EPHESIANS LIVE-IT-OUT GUIDE

(MEMBER VERSION)

 

SESSION 6: EPHESIANS 3:14-21

 

<< The following notes only serve as a guide.  We encourage you to pray and think through Ephesians on your own. Feel free to adapt the session to your group, with the aim of explaining God’s promises clearly and provoking one another to love and good works. >>

 

OPENING DISCUSSION:  

 

Drowning in a Drop of Water –  At dinner the other night, my youngest son asked me, “Dad, do you know how many molecules are there in a drop of water?” Having had my last science class a long time ago, I replied him, “No son, I don’t remember.” He responded, “Something like 6 million billion.” Impossible! I thought to myself. “That sounds way too high.” But my son insisted it wasn’t. So, I consulted my closest science expert (a.k.a. my Iphone). Sure enough, it’s not 6 million billion (which is 6 quadrillion). It’s 1.67 sextillion. A million billion “only” has 15 zeros; a sextillion has 21 zeros. My son’s number was actually way too low!

 

1.67 sextillion molecules in a drop of water. There was no way for me to wrap my head around such a number. At that moment, my human brain just felt so small and limited. I needed help. So I did some more research online. Apparently, if you could count 10 molecules per second (and that’s really fast), it would take you over 4 trillion years to count all the molecules in that one drop of water. Apparently, there are more molecules in a tablespoon of water than stars in the universe. These descriptions left me drowning in the drop.    

 

Have you ever read, seen or experienced something that felt too big for you to understand or grasp fully? If you have, share with your group.

 

 

GOING DEEPER

 

In today’s passage, Paul directs our attention to certain attributes of God that are so big, we will need God’s help to comprehend them.

 

Read Ephesians 3:14-21

 

Brief Recap: With today’s session, we would complete the first half of Ephesians! In chapters 1 to 3, do you notice Paul’s pattern of teaching followed by prayer, then teaching followed by prayer again? Since his last prayer in 1:15-19, the focus of Paul’s teaching has been on God’s power in achieving His eternal plan. This power is first displayed in the resurrection of Jesus (1:20-23), then the making alive of individual believers (2:1-10), then the reconciliation between Jew and Gentile (2:11-22), and lastly, the appointment of Paul as an apostle to the Gentiles (3:1-13). In today’s passage, Paul turns to intercession – he prays for his readers to be strengthened by this same power.

 

1.           The normal posture for prayer among the Jews is standing (consider Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and tax collector in Luke 18:11-13). However, verse 14 tells us that Paul bows his knees before God the Father.

 

a.           What does Paul’s posture reflect about his prayer?

 

 

b.           Paul’s posture flows from his understanding of God – God is sovereign (“from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named” verse 15, ESV). What posture do we adopt most often when we pray? 

 

 

2.           Now let us consider the substance of Paul’s prayer from verses 16 to 19. It is helpful to picture Paul’s prayer as a staircase by which he climbs higher and higher in his aspiration for his readers. We can learn to pray like that as well!   

 

a.           Paul’s prayer-staircase has 5 steps. Try to list them out and to identify a key word for each step (step 1 is given as an example).

 

Step	Key Word	Prayer
1	Strengthen	For God to strengthen the readers with power through His Spirit in their inner beings (verse 16).
2
3
4
5

 

b.           Paul prays for his readers to be strengthened with power in their inner beings, so that Christ may dwell (meaning to take up permanent residence, like a master within his own home, and not like a tourist visiting a hotel) in their hearts. Paul’s prayer is for Christ to rule, reign and control the believer’s heart. 

 

What aspect of your “inner man” needs to be strengthened today, so that Christ may dwell in your heart? Share with your group.    

 

 

c.According to verse 18, we are meant to comprehend the full dimensions of Christ’s love “with all the saints”. How have you experienced the love of Christ recently? Share with your group.

 

 

d.           Using the 5 steps in part (a), pray for one another. As you pray, remember what has just been shared regarding our inner man and the love of Christ.

 

 

3.           To understand the immeasurable love of Christ, we need the immeasurable power of God. In verse 20, Paul describes this power with an amazing compound statement that contains 7 parts. Let us take a closer look at this statement to appreciate its individual parts.

 

Part 1: “Now to him who is able to do…” –

e.g. God is able to do. He is working. He is not idle. 

 

 

Part 2: “Now to him who is able to do what we ask…” –

 

 

Part 3: “Now to him who is able to do what we ask or think…” -

 

 

Part 4: “Now to him who is able to do all that we ask or think…” -

 

 

Part 5: “Now to him who is able to do more than all that we ask or think…” -

 

 

Part 6: “Now to him who is able to do far more than all that we ask or think…” –

 

 

Part 7: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think…” –

 

 

 

CLOSING

 

Since the power comes from God, the glory must also go to Him. Let us close our session today in the same way Paul concludes chapter 3, with praise and worship.