? We need to 
try to rescue our children,

927
00:37:52,998 --> 00:37:55,617
whether they be spiritual 
children or physical children.

928
00:37:55,617 --> 00:37:57,763
We need to rescue them from hard times,

929
00:37:57,763 --> 00:38:00,252
from difficulties, and from trials.

930
00:38:00,252 --> 00:38:02,398
Paul doesn't even pray for these Ephesians

931
00:38:02,398 --> 00:38:05,414
any way whatsoever like that.

932
00:38:05,414 --> 00:38:07,444
He just says it doesn't 
matter what you're facing.

933
00:38:07,444 --> 00:38:08,757
You've got marital problems?

934
00:38:08,757 --> 00:38:10,852
You've got persecution in the family?

935
00:38:10,852 --> 00:38:14,291
You've got children that are

936
00:38:14,291 --> 00:38:16,074
going off the way of the world?

937
00:38:16,074 --> 00:38:18,009
You're in financial distress?

938
00:38:18,009 --> 00:38:21,452
You've got the Romans over there

939
00:38:21,452 --> 00:38:22,784
that are threatening you

940
00:38:22,784 --> 00:38:24,142
and taking your stuff?

941
00:38:24,142 --> 00:38:25,218
All these things -

942
00:38:25,218 --> 00:38:26,635
he doesn't say, you know what?

943
00:38:26,635 --> 00:38:28,343
I'm going to pray you 
out of that situation.

944
00:38:28,343 --> 00:38:32,014
I'm going to pray you 
into harmony in this world.

945
00:38:32,014 --> 00:38:33,863
None of that.

946
00:38:33,863 --> 00:38:35,314
He says you know what 
I'm going to pray for you?

947
00:38:35,314 --> 00:38:36,909
I'm going to pray that God 
would so strengthen

948
00:38:36,909 --> 00:38:38,620
your inner man that 
such things happen

949
00:38:38,620 --> 00:38:40,901
that no matter what you're faced with

950
00:38:40,901 --> 00:38:41,974
you'll excel,

951
00:38:41,974 --> 00:38:43,403
you'll please the Lord,

952
00:38:43,403 --> 00:38:45,619
you'll be triumphant.

953
00:38:45,619 --> 00:38:47,330
That's the issue.

954
00:38:47,330 --> 00:38:49,551
One thing I would have us to see by this

955
00:38:49,551 --> 00:38:53,281
is - I love it, and I like 
to show it to you

956
00:38:53,281 --> 00:38:54,378
when I see it,

957
00:38:54,378 --> 00:38:56,205
because it happens more in Scripture

958
00:38:56,205 --> 00:38:58,083
I think sometimes than we're aware of,

959
00:38:58,083 --> 00:39:01,780
but just the Trinitarian nature

960
00:39:01,780 --> 00:39:05,777
of this first petition.

961
00:39:05,777 --> 00:39:08,934
"For this reason I bow 
my knees to the..." who?

962
00:39:08,934 --> 00:39:11,514
The Father.

963
00:39:11,514 --> 00:39:13,893
"From whom the whole family

964
00:39:13,893 --> 00:39:16,097
in heaven and on earth is named,

965
00:39:16,097 --> 00:39:18,634
that according to the riches of His glory

966
00:39:18,634 --> 00:39:20,258
He may grant you to be strengthened

967
00:39:20,258 --> 00:39:23,387
with power through..." who?

968
00:39:23,387 --> 00:39:26,998
His Spirit "in your inner being

969
00:39:26,998 --> 00:39:29,306
so that..." who?

970
00:39:29,306 --> 00:39:32,453
Christ. The Son.

971
00:39:32,453 --> 00:39:35,537
Don't you love that? I love it.

972
00:39:35,537 --> 00:39:37,145
Trinitarian.

973
00:39:37,145 --> 00:39:39,214
Paul prays to the Father

974
00:39:39,214 --> 00:39:43,927
for power from the Spirit

975
00:39:43,927 --> 00:39:49,023
that will yield the indwelling of the Son.

976
00:39:49,023 --> 00:39:52,440
Oh, how important each of the Persons

977
00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:54,132
of the Holy Trinity is.

978
00:39:54,132 --> 00:39:56,315
Not just to the life of the Christian,

979
00:39:56,315 --> 00:39:59,646
but to the prayer life of the Christian.

980
00:39:59,646 --> 00:40:00,968
I just say that in passing.

981
00:40:00,968 --> 00:40:03,224
I wish I could say much more on that.

982
00:40:03,224 --> 00:40:05,570
I wish I could say much more on that,

983
00:40:05,570 --> 00:40:07,450
not that I have much more to say on it.

984
00:40:07,450 --> 00:40:08,979
I wish that the Lord would have

985
00:40:08,979 --> 00:40:12,257
really allowed the blinders to come off

986
00:40:12,257 --> 00:40:16,550
so that I might have 
said with great effect

987
00:40:16,550 --> 00:40:18,510
more on that note.

988
00:40:18,510 --> 00:40:22,785
But just take that and mull on that.

989
00:40:22,785 --> 00:40:24,937
What this is - a prayer that's meant to

990
00:40:24,937 --> 00:40:29,011
take the Christian further up

991
00:40:29,011 --> 00:40:31,055
and farther in.

992
00:40:31,055 --> 00:40:33,447
You see, when he says -

993
00:40:33,447 --> 00:40:34,479
now think about this.

994
00:40:34,479 --> 00:40:36,118
You're already saved.

995
00:40:36,118 --> 00:40:38,566
I'm praying for you that you may be

996
00:40:38,566 --> 00:40:40,386
strengthened with the power

997
00:40:40,386 --> 00:40:44,563
of the Spirit of God in your inner man

998
00:40:44,563 --> 00:40:47,922
that Christ may dwell 
in your hearts by faith.

999
00:40:47,922 --> 00:40:53,009
What he's doing is this is him

1000
00:40:53,009 --> 00:40:54,862
saying, "Christian, I'm praying

1001
00:40:54,862 --> 00:40:57,768
you will go higher and deeper

1002
00:40:57,768 --> 00:40:59,853
and further in;

1003
00:40:59,853 --> 00:41:04,287
that you'll experience more, more."

1004
00:41:04,287 --> 00:41:06,857
You know what this is like?

1005
00:41:06,857 --> 00:41:08,950
Sometimes I think we get confused.

1006
00:41:08,950 --> 00:41:10,704
We were just talking on Tuesday

1007
00:41:10,704 --> 00:41:14,695
about this reality 
concerning the Holy Spirit.

1008
00:41:14,695 --> 00:41:16,289
I'm not going to turn to it,

1009
00:41:16,289 --> 00:41:20,769
but it does say in Luke 11:13

1010
00:41:20,769 --> 00:41:23,125
that we as Christians should be

1011
00:41:23,125 --> 00:41:24,999
praying to our Father in Heaven

1012
00:41:24,999 --> 00:41:27,270
for the Holy Spirit.

1013
00:41:27,270 --> 00:41:30,789
It's interesting it doesn't say 
"for more of the Holy Spirit."

1014
00:41:30,789 --> 00:41:34,644
It says "if you then being evil

1015
00:41:34,644 --> 00:41:36,609
know how to give gifts to your children,

1016
00:41:36,609 --> 00:41:38,500
how much more will your Father" -

1017
00:41:38,500 --> 00:41:41,566
your Father - He's talking to Christians.

1018
00:41:41,566 --> 00:41:43,658
"...Your Father give the Holy Spirit

1019
00:41:43,658 --> 00:41:45,568
to them who ask."

1020
00:41:45,568 --> 00:41:48,118
Why would we need the Holy Spirit?

1021
00:41:48,118 --> 00:41:49,946
Did we not receive the Holy Spirit

1022
00:41:49,946 --> 00:41:51,137
when we were first saved?

1023
00:41:51,137 --> 00:41:52,851
Scripture says if you 
don't have the Spirit,

1024
00:41:52,851 --> 00:41:54,185
you don't belong to Christ.

1025
00:41:54,185 --> 00:41:55,616
So obviously, we do.

1026
00:41:55,616 --> 00:41:59,672
You are not in the Kingdom;

1027
00:41:59,672 --> 00:42:01,751
you will not receive the Kingdom

1028
00:42:01,751 --> 00:42:03,396
unless you're born of the Spirit.

1029
00:42:03,396 --> 00:42:04,569
That's just a reality.

1030
00:42:04,569 --> 00:42:06,352
So why in the world would we be told

1031
00:42:06,352 --> 00:42:07,987
to pray for the Holy Spirit?

1032
00:42:07,987 --> 00:42:10,582
It's these kinds of truths.

1033
00:42:10,582 --> 00:42:13,294
It doesn't mean that you 
don't already have the Spirit.

1034
00:42:13,294 --> 00:42:14,886
Just as it doesn't mean that Christ

1035
00:42:14,886 --> 00:42:16,700
doesn't already dwell in your heart.

1036
00:42:16,700 --> 00:42:20,649
The reality is it's a prayer for more.

1037
00:42:20,649 --> 00:42:22,702
More of the manifestation.

1038
00:42:22,702 --> 00:42:24,488
More of the influence.

1039
00:42:24,488 --> 00:42:27,014
More of the experience.

1040
00:42:27,014 --> 00:42:30,351
Is that not the way Scripture paints?

1041
00:42:30,351 --> 00:42:33,397
Do you know that the Christian life

1042
00:42:33,397 --> 00:42:35,784
is not meant to be static?

1043
00:42:35,784 --> 00:42:38,084
It's not meant to be.

1044
00:42:38,084 --> 00:42:41,068
You need to have motion.

1045
00:42:41,068 --> 00:42:44,424
I just recently at my wife's birthday,

1046
00:42:44,424 --> 00:42:46,290
I put this on her card,

1047
00:42:46,290 --> 00:42:47,469
and I think about this.

1048
00:42:47,469 --> 00:42:49,446
I think about this text often.

1049
00:42:49,446 --> 00:42:51,190
"The path of the righteous

1050
00:42:51,190 --> 00:42:54,635
is like the dawn of day."

1051
00:42:54,635 --> 00:42:56,578
And what does it do?

1052
00:42:56,578 --> 00:42:59,192
Anybody know?

1053
00:42:59,192 --> 00:43:03,390
It shines brighter and brighter

1054
00:43:03,390 --> 00:43:05,425
until full day.

1055
00:43:05,425 --> 00:43:08,913
I like that. Brighter and brighter.

1056
00:43:08,913 --> 00:43:11,012
Or you get this: Psalm 84:7,

1057
00:43:11,012 --> 00:43:13,773
"They go from strength to strength."

1058
00:43:13,773 --> 00:43:16,944
Or 2 Corinthians 3:18, our ESV's say,

1059
00:43:16,944 --> 00:43:19,739
"From one degree of glory to another."

1060
00:43:19,739 --> 00:43:21,840
But you know what that is in the original?

1061
00:43:21,840 --> 00:43:24,357
"From glory to glory."

1062
00:43:24,357 --> 00:43:25,436
There's this increase.

1063
00:43:25,436 --> 00:43:26,917
There's this upward movement.

1064
00:43:26,917 --> 00:43:28,246
Or 2 Thessalonians,

1065
00:43:28,246 --> 00:43:30,122
"Your faith is growing abundantly,

1066
00:43:30,122 --> 00:43:32,522
and the love of every one 
of you for one another

1067
00:43:32,522 --> 00:43:33,837
is increasing."

1068
00:43:33,837 --> 00:43:36,235
2 Peter - Peter is getting ready

1069
00:43:36,235 --> 00:43:37,859
to go be with the Lord.

1070
00:43:37,859 --> 00:43:39,492
He talks about he's putting off

1071
00:43:39,492 --> 00:43:42,375
this body, this frame, and he says,

1072
00:43:42,375 --> 00:43:43,863
I want to appeal to you.

1073
00:43:43,863 --> 00:43:45,068
I want to exhort you.

1074
00:43:45,068 --> 00:43:46,359
I want to encourage you

1075
00:43:46,359 --> 00:43:48,768
that if these qualities are yours -

1076
00:43:48,768 --> 00:43:51,153
and he goes through 
a whole list of them.

1077
00:43:51,153 --> 00:43:52,387
"...And are increasing."

1078
00:43:52,387 --> 00:43:54,456
See? Increase. Increase.

1079
00:43:54,456 --> 00:43:56,038
Philippians - Paul is praying

1080
00:43:56,038 --> 00:43:59,440
that your love may abound more and more

1081
00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:02,410
with knowledge and all discernment.

1082
00:44:02,410 --> 00:44:04,288
Think with me here.

1083
00:44:04,288 --> 00:44:06,957
Just look for a second

1084
00:44:06,957 --> 00:44:11,316
at Paul's second petition in this prayer.

1085
00:44:11,316 --> 00:44:12,938
What is he praying for?

1086
00:44:12,938 --> 00:44:14,852
He's praying that you 
might have the strength

1087
00:44:14,852 --> 00:44:16,649
to comprehend with all the saints

1088
00:44:16,649 --> 00:44:20,332
what is the breadth and length

1089
00:44:20,332 --> 00:44:22,366
and height and depth

1090
00:44:22,366 --> 00:44:25,538
and to know the love of Christ

1091
00:44:25,538 --> 00:44:27,336
that surpasses understanding.

1092
00:44:27,336 --> 00:44:28,978
Now let me ask you something.

1093
00:44:28,978 --> 00:44:31,083
When somebody prays that for a Christian,

1094
00:44:31,083 --> 00:44:33,378
is that implying that 
they don't know anything

1095
00:44:33,378 --> 00:44:35,259
about the love of Christ?

1096
00:44:35,259 --> 00:44:36,682
You see, it's further in.

1097
00:44:36,682 --> 00:44:38,451
Further. Deeper.

1098
00:44:38,451 --> 00:44:40,271
The breadth.

1099
00:44:40,271 --> 00:44:41,702
The length.

1100
00:44:41,702 --> 00:44:43,773
It's: go deeper.

1101
00:44:43,773 --> 00:44:46,148
Go higher.

1102
00:44:46,148 --> 00:44:48,197
That's the call. That's the prayer.

1103
00:44:48,197 --> 00:44:50,867
Ephesians, I'm praying for you

1104
00:44:50,867 --> 00:44:52,368
that in your inner man,

1105
00:44:52,368 --> 00:44:54,046
you would be strengthened

1106
00:44:54,046 --> 00:44:57,176
to experience the 
realities of Christianity.

1107
00:44:57,176 --> 00:44:58,913
Deeper, deeper,

1108
00:44:58,913 --> 00:45:02,055
further, further in.

1109
00:45:02,055 --> 00:45:03,760
Broader, higher.

1110
00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:06,574
And when it comes to 
Christ dwelling in our hearts,

1111
00:45:06,574 --> 00:45:09,761
it's the same reality.

1112
00:45:09,761 --> 00:45:13,044
And the verb - the verb "dwell."

1113
00:45:13,044 --> 00:45:15,102
Christ dwelling in your hearts.

1114
00:45:15,102 --> 00:45:18,188
It's an interesting word.

1115
00:45:18,188 --> 00:45:21,984
It actually has a prefix attached to it.

1116
00:45:21,984 --> 00:45:24,037
"kata" - if you know your Greek,

1117
00:45:24,037 --> 00:45:26,050
it means "down."

1118
00:45:26,050 --> 00:45:31,437
It's the idea of settling down.

1119
00:45:31,437 --> 00:45:37,857
It's Christ coming

1120
00:45:37,857 --> 00:45:42,375
and not just passing by,

1121
00:45:42,375 --> 00:45:45,871
not just abiding, but He's settling in.

1122
00:45:45,871 --> 00:45:52,027
It's the idea of abiding down.

1123
00:45:52,027 --> 00:45:54,057
What's being prayed for?

1124
00:45:54,057 --> 00:45:56,678
That you might be reinforced by God.

1125
00:45:56,678 --> 00:45:58,371
Strengthened.

1126
00:45:58,371 --> 00:45:59,938
Reinforced.

1127
00:45:59,938 --> 00:46:01,653
You say strengthen that wall.

1128
00:46:01,653 --> 00:46:03,136
Strengthen that beam.

1129
00:46:03,136 --> 00:46:04,298
What are you saying?

1130
00:46:04,298 --> 00:46:05,683
Reinforce that thing.

1131
00:46:05,683 --> 00:46:08,730
Why?

1132
00:46:08,730 --> 00:46:14,269
It's that Christ may dwell in there.

1133
00:46:14,269 --> 00:46:16,810
That takes the power of God.

1134
00:46:16,810 --> 00:46:18,635
I remember one time Paul Washer

1135
00:46:18,635 --> 00:46:24,280
saying that Christ came to him -

1136
00:46:24,280 --> 00:46:29,772
Paul said that Christ 
came to him in a way,

1137
00:46:29,772 --> 00:46:31,658
God came to him in a way

1138
00:46:31,658 --> 00:46:33,904
that he was never the same again.

1139
00:46:33,904 --> 00:46:36,638
And he told me, I believe this was

1140
00:46:36,638 --> 00:46:40,540
in a conversation I had - 
or I heard him say it.

1141
00:46:40,540 --> 00:46:44,924
But, he said I believe

1142
00:46:44,924 --> 00:46:50,823
that God supernaturally strengthened me

1143
00:46:50,823 --> 00:46:54,410
to receive that manifestation of Christ

1144
00:46:54,410 --> 00:46:56,823
that was thrust upon my soul.

1145
00:46:56,823 --> 00:46:58,636
And he said I don't think I would have

1146
00:46:58,636 --> 00:47:00,855
been able to bear that otherwise.

1147
00:47:00,855 --> 00:47:04,974
Spurgeon.

1148
00:47:04,974 --> 00:47:09,658
He says in light of this reality,

1149
00:47:09,658 --> 00:47:12,155
he said that he believes

1150
00:47:12,155 --> 00:47:13,757
that there are Christians -

1151
00:47:13,757 --> 00:47:18,846
like if you receive what 
Paul is praying for -

1152
00:47:18,846 --> 00:47:20,786
he says he believes that there are

1153
00:47:20,786 --> 00:47:24,842
some Christians who receive an answer

1154
00:47:24,842 --> 00:47:27,264
to this kind of prayer

1155
00:47:27,264 --> 00:47:31,774
whose experience is so much higher

1156
00:47:31,774 --> 00:47:34,536
than the ordinary Christian's experience

1157
00:47:34,536 --> 00:47:37,084
as the ordinary Christian's experience

1158
00:47:37,084 --> 00:47:41,264
is above the unbeliever.

1159
00:47:41,264 --> 00:47:45,583
I want that.

1160
00:47:45,583 --> 00:47:50,520
And if there's anybody in here 
that will pray that for me,

1161
00:47:50,520 --> 00:47:55,024
God love you, God bless you, God help you.

1162
00:47:55,024 --> 00:47:57,082
And you say, well, likewise brother.

1163
00:47:57,082 --> 00:47:59,345
I hear you.

1164
00:47:59,345 --> 00:48:03,050
One of the things that we as 
overseers are to be doing

1165
00:48:03,050 --> 00:48:05,225
is we're to give ourselves to prayer

1166
00:48:05,225 --> 00:48:07,329
and to the Word.

1167
00:48:07,329 --> 00:48:10,009
And I don't know exactly 
about James' prayer life,

1168
00:48:10,009 --> 00:48:15,346
but I have a feeling that 
he prays a lot for you.

1169
00:48:15,346 --> 00:48:18,157
And I know that I do too.

1170
00:48:18,157 --> 00:48:20,062
And God give us more elders

1171
00:48:20,062 --> 00:48:24,246
who are going to pray for you like this.

1172
00:48:24,246 --> 00:48:25,358
We need that.

1173
00:48:25,358 --> 00:48:26,881
You know what Lloyd-Jones said?

1174
00:48:26,881 --> 00:48:29,676
"The very greatness of what 
is offered to us here

1175
00:48:29,676 --> 00:48:32,419
demands that we be strengthened 
in order to receive it

1176
00:48:32,419 --> 00:48:35,546
lest we might be shattered by it."

1177
00:48:35,546 --> 00:48:38,396
Lloyd-Jones speaks of the 
"transcendent glory

1178
00:48:38,396 --> 00:48:39,709
of such an experience

1179
00:48:39,709 --> 00:48:41,761
when Christ enters the heart,

1180
00:48:41,761 --> 00:48:43,574
the glory is such, the power is such,

1181
00:48:43,574 --> 00:48:47,076
the very physical frame 
seems to collapse beneath it."

1182
00:48:47,076 --> 00:48:48,778
Now, he's talking physical frame.

1183
00:48:48,778 --> 00:48:50,504
And what Paul isn't talking about

1184
00:48:50,504 --> 00:48:52,727
having your physical frame strengthened,

1185
00:48:52,727 --> 00:48:59,736
he is talking about your spiritual frame.

1186
00:48:59,736 --> 00:49:01,626
When we're filled with the whole

1187
00:49:01,626 --> 00:49:03,738
fullness of God,

1188
00:49:03,738 --> 00:49:05,292
we need to be strong.

1189
00:49:05,292 --> 00:49:08,479
I want that. I want that.

1190
00:49:08,479 --> 00:49:10,338
Lloyd-Jones says it's a shattering,

1191
00:49:10,338 --> 00:49:12,269
overwhelming experience.

1192
00:49:12,269 --> 00:49:16,482
Now look, as I'm thinking 
about the concept,

1193
00:49:16,482 --> 00:49:18,465
the closest in my own mind

1194
00:49:18,465 --> 00:49:21,174
that I can come to this in other passages

1195
00:49:21,174 --> 00:49:23,058
is basically this:

1196
00:49:23,058 --> 00:49:26,340
Jesus Christ said to His disciples

1197
00:49:26,340 --> 00:49:28,518
as He was getting ready to go to the cross

1198
00:49:28,518 --> 00:49:30,594
right there in John 14.

1199
00:49:30,594 --> 00:49:33,686
He said to them this. He said,

1200
00:49:33,686 --> 00:49:35,850
"whoever has My commandments

1201
00:49:35,850 --> 00:49:38,853
and keeps them,

1202
00:49:38,853 --> 00:49:40,519
he it is who loves Me,

1203
00:49:40,519 --> 00:49:43,817
and he who loves Me 
will be loved by My Father,"

1204
00:49:43,817 --> 00:49:47,535
and He says, "And I will love him

1205
00:49:47,535 --> 00:49:50,003
and manifest myself to him."

1206
00:49:50,003 --> 00:49:52,900
Now you think about it.
You're sitting there. You're Peter.

1207
00:49:52,900 --> 00:49:55,145
You're Thomas. You're Matthew.

1208
00:49:55,145 --> 00:49:58,748
And Jesus is saying,

1209
00:49:58,748 --> 00:50:01,956
"if you have My commandments 
and you keep them,

1210
00:50:01,956 --> 00:50:03,604
you're the one that loves Me.

1211
00:50:03,604 --> 00:50:05,239
And you know what, if you love Me,

1212
00:50:05,239 --> 00:50:07,702
oh, My Father's going to love you.

1213
00:50:07,702 --> 00:50:09,391
I'm going to love you.

1214
00:50:09,391 --> 00:50:15,053
And I will manifest Myself to you."

1215
00:50:15,053 --> 00:50:17,327
And it gets even closer to that

1216
00:50:17,327 --> 00:50:18,814
two verses later.

1217
00:50:18,814 --> 00:50:21,511
In John 14:23, it says this,

1218
00:50:21,511 --> 00:50:23,259
"Jesus answered him,

1219
00:50:23,259 --> 00:50:25,655
'if anyone loves Me, 
he will keep My Word,"

1220
00:50:25,655 --> 00:50:27,232
again, it's got to do with love

1221
00:50:27,232 --> 00:50:28,602
and keeping His Word.

1222
00:50:28,602 --> 00:50:30,662
He says, "My Father will love him

1223
00:50:30,662 --> 00:50:33,691
and we will come to him

1224
00:50:33,691 --> 00:50:36,107
and make our home."

1225
00:50:36,107 --> 00:50:39,936
See, that is the closest 
you find in Scripture.

1226
00:50:39,936 --> 00:50:42,786
We're going to come to you

1227
00:50:42,786 --> 00:50:46,529
and we're going to make our home with him.

1228
00:50:46,529 --> 00:50:49,306
We're going to make our abode.

1229
00:50:49,306 --> 00:50:51,652
We're going to abide.

1230
00:50:51,652 --> 00:50:57,443
We're going to settle in.

1231
00:50:57,443 --> 00:51:00,742
You know, Jesus says something similar

1232
00:51:00,742 --> 00:51:02,725
to a church.

1233
00:51:02,725 --> 00:51:04,886
To the church in Laodicea which by the way

1234
00:51:04,886 --> 00:51:06,514
its candlestick was still shining.

1235
00:51:06,514 --> 00:51:09,174
He says to people who are 
professing to be Christians -

1236
00:51:09,174 --> 00:51:10,952
we can sort out whether they're lost,

1237
00:51:10,952 --> 00:51:12,113
whether they're saved -

1238
00:51:12,113 --> 00:51:15,767
He says those whom He loves,

1239
00:51:15,767 --> 00:51:17,820
He chastens.

1240
00:51:17,820 --> 00:51:19,606
And He says to them this,

1241
00:51:19,606 --> 00:51:23,652
"I stand at the door and knock."

1242
00:51:23,652 --> 00:51:28,126
He said, "if you open 
to Me, I'll come in."

1243
00:51:28,126 --> 00:51:29,973
Is He just going to come in passing?

1244
00:51:29,973 --> 00:51:32,552
"No, I'm going to come in. I'll sit down.

1245
00:51:32,552 --> 00:51:34,602
And I'll eat with you."

1246
00:51:34,602 --> 00:51:37,426
There's a closeness and 
there's an intimacy there.

1247
00:51:37,426 --> 00:51:39,588
You see, you get this in Scripture.

1248
00:51:39,588 --> 00:51:40,960
This is not a question

1249
00:51:40,960 --> 00:51:42,802
of Christ being in the believer.

1250
00:51:42,802 --> 00:51:46,889
It's His being at home.

1251
00:51:46,889 --> 00:51:49,321
You know, you invite 
somebody over for dinner -

1252
00:51:49,321 --> 00:51:50,417
what Jesus is saying,

1253
00:51:50,417 --> 00:51:51,529
"You let Me in.

1254
00:51:51,529 --> 00:51:52,939
I come in. I sit down.

1255
00:51:52,939 --> 00:51:54,514
We're going to commune together.

1256
00:51:54,514 --> 00:51:56,080
We're going to have fellowship."

1257
00:51:56,080 --> 00:51:57,676
But the thing about all this is

1258
00:51:57,676 --> 00:52:00,054
that verb there in Ephesians 3,

1259
00:52:00,054 --> 00:52:01,886
it means you have somebody over

1260
00:52:01,886 --> 00:52:03,604
and they settle in.

1261
00:52:03,604 --> 00:52:05,844
It's like they start 
moving their furniture in.

1262
00:52:05,844 --> 00:52:07,745
That's what's being talked about here.

1263
00:52:07,745 --> 00:52:10,195
And you know, when you have 
somebody in your house,

1264
00:52:10,195 --> 00:52:12,128
it affects the atmosphere of the house.

1265
00:52:12,128 --> 00:52:13,617
You have somebody that comes in

1266
00:52:13,617 --> 00:52:16,260
and they move in and 
they really settle in,

1267
00:52:16,260 --> 00:52:18,354
there's an impact there.

1268
00:52:18,354 --> 00:52:19,869
This is the kind of thing

1269
00:52:19,869 --> 00:52:22,661
that Paul is praying for.

1270
00:52:22,661 --> 00:52:28,872
Christ is a permanent Resident

1271
00:52:28,872 --> 00:52:30,499
in every saved person.

1272
00:52:30,499 --> 00:52:34,563
Paul is praying for people 
who already have that.

1273
00:52:34,563 --> 00:52:36,510
That's the thing. He's praying for more.

1274
00:52:36,510 --> 00:52:39,409
That Christ might really settle in

1275
00:52:39,409 --> 00:52:41,140
and have full access.

1276
00:52:41,140 --> 00:52:43,855
I mean when somebody really settles in,

1277
00:52:43,855 --> 00:52:47,546
and they're really at home in my house,

1278
00:52:47,546 --> 00:52:49,411
they'll go in my bathroom.

1279
00:52:49,411 --> 00:52:51,564
They might use my shower.

1280
00:52:51,564 --> 00:52:53,636
I remember, Brother Andy came to my house.

1281
00:52:53,636 --> 00:52:57,419
Man, he just charged in 
to the master bedroom,

1282
00:52:57,419 --> 00:52:59,587
straight into the master bathroom,

1283
00:52:59,587 --> 00:53:00,899
like looking at everything.

1284
00:53:00,899 --> 00:53:02,349
That's what Jesus is doing.

1285
00:53:02,349 --> 00:53:03,359
He's coming in -

1286
00:53:03,359 --> 00:53:05,084
now Andy didn't bring his furniture

1287
00:53:05,084 --> 00:53:06,298
and his clothing.

1288
00:53:06,298 --> 00:53:09,497
But this is full access.

1289
00:53:09,497 --> 00:53:11,332
Every closet. Every basement.

1290
00:53:11,332 --> 00:53:13,628
Every crawl space. All the attic.

1291
00:53:13,628 --> 00:53:15,427
Paul is praying that the Christian

1292
00:53:15,427 --> 00:53:20,939
might have this experiential expansion.

1293
00:53:20,939 --> 00:53:23,305
It's already a theological fact.

1294
00:53:23,305 --> 00:53:26,170
That we know, but more, more.

1295
00:53:26,170 --> 00:53:28,480
He's praying that the 
Christian might have more.

1296
00:53:28,480 --> 00:53:31,205
The Lord Jesus through the Spirit

1297
00:53:31,205 --> 00:53:33,635
might exert this ever increasing

1298
00:53:33,635 --> 00:53:36,420
and progressively more powerful influence

1299
00:53:36,420 --> 00:53:38,496
on our lives, in our hearts.

1300
00:53:38,496 --> 00:53:40,968
The heart. The heart. In our hearts.

1301
00:53:40,968 --> 00:53:43,866
That, of course, is the inner person.

1302
00:53:43,866 --> 00:53:46,335
It's the spiritual center.

1303
00:53:46,335 --> 00:53:49,821
It controls every aspect of our behavior.

1304
00:53:49,821 --> 00:53:51,569
Remember what this is all about.

1305
00:53:51,569 --> 00:53:53,333
God, give us the prayer warriors

1306
00:53:53,333 --> 00:53:55,958
who are praying that the power of God

1307
00:53:55,958 --> 00:53:58,423
will come down that we all

1308
00:53:58,423 --> 00:54:00,107
might be brought to this place

1309
00:54:00,107 --> 00:54:01,343
where Christ is dwelling.

1310
00:54:01,343 --> 00:54:03,692
We have a greater conscious sense

1311
00:54:03,692 --> 00:54:07,663
of His fellowship, His presence.

1312
00:54:07,663 --> 00:54:10,055
Greater and greater enjoyment of Him.

1313
00:54:10,055 --> 00:54:12,869
Paul wants Christ settling 
into our consciousness.

1314
00:54:12,869 --> 00:54:14,174
You think about it.

1315
00:54:14,174 --> 00:54:15,720
He comes and He settles in,

1316
00:54:15,720 --> 00:54:17,637
where you wake up - Christ is there.

1317
00:54:17,637 --> 00:54:19,267
You're dreaming - Christ is there.

1318
00:54:19,267 --> 00:54:21,331
You're going to do and go about your day -

1319
00:54:21,331 --> 00:54:22,635
Christ is there.

1320
00:54:22,635 --> 00:54:24,488
He's there. He's in your consciousness.

1321
00:54:24,488 --> 00:54:26,187
He's guiding the conscience.

1322
00:54:26,187 --> 00:54:27,962
He's there in the affections.

1323
00:54:27,962 --> 00:54:29,138
He's there.

1324
00:54:29,138 --> 00:54:31,218
His presence is felt. It's real.

1325
00:54:31,218 --> 00:54:32,599
It's deep. It's greater.

1326
00:54:32,599 --> 00:54:35,155
May God take us higher and deeper

1327
00:54:35,155 --> 00:54:36,214
and further,

1328
00:54:36,214 --> 00:54:38,564
and not be grieved by sin,

1329
00:54:38,564 --> 00:54:41,007
by sinful words, sinful thoughts,

1330
00:54:41,007 --> 00:54:42,106
that kind of thing.

1331
00:54:42,106 --> 00:54:44,395
You remember how it was?

1332
00:54:44,395 --> 00:54:46,688
He found Himself very at home

1333
00:54:46,688 --> 00:54:50,629
at Mary, Martha, and Lazarus' house.

1334
00:54:50,629 --> 00:54:52,876
In a spiritual sense, we want our heart

1335
00:54:52,876 --> 00:54:54,268
to be like their home.

1336
00:54:54,268 --> 00:54:57,445
He loved it there.

1337
00:54:57,445 --> 00:54:58,762
He went there.

1338
00:54:58,762 --> 00:55:01,011
They loved Him.

1339
00:55:01,011 --> 00:55:03,745
The Christian heart - that's 
the home of Christ.

1340
00:55:03,745 --> 00:55:07,801
The place where He loves to be.

1341
00:55:07,801 --> 00:55:09,997
I want this.

1342
00:55:09,997 --> 00:55:11,400
Pray this for me,

1343
00:55:11,400 --> 00:55:13,426
and I'll pray it for you.

1344
00:55:13,426 --> 00:55:16,834
And if we do, we're going 
to be more like Paul.

1345
00:55:16,834 --> 00:55:19,431
We're going to be 
praying the way Paul prays.

1346
00:55:19,431 --> 00:55:21,508
You don't have to pray 
that I get more money.

1347
00:55:21,508 --> 00:55:23,673
You don't have to pray 
that I get a new truck

1348
00:55:23,673 --> 00:55:25,527
because the paint's 
peeling off my old one.

1349
00:55:25,527 --> 00:55:27,213
It still runs perfect.

1350
00:55:27,213 --> 00:55:29,108
You don't need to pray that.

1351
00:55:29,108 --> 00:55:30,593
But you pray this for me.

1352
00:55:30,593 --> 00:55:33,197
Pray this for me, please!

1353
00:55:33,197 --> 00:55:36,313
Pray this for me.

1354
00:55:36,313 --> 00:55:38,069
And for my wife.

1355
00:55:38,069 --> 00:55:39,477
And for my children.

1356
00:55:39,477 --> 00:55:40,759
And for each other.

1357
00:55:40,759 --> 00:55:42,570
And for your wife and for your husband

1358
00:55:42,570 --> 00:55:44,079
and for your children.

1359
00:55:44,079 --> 00:55:46,265
I'll tell you, if we bombard 
heaven for this

1360
00:55:46,265 --> 00:55:47,776
and we're serious about this,

1361
00:55:47,776 --> 00:55:49,141
there's more to be had.

1362
00:55:49,141 --> 00:55:52,111
There is more to be had.

1363
00:55:52,111 --> 00:55:55,056
May the prayer life of our church

1364
00:55:55,056 --> 00:55:58,637
be revived and go deeper.

1365
00:55:58,637 --> 00:56:00,270
I said in the early days -

1366
00:56:00,270 --> 00:56:02,116
oh brethren, I remember -

1367
00:56:02,116 --> 00:56:03,470
we were down in Floresville.

1368
00:56:03,470 --> 00:56:06,234
I remember this guy came in.

1369
00:56:06,234 --> 00:56:08,504
Craig probably remember who he is.

1370
00:56:08,504 --> 00:56:10,786
We were taking prayer requests one night,

1371
00:56:10,786 --> 00:56:15,889
and he said, I remember like his aunt

1372
00:56:15,889 --> 00:56:20,449
or his mom had a sore toe.

1373
00:56:20,449 --> 00:56:24,616
And then he wanted us to 
pray for his mom's dog.

1374
00:56:24,616 --> 00:56:26,913
And that has always stuck with me.

1375
00:56:26,913 --> 00:56:28,450
And any time our prayer meetings

1376
00:56:28,450 --> 00:56:32,069
get to where requests come out like that,

1377
00:56:32,069 --> 00:56:35,343
then I feel like it's time to stand up

1378
00:56:35,343 --> 00:56:37,458
and say brethren, we need to rethink

1379
00:56:37,458 --> 00:56:40,613
what these prayer meetings are all about.

1380
00:56:40,613 --> 00:56:42,944
Paul helps us here.

1381
00:56:42,944 --> 00:56:44,562
(incomplete thought)

1382
00:56:44,562 --> 00:56:46,576
I'm not saying you 
can't pray for your dog.

1383
00:56:46,576 --> 00:56:48,488
I'm not saying you 
can't pray for everything,

1384
00:56:48,488 --> 00:56:50,030
but I'm saying there are some prayers

1385
00:56:50,030 --> 00:56:51,165
that really matter.

1386
00:56:51,165 --> 00:56:52,441
And there are some prayers

1387
00:56:52,441 --> 00:56:53,544
that in the light of eternity

1388
00:56:53,544 --> 00:56:54,836
and the light of the bigger picture,

1389
00:56:54,836 --> 00:56:56,643
they're just not that important.

1390
00:56:56,643 --> 00:56:58,791
There are some big things,

1391
00:56:58,791 --> 00:57:00,508
and you think about it.

1392
00:57:00,508 --> 00:57:02,710
When that reality of Christ

1393
00:57:02,710 --> 00:57:05,004
dwelling deeply in you

1394
00:57:05,004 --> 00:57:06,593
and there's that 
experience, I'll tell you,

1395
00:57:06,593 --> 00:57:08,993
you don't lightly go look at 
pornography on the Internet.

1396
00:57:08,993 --> 00:57:10,916
You don't lightly run out and lie.

1397
00:57:10,916 --> 00:57:16,158
You don't lightly go and exude jealousy.

1398
00:57:16,158 --> 00:57:18,646
Why? Because you're so thankful

1399
00:57:18,646 --> 00:57:21,467
for the revelations of 
Christ on your soul,

1400
00:57:21,467 --> 00:57:23,928
for His nearness, for the experience,

1401
00:57:23,928 --> 00:57:26,779
for the love, for the 
overwhelming presence,

1402
00:57:26,779 --> 00:57:29,644
the aroma.

1403
00:57:29,644 --> 00:57:31,311
It's very difficult to get jealous

1404
00:57:31,311 --> 00:57:33,879
when you realize you've 
got the greatest riches

1405
00:57:33,879 --> 00:57:36,825
and the greatest treasure 
in all the world.

1406
00:57:36,825 --> 00:57:39,500
Very difficult to become covetous

1407
00:57:39,500 --> 00:57:41,553
and idolatrous and to be longing

1408
00:57:41,553 --> 00:57:43,070
and pining after all the things

1409
00:57:43,070 --> 00:57:44,589
that the world pines after.

1410
00:57:44,589 --> 00:57:46,332
Boy, it sets things right when you

1411
00:57:46,332 --> 00:57:49,807
have such a close experiential sense

1412
00:57:49,807 --> 00:57:51,810
of the indwelling Christ.

1413
00:57:51,810 --> 00:57:53,818
It sets everything right.

1414
00:57:53,818 --> 00:57:56,460
Paul knows that.

1415
00:57:56,460 --> 00:58:01,701
May the fullness

1416
00:58:01,701 --> 00:58:04,059
of the glory of God

1417
00:58:04,059 --> 00:58:06,368
according to the riches of His glory.

1418
00:58:06,368 --> 00:58:10,470
Brethren, may He grant you

1419
00:58:10,470 --> 00:58:12,873
to be strengthened.

1420
00:58:12,873 --> 00:58:14,822
Father, give this to us,

1421
00:58:14,822 --> 00:58:16,597
that every one here,

1422
00:58:16,597 --> 00:58:18,203
every one of Your children here,

1423
00:58:18,203 --> 00:58:19,731
Lord, may they experience

1424
00:58:19,731 --> 00:58:22,478
exactly in full measure

1425
00:58:22,478 --> 00:58:26,286
what Paul was praying for these Ephesians.

1426
00:58:26,286 --> 00:58:27,595
Amen.