Cars are wonderful things when they are working, but terrible when they don't. They are even worse when you don't know what the problem with the car is or how you might fix the problem. Sometimes we just put up with the knocks and rattles, other times we go to the car doctor to get the problem diagnosed and fixed.

In a Bible College missions class, a guy named Herbert Jackson told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a car that would not start without having to give it a big push. He said he thought about this problem and then divised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running. He used this ingenious procedure for two years.

Jackson became ill and was forced to leave the mission field with his family, so a new missionary came to that station to replace Jackson. Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started to the new guy. This new missionary began looking under the bonnet. Before Jackson completed his explanation as to how to get the car started the new missionary interrupted saying, "Dr. Jackson, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable." He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and to Jackson's astonishment, the engine roared to life.

For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there all the time. Only a loose connection kept Jackson from putting that power to work. J.B. Phillips paraphrases Ephesians l:19-20, "How tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God."

When we make firm our connection with God, his life and power flow through us. This is the message that comes out clearly through Paul's prayer in Eph 3:14-21. Let's red that passage together.

This prayer of Paul's is the second in the letter to the Ephesians. The first one was in Ephesians 1:15-23. In that first prayer, Paul prayed that we might come to know God's power. In this second prayer, Paul prays that we might use that power.

You know, we can know a great deal about something, but never put that knowledge into practical use. I think Paul makes it plain with these two prayers, both of which speak of God's power, that we not only need to know God's power, we need to use it.

There are some people who own cars that are a class to their own. Each weekend the owners of these cars take the dust cover off the vehicle and give the car a polish. They Start up the engine of the car and listen to the finely tuned engine hum. They know their cars back the front. You ask them about the car and for the next hour they tell you the type of carby it has, its suspension ratios, its gear box design, how long it takes to go from O - 100 km, and so on. You then ask them how often they get it out on the road and they say - "Oh no, I don’t drive the car, its only for display. No it's too precious to risk driving on the road." So they just cover over the car again, in the garage, to sit there uselessly for another week. You see, the owner of this car knows a huge amount about the car - probably knows more about it then his own body - but, he doesn't make practical use of the car. Now, if you put that super charged, v8 shining car into my hands I'm sure I would know more about the practical uses of the vehicle, especially on a long isolated stretch of road.

You see, we must use what we know, or what we know is of no practical use.

The same is true spiritually. It is possible to know a great deal about the truths of God contained in the Bible, and yet never live by those truths. So the focus of this second prayer is on how to know and live by the power of God.

In this prayer of Paul's there are 4 parts to his prayer with a blessing and challenge at the end of the prayer. He prays for strengthening by God's power; that Christ would dwell in our hearts; That we would stand on the foundation of love; and that we would be filled with the fullness of God. Finally He leaves us with the reminder that all things are only possible through God's power, not by our own.

What does that mean?

It doesn't mean self-discipline or the power of positive thinking. He’s not speaking of positive self-talk or inner renewal which is so much of the guff we here on TV or read in magazines or hear in seminars nowadays. If we pursue these ends they do not help us to get a new grip on ourselves or help us turn over a new leaf.

Paul is praying for spiritual strength. As I said previously, we build physical strength by working out hard in a gym or in my backyard, as is the case for Nigel and me. But, we know we can’t get spiritual strength that way. It is a gift of God that comes through prayer, study of God's Word and obedience. Paul gives the example here that one of our constant prayers for each other should be that God would gift each of us with spiritual strength.

Now, why on earth is Paul praying that Christ would dwell is our hearts? Isn't this a contradiction? If these Ephesians were Christians, then why does Paul pray this? Surely Christ dwells in their hearts from conversion?

Well, I don't think that Paul is asking Christ to come in as such, because we know that at conversion Christ comes into one's life and makes His dwelling place there. I think Paul is talking about the quality of the dwelling.

So, this isn't referring to Jesus’ presence, but it is referring to the quality of His presence.

Let me give you an example. There are some evenings I get to spend a full evening at home with my family. But because of what is going on in the church or because I’m tired, I can be present physically, but the quality of my presence is lacking. I might be spending time with the family but not "quality time." Just ask Julie-Ann, there are times she asks me what planet I'm in as I sit at the dinner table staring out into space.

A fellow named Robert Munger wrote a booklet entitled, My Heart Christ Home. In it he pictured the Christian life as a house. Jesus enters and goes from room to room where He is surprised to find many things that He is uncomfortable with. He goes into the library of the mind and begins to clean up the trash found there. He replaces it with His Word. He enters the dining room of the appetite and finds many sinful desires listed on a worldly menu. He replaces things like materialism, envy, pride, and lust with humility, love, meekness, and the like. He enters the living room of fellowship and there finds worldly companions and activities. In the workshop, only toys are being made. In the closet, many hidden sins are kept. Christ could only feel comfortable after He had cleaned every room. Only then could He settle down and be at home.

Note the preamble Paul gives that we looked at in verse 16. He prays that we would be:

1. Strengthened,
2. With Power,
3. In our Inner Beings,

So that, what?

1. Christ
2. Would dwell
3. In our hearts

Verse 16 shows us the environment though which v 17 can be fully established. But there is one last thing here. And that is something that comes from our side of the fence. These things come from faith.

1. Hearts Must Dwell on Christ

That is, our hearts must dwell on Christ.

You know, God wants us to be more than merely saved. Christ desires to settle down and be at home in our hearts. So how does this faith thing work?

Faith also means that we are faithful. Faithful to allow the Holy Spirit do the renewing work in our hearts. Faithful to submit our will and desires to God's will and desires. Faithful to let go of the power (control) of our own lives over to God's power (control) of our lives.

In other words, we let go and let God.

Paul then moves to the third prayer.

1. Building a Strong Foundation

Down on the Gold Coast they are having a lot of trouble, in some areas, with houses shifting. You see, the foundations of these houses were not well planned as they were built on sand and the footings were not driven in far enough. Subsequently, the foundations shift in the sand, which then causes the walls to crack.

There are many Christians whose walls are cracking, simply because they are not allowing Christ to dwell fully in their lives. The foundations and footings are not fully established in love, and they are still hanging onto worldly conditional love.

But, in Christ, if we are being faithful, then the second half of verse 17 tells us that our establishment is in love. With love come the elements of forgiveness, commitment, loyalty, giving, sacrifice etc. These are the fruits that come in our lives because they are the fruits of God Himself.

2. Which is all Encompassing

Not only this, but verse 18 tells us this love is all encompassing. In surrounds us, it envelopes us - I can almost see the picture of God's arms wrapped around us in His lvoe. We are safe in His arms and secure. We need not fear because we know the love of Christ is with us.

3. And knows the Love of Christ

Paul prays here that we would be able to grasp how and long and wide and deep is God's incredible love. What an incredible picture of assurance that is given here.

Paul prays also that we would be able to know and comprehend this love. This comprehension of Christ's love comes from experience - it isn't something just stored up in the head.

David Hoke says this about God's love;

Once we have encountered this type of love, we will be forever be amazed by it. It is literally indescribable.

During this series we have been talking about the Purpose of the Church. Here in these verses we find that those purposes cannot be met unless God's People - us - live out the truth of Christ in our lives. Here in verse 19 Paul is describing the incredible - that a Holy God would fill us with all his fullness, with His entirety. This is the undeserved privilege we have as believers and Children of God. We have been created to be containers of God. He desires to pour His life into us and fill us to the full. This is the mystery of the gospel, of Christ, we looked at last week. Christ dwells in human beings. He dwells in us. And the greatest need for the Christian is to be filled with Christ. We are to be filled with His nature and character. We are to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit. We are to be filled with Jesus.

All these things are fulfilled only through God's incredible power that comes from His grace, love, and mercy. And this power is available to everyone who is a Christian through Christ. Verse 21 gives us the reason why - that we, the church, would bring glory to Christ throughout all time and to all people.

By Scott Douglas, Burdekin Baptist Church, 7 February 1999

Portions of this sermon have been adapted from sermons by David Hoke (Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church, 2303 Evesham Rd. Voorhees, NJ. 08043) and C.M.Wylie (Pastor, Cornerstone Baptist Church, P.O. Box 7403, Amarillo, TX 79114-7403).