How to Pray for This Church - Part 7

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Well, I think we are all grateful that here, in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area, that the storm moved further east yesterday for the sake of the Lord's Day, the opportunity to gather, as well as just our own safety, and the safety of our families. Yesterday as we watched, (as I'm sure some of you did, as well), we watched on the news the results of the storm. I was reminded of the fact that in the awesome power of that hurricane, we really only got a a small glimpse of the real power that those storms can hold. As I watched, I was reminded that the worst hurricane ever in U. S. history struck in exactly the same place and almost exactly 108 years ago today.

As one author puts his description of that event,

When they awoke on the morning of September 8, 1900, the 38,000 residents of Galveston were unaware that this day would be their city's last. The storm swept in off the Gulf of Mexico, packing winds up to 135 miles per hour. A "category 4" storm, in modern terminology, it propelled a fifteen-foot surge of water before it, easily swamping the eight-foot-high island that Galveston called home. Together the wind and the water destroyed everything in their path and created the worst natural disaster in America's history. [The author goes on to say,] There was little warning and no defense. In the early morning, high tides flooded some of the inland streets. Yet this was not unusual in a city that barely rose above sea level. Heavy swells began to appear. But the mostly blue sky prompted a confidence that nothing out of the ordinary was about to occur. Most residents reasoned that even if a storm was on its way, they'd weathered storms before. As a relative of one victim later recalled, "Mama didn't wanna leave. She'd been through it before and wasn't worried. It'd never been that bad."

But Galveston had never seen a storm like this one. By midmorning, rain clouds took over the sky, and the wind began to pick up. By mid-afternoon, the hurricane hit in all of its fury: a fury that only increased as the darkness began to descend. The storm made its exit during the early hours of the morning of the next day. The total devastation that it left in its wake was revealed only with the rising sun. The landscape was strewn with debris. Only a few buildings remained standing. And by the time the grim work of recovery was done, the people that remained in Galveston realized that between six and eight thousand people had lost their lives.

As devastating and destructive as hurricanes are, there're really few events on earth that equal them as illustrations of raw power. I still remember, as growing up in Mobile, Alabama, I remember several occasions. Specifically, I remember that dark night in 1969, as my family sat huddled in our little home, enduring the full fury of hurricane Camille.

It's not surprising, then, when you think of the power that's built into those storms, that the Scripture often uses the storm as an illustration to help us recognize the power of God. You want to read about that, read Job 37, where Elihu recounts the power of God in the storm. Read Psalm 29, a psalm devoted to illustrating God's power in the storm. God is a God of power. And that is illustrated around us in profound ways.

It's the subject of God's power that is the focus of Paul's great doxology. It's how he ends the first half of his letter to the Ephesians, and how he ends his prayer in Ephesians 3. And I invite you to turn there, again, with me this morning.

For the last several weeks, we've been studying Paul's greatest recorded prayer, found in Ephesians 3:14-21. And in this prayer, (as we have worked our way through it together), we have discovered the foundational principles for effective prayer for the church. If you want to know how to pray for yourself, your family, for this church, for God's people everywhere, then copy the example of the apostle Paul. As we worked our way through, we've discovered several of these foundational principles.

The first one we discovered was: Pray according to revelation. That is, pray in response to God's revelation of Himself in Scripture.

Secondly, we discovered: Pray with humility. Paul says, "I bow my knees before God." We, too, must come to God in humility.

Thirdly, we discovered that we must pray according to God's character. There were several things that were true about God that drove Paul to prayer. And the same thing should be true of us, as well.

The fourth foundational principle that we discovered in this passage is: Pray for spiritual growth. Pray for spiritual growth. And here's where we come to Paul's specific request of God. Paul prayed three things specifically for the Ephesian believers.

First of all, he prayed that they would be strengthened with power in the inner man. (Verse 16).

In the middle of verse 17, he prayed, secondly, that they would comprehend Christ's love.

And then thirdly, in the middle of verse 19, he prayed that they would be filled with all the fullness of God. This is Paul's prayer for the Ephesians; and in so doing, he teaches us how to pray. This should be our prayer for ourselves and people around us. As we learned last week, this third request, to be filled with all the fullness of God, means that we are asking God to help us share those attributes of His that human beings can share. In other words, we're praying that God would make us like Jesus Christ, that we would share His moral character. That's what Paul prays for the Ephesians: three amazing requests in this magnificent prayer; as I said, probably Paul's greatest recorded prayer.

Today we come to the end of his prayer. And the last two verses of this prayer are what theologians call a "doxology." Let me read them for you. Ephesians, 3: 20 and 21,

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

A doxology: It's not a word we use frequently. But the English word doxology comes from two Greek words: "doxa," which means "glory," and "logia," which means "a word or a saying." So, a doxology is simply a word or a saying of glory. It is a formal reciting of praise to God. It is an expression of worship to God, a giving or ascribing of glory to our great God. Originally, doxologies came at the end of hymns or prayers. If you were to go to the Old Testament, (We won't take time to turn there.) … But at the end of David's prayer in 1 Chronicles 16:36, you see this sort of conclusion. Each of the Books of the Psalms, each of the five Books of the Psalms, ends with a doxology.

In the New Testament there are a number of doxologies. But there are two, very similar to this one, that I want you to turn with me, together, to see. Turn to Romans16:25. Here, Paul ends his letter to the Romans (just as those sections of the Psalms end), with a doxology. Romans 16:25,

Now to Him who is able to establish you, according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.

The other, very similar, expression is at the end of Jude's little letter. Jude was the half brother of our Lord, grew up in the same home. And at the end of his little letter, (the little book before Revelation, second to the last book in our Bible), he ends that little letter in verse 24 with these words (probably the most famous doxology in all of Scripture):

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority before all time, and now, and forever. Amen.

So, here, you have these expressions of praise, these doxologies ending significant prayers, and ending significant writings, both the Psalms, and here we see Romans. Here we see Jude's letter. And Paul is concluding the first section of Ephesians. And he, too, inserts this doxology, this expression of praise to the glory of God. These doxologies, by the way, were sometimes repeated by the entire congregation. But they were almost always affirmed by the congregation with Hebrew word, "Aman," or as we say, "Amen." So, when Paul closes his prayer for the Ephesians in the middle of his letter, he does so with the doxology. And this is what he has in mind: He has in mind that it would be a call for the entire congregation to affirm together what he has rehearsed about the character of God.

Now before we look specifically at his doxology, I want us to ask, "Why is it here?" "What purposes does this doxology serve in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, and for us?"

Let me give you several things to consider. First of all, it is a conclusion. It is a conclusion, obviously, to his prayer. It is also a conclusion to the first half of the book. There is a notable change after this prayer is done.

And that brings me to the second purpose: and that is, not only conclusion, but transition. This doxology transitions from what God has done, the doctrine of the first three chapters of this letter, to the practice of the last three chapters of this letter.

It is also exhortation. It is Paul's less-than-subtle way to remind us that we can, and must, trust God because of who He is, because of His power that is at work in us and for us.

It is motivation. It's here to encourage us to pray for these things.

But mostly, this doxology is here for exultation. You just sense, as you read these verses, that as Paul is dictating this letter, he, himself, is overwhelmed with what he has taught in the first part of this letter to the Ephesians. He's lost in wonder, love and praise! And he just can't help himself! There's just this outburst of praise to God. So, this doxology, then, is really a call to worship. It is a call to all the people of God to rehearse and celebrate the goodness of God, the work of God, and the character of God together. So, with that in mind, let's look at this doxology.

It really adds, we could say, a fifth foundational principle to the ones that I've already reminded you of this morning: a fifth foundational principle for how to pray for the church. The fifth principle found in these two verses is this: Pray for the glory of God. Pray for the glory of God. Look again at those two verses.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us; to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations forever and ever.

As Paul finished his prayer, he led the congregation in Ephesus in a sort of corporate expression of worship and praise. This doxology was meant for the entire congregation then. And it's meant for every Christian now. It calls us to respond to all that Paul has taught us about our privileged position in Christ: all that God has done for us. Paul, here, teaches us how to pray for the glory of God. If you want to pray for the glory of God, this is how it looks. He essentially directs us with two responses to God. If you want to pray for God's glory, then respond to God in these two ways.

First of all, celebrate the character of God. Celebrate the character of God. Verse 20, "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think." You see, Paul begins with the attribute of God that has driven him to this outburst of praise and worship. In other cases in the New Testament, it's other attributes. It's God's rule; it's His mercy; it's His salvation; it's His majesty; it's His authority.

But, here, the attribute that moved Paul to praise is the power of God. And as he extols the power of God, you just sense in this verse that he runs out of ways to do it. He runs out of ways to express it. He even begins to make up words of his own to try to get us to see the power of God. Many commentators, as they've looked in this verse, have described Paul's words here, as kind of a pyramid of praise, where he just builds stone upon another, level upon level, trying to ascend to an adequate description of the power of God.

Notice how he builds it. He says, "Now to Him who is able." Here, he tells us that God has the power to "DO." God has the power to act. The Greek word "able" doesn't describe power in theory or mere potential power, as we sometimes describe it. Instead, the Greek word, here, denotes ability, or power to act. It's the power to carry something out. What Paul is saying is, is that "God has the power to do things." It's the kind of power that acts and changes things. By the way, this is what distinguishes the true God from all false gods. This is a point often made throughout the Scripture.

The world is filled with idols, with false gods that aren't true gods. And what distinguishes the true God from them is that He is able to do! He is able to act. Turn back to Isaiah. In Isaiah 41, the prophet makes this point. The LORD, speaking through the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 41:21, God says,

"Present your case," … Yahweh says. "Bring forward your strong arguments," The King of Jacob says. [O.K. You want to prove to me that there are other gods? Bring your cases. Bring your arguments.] Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place; [If you have true gods, let them tell you what's going to happen in the future, as I have, even here in this book, rather. As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may consider them and know their outcome. Or announce to us what is coming; Declare the things that are going to come afterward, that we may know that you are gods; [O.K., your idols are gods, let them tell you what's going to happen!] Indeed," [and I love this, in verse 23). He says,] "Indeed, do good or evil that we may anxiously look about us and fear together." [You know what God is saying to those false gods, those idols of the people? He's saying, "Let them do something! Let them do anything! Let it be good, or let it be bad; but let'em do something, for goodness sake! that we may look and fear!] Behold, you are of no account. [And] your work amounts to nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination."

God says, "They don't exist! They can't act! Let'em do something! Let'em do anything to prove that they exist! God goes on to say, "That's not how I am. I am the only One; and I act!"

Turn over to the prophet Jeremiah; the last of the book of Jeremiah 51. He makes the same point here, but in different in a different way Jeremiah 51:15 says, "It is He," [that is, you go back to verse 14 for the antecedent: The Lord of hosts, the God of Isaiah, Yahweh.]

It is He who has made the earth by His power. [He's the One, look around you. You want an evidence that he exists? That He can do great things? Look around you!] … He … made the earth by His power. [He] … established the world by His wisdom, and by His understanding, He stretched out the heavens. When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, … He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain … [He] brings forth the wind from their storehouses."

He says, "Listen! You want an evidence of the greatness of the God of Israel? Then look around you. Look at what He's made! Look at the things that He does in the world! He acts! He does things you can see!" But instead, verse 17, men respond,

All mankind is stupid, devoid of knowledge; [Instead, what they do is, they make false gods.] Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, For his molten images are deceitful. [They deceive. They don't exist!] … there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of mockery! In the time of their punishment, they will perish." Watch verse 19, "The portion of Jacob is not like these; For the Maker of everything is He,"

God says, "Here's the difference between Me and the false gods. Look at what I do. I have the power to act! Open your eyes and look around you. Only God, only the true and living God has the real power to actually act in His world, (Are you ready for this?) in your life." That's Paul's point back in Ephesians3. "Now to Him who is able to act, who is able to DO!" That's the foundation of Paul's pyramid of praise, of his celebration of the character of God.

Notice the second level of this sort of pyramid of praise that he builds. Not only does God have the power to do, or the power to act. God has the power to do what we ask! God has the power to do what we ask! There is nothing you have ever asked God for or will ever ask Him to do that He lacks the power to do! That's what Paul is saying here. "To Him who is able to do what we ask! Consider this, by the way, in light of the big, hairy, audacious request that Paul has just made.

He has just said, "I want you to be strengthened with God's own power in your souls. I want you to grasp the love of Christ. I want you to begin to look like God in your character! Those are huge requests! And we might be tempted to think that it's just too much to ask! Look at me, and look at those requests! That is way too much to ask of God." Paul says that God has the power. He is able to do what we ask, regardless of what it is!

But he takes another step up his little pyramid of praise. God has the power to do …. God has the power to do what we ask.

Thirdly, God has the power to do what we imagine! What we think, he says in verse 20. "He is able to do what we think! There are times, at least in my life, and perhaps in yours, when we want God to do something. And it's something that isn't inherently selfish. It isn't just about us. We are convinced that this thing we want is for the good of others, or the kingdom. And yet, at some times, we hesitate to ask God, and perhaps it's because we don't want to embarrass ourselves, or maybe we don't want to embarrass God. It's just too much. It's too great. It's too big. Paul wants us to know that even if it's something that we've never asked God for, but only imagined would not have the courage to ask, God is able to do it! He has the power to do what we imagine! what we think! So, God has the power to DO. He has the power to do what we ask. He has the power to do what we imagine!

Fourthly, God has the power to do ALL that we ask or think! There is nothing that would be for our spiritual good or His glory that we could ask God for, or even imagine to ask God for, that is outside of His ability to produce, should He choose to do it.

There's a fifth step up: Not only does God have the power to do ALL that we ask or imagine. But notice what he says in verse 20. "He is able, or God has the power to do BEYOND all that we can ask or think." "BEYOND," here, is the Greek word, "huper." We use this word in English. But we pronounce it "hyper." Hyper: it means "above" or "beyond." For example, if there are kids who are active beyond the norm, we say that they are hyper-active. You see what Paul is saying, here, about God? He's saying, "God is hyper-powerful! He is able to do even more than we can ask or imagine; not just what we can ask; not just what we can imagine, but more than we can ask or imagine; BEYOND our wildest imaginations." Now, you understand, this doesn't mean God does everything we ask. The Scripture's very clear about that. What Paul wants us to see is that the prayer that he has just prayed for us and encourages us to pray for ourselves is not beyond the reach of God's power, and He will do it!

There're so many biblical examples of this. If you were to look back at Abraham. You remember Abraham: an idolater, living in Ur? God calls him; says He's gonna give him a land? What's Abraham's major concern? He just wants a son. "God, can I just have a son, in my old age?" That was a pretty audacious request, in and of itself. And yet, what'd God do? God made of Abraham a great nation: a nation that He described as being more than the sands on the seashore! More than the stars in the sky, and through whom the entire world would be blessed! If Abraham were here this morning, do you think he would say that God is able to do beyond all that we can ask or imagine?

Take David. David had a very simple request. He wanted to be a good king of Israel. And he wanted to leave a legacy if God would choose of his son on the throne; in one sense, a simple request; in another, that was a pretty significant request, in those turbulent times, for there to actually be the reality of his son sitting on the throne in his place. Did God do that? He did. But He did so much more. God shows up to David. And He says, "David, not only is your immediate son going to sit on the throne; but through your line, someday will come the, your Messiah, the Great King, who will sit on your throne forever!!!!" You think if David were here this morning, he would say that God is able to do beyond what we can ask or imagine?

There're so many other examples. And many of us, sitting here this morning: certainly, we've had troubles and difficulties in our life. That's part of what it means to be human. "Man is born for trouble as the sparks fly upward," Solomon says. And yet, when we look back on our lives, we can affirm the same thing. I'm certainly no Abraham. And I'm no David. But when I look back on my own life, and my feeble request for my own spiritual good and the growth of the kingdom, I can tell you today: that God has done more than I could ever have asked or thought. So God has the power to do. God has the power to do what we ask. God has the power to do what we imagine! God has the power to do ALL that we can ask or imagine. God has the power to do BEYOND all that we can ask or imagine.

But there's one more stone that Paul places on the very top of this celebration of the character of God, this celebration of God's power. He says, "God has the power to do INFINITELY beyond what we can ask or even imagine." The words, you'll notice in the NAS text, verse 20: "… far more ABUNDANTLY…." That translates one Greek word. It's one of those compound words that Paul loves. And he ran out of words. And so, he made one up It means "to an extraordinary degree." It means "exceedingly," or perhaps the best translation is "infinitely." There's no limit. "There is absolutely no limit," he wants us to know, "on the capacity of God to do whatever He chooses to do This is the consistent message of Scripture.

God shows up to Abraham, (I just spoke of, a moment ago), in Genesis 17. And for the first time He reveals Himself like this. He says, "I am El Shaddai. I am God Almighty! ALMIGHTY! There is NOTHING I can't do, Abraham. I just want you to know that."

In Jeremiah 32, Jeremiah says, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!" And God responds a few verses later, in Jeremiah 32:27, "Behold! I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh! Is ANYTHING too difficult for Me?" God can not only do far more than we ask or imagine. He can do INFINITELY more. And He can do it EASILY, without even breaking a sweat, without even USING any of His power using UP any of His power.

You know, there's so many ways to consider this. I don't know what your struggle is this morning. I don't know what brings you here with a heavy heart. Maybe you're discouraged with your lack of spiritual growth. You still struggle, week in and week out, with the same sins. And you come to doubt God's power in your life. You know what Paul wants you to know? He wants you to know that God can do infinitely more than you can ask or think.

Maybe you're here this morning, and you're in a bad marriage, a marriage that looks nothing like what Scripture describes it to be. And you've tried from time to time, and nothing has really worked. Nothing has really changed. And you're very tempted to just give up. Listen. Paul wants you to know: God has the power to do beyond all that we can ask or imagine; INFINITELY BEYOND. Whatever your doubts, whatever your spiritual struggles, God can do infinitely more than you can ask or even imagine. If it's something that is in line with His purpose as revealed in the Scripture; if it's something that is in line with His intention to make those who know and love Him into the image of His Son, there is no shortage of His power.

Notice the other description of God's power he gives us here in verse 20: "… according to the power that works within us." Now that's a great little phrase. And it's a reminder to us. William Henrickson writes about this phrase:

The apostle immediately adds that he's not dealing with abstractions. The Omnipotence which God reveals in answering prayer is not a figment of the imagination. But it's in line with, or according to, that mighty operation of His power that's already at work within us.

As we walked our way through this letter so far, we've seen some of that power. How is God's power already at work within you? Well, look back to what you used to be. You were spiritually dead. You were in step with satan and with your sin and with all that it involved. But God exercised His power. And He brought you to life, and He used the very same power, according to Ephesians 1:19 and 20, that He used when He raised Jesus Christ from the dead. He raised YOU from spiritual death Christian!!!

Then, in chapter 2, we learn that He's brought the Jews and Gentiles together into one new, entirely new community, called the church God has already shown His power in your life. And if you think about it, for a moment, you know that's true. And that's intended to be an encouragement: that the same God who has shown that power in the past, can show it in the future, as well; in the present and in the future.

Celebrate the character of God. Celebrate His power. There's nothing that He can't do! "Is anything too difficult for me?" God says. As you sit here this morning, what is it you think that's just too difficult for God to do? Remember! He is able to do infinitely more than we can ask or even imagine. And He's already shown it by the power that's at work in us and that He's shown already. If you want to pray for God's glory, then you need to celebrate the character of God.

There's a, a second response if we want to pray for God's glory. Not only do we celebrate the character of God. We see it here: we ascribe glory to God. We ascribe glory to God. Look at verse 21. "To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Paul has already rehearsed the greatness of God: the greatness of His grace, His goodness, His mercy, His power. How do you respond to a God who has done all that we've read about in the first three chapters of this letter? How do you respond to a God like that? He doesn't need anything from us. What do you give Him? What do you do for a God who has grace and power like our God? All you can do, verse 21, "Now to Him be the glory." All that we can do is ascribe glory to God. That doesn't mean we add something to God. It means we acknowledge and extol and praise Him for who He is and for what He's done. We adore Him! We bless Him! That's exactly what Paul does here. This is not a wish that God would receive glory. But it is an affirmation that it is already so. This is not "May God get glory;" but, "Glory rightfully belongs to God."

Now that raises a question. In what way, or through what means, does God most receive glory in the world today? If you're a Christian, you have a heart to glorify God. You want to do that. So, exactly how does God get glory in the world today? Well, in verse 21, Paul identifies two ways that God is most glorified. "To Him be the glory in the church," (Number 1), "and in Christ Jesus," (Number 2). That is how God most gets glory. This reminds us and takes us back to Ephesians3. You remember, back in Ephesians 3:10-11. We discovered that God had that great secret plan: "the plan of the ages," as Paul calls it, there? And that plan involved two things. It involved the church as the primary stage in the world on which God would put His glory on display. That's verse 10 of Ephesians 3, "that the manifold wisdom of God might be made known through the church."

And secondly: Christ, Himself, was at the very center of God's plan of the ages, verse 11, "In accordance with the eternal plan of the ages, which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord." So, in other words, as Paul gets to the end of his prayer, here, in verse 21, his mind is merely going back to what he taught us earlier in chapter 3. And that is, that God has this huge eternal plan that's about Jesus Christ, that at the center is about Christ, and He puts His glory and His Son's glory on display, on the stage that is the church. And so, therefore, he says, "May God be glorified in the church and in Christ Jesus."

All of Scripture makes it clear that, as Christians, we should have this consuming passion for the glory of God. And Paul makes it clear, HERE, that if we're going to bring glory to God, we must do so by living our lives for Christ and for His church, because that's where God is most glorified.

And notice that this is not how He's glorified just for a little while. It's not a temporary means for God's glory. It's not the way God gets glory to Himself, today, but in the future there'll be some other way. No. Look at what he says: "May God receive glory to Himself in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations." That's a common reference in Scripture for all of human history. Listen. As long as you're alive; as long as your children are alive; as long as your grandchildren are alive; as long as there is human history, itself, it is God's plan to get glory to Himself in the church and in Christ Jesus.

But it's not just true here and in time Notice how he ends verse 21: a very interesting expression there, in Ephesians three. Literally the Greek text says, "To all generations of the age of the ages." …. God deserves glory, to have His inherent glory recognized and praised, generation after generation in time, and for age after age into eternity. "As long as God, Himself, exists" [This is what Paul is saying. Listen carefully.] "As long as God, Himself, exists, there are two great stages on which He will display His glory: and that is the church and His Son, Jesus Christ."

The stages on which God displays Himself are His unique, eternal Son, and a redeemed humanity brought together in one great organism, called the church.

Notice Paul ends his doxology, in verse 21, in the same way we often see doxologies ended in both testaments, with the Hebrew word, "Aman." I grew up in Southern Baptist churches, where if the pastor said something you really liked, you said, "Amen!" But I never really understood why. And frankly, I don't think they did, either. The word, "Amen," the Hebrew word, "Aman," occurs 21 times in the Old Testament. It is simply, that Hebrew word is simply transliterated into Greek: "Aman." And in the New Testament it occurs 129 times Thirty times it's translated as "Amen." And ninety-nine times it's translated as "truly." It was the community's affirmation that what had just been said was both sure and true.

Twice in the Old Testament it's used as people respond to a prayer. At the very end the people say, "Amen" together, when the prayer's done. So, when someone reaches the end of our prayer (when I reach the end of my prayer), if we want to follow both the Old and New Testament model, then we should all join our voices together and say, "Amen." It is the congregation's way of saying, "I agree. Let it be. That is both sure and true."

Peter O'Brian writes, "This 'Amen,' here in chapter 3, is the spontaneous response of the whole congregation. With this loud "amen," the first half of the letter is completed. So that's exactly how it would have happened in the first-century church. As this letter was read, and this great doxology was presented at the end of the doxology, all the people together would have said with the one reading the letter, "Amen! It's so! All that we've learned about God is true and sure. It's right. Amen!"

So how should we respond to this great doxology? Let me give you a couple of very practical suggestions.

Number one: Contemplate God's great power to act for your spiritual good, so that your faith will be strengthened. If you will, simply, with Paul, meditate on these words. Meditate on that pyramid of praise that we saw him build together. It'll strengthen your faith in God: that He can act for your spiritual good.

Number two: Pray these audacious requests that we've seen Paul pray, because now we see that God is able to do them. God has the power to make it happen in your life! As outlandish as these requests may look to you; as far as you may see yourself from these spiritual realities, God is able to do it.

Number three: Permit yourself to worship God, as Paul does, here. When you see the truth, when you see God and what He's done, when you study Him together, let your heart do what Paul does, here. Just have an outburst of praise an outburst of worship for the greatness of God.

And Number four: If you want to live in a way that will bring glory to God (and if you're a Christian, that is your desire), Paul tells you right here: "To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, generation after generation, age after age, into eternity."

In other words, live your life, determine to live your life, not for yourself, not for what you can enjoy, not for your ease and your prosperity. But live your life to exalt the church, to serve in the church, and to exalt Jesus Christ. Because those are the two stages on which God is most putting His glory on display. Not just now, not just in your kids' lives, not just in your grandkids' lives, but into eternity." "To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, to all generations, forever and ever," and as God's people, we can only say what? Amen!

Let's pray together.

Our Father, we do experience in our own hearts exactly what Paul experiences here. When we hear these great truths, when we discover them together, when we see whoYou are in Your great power and mercy and grace, our hearts are called out in worship, in doxology.

Father, I pray that You would help us to embrace the truths that we've learn together this morning. May we celebrate Your character, Your power and Your mercy and Your grace. May we reflect on these things, and may our faith be strengthened. And Father, may we give You glory. May we worship You. Help us to pray, as Paul did, for these amazing requests, because You are able to act. And You're able to act infinitely more than we can ask or even imagine.

God, forgive us for our weak, demeaning thoughts of You. Open our minds to see, to grasp the greatness of our God.

And Father, I pray for those here this morning who don't know You through Your Son, Jesus Christ. I pray that, as they have heard about You this morning, that they would be driven by Your spirit to turn from their sins and to embrace Your gracious and all-powerful Son.

For it's in His Name we pray. Amen.