How Do You Approach God with Confidence?
Ephesians 3:12-19
Intro:
1. How many of you have been asked by non Christians to pray for them?
2. Heb 4:16 - Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence . . .
3. v12 tells us we can have boldness & confident access through faith in Him.
4. So what do you need to know to make it easier to approach God with confidence?
I. v14-15 - An Understanding of the Fatherhood of God
A. Ephesians shows us different aspects of God’s fatherhood.
1. In 1:2-3, 1:17 & 6:23 - God is shown as the Father of Jesus.
a. The Greek & Roman background.
1. The Greek Zeus was “the father of gods & men”.
2. The meaning of the word for Roman god Jupiter was “God the father”.
b. This was only in the sense of producing people as offspring.
1. You can sire children but never be a father to them. ILL: Who was dad to me?
2. A real father cares, loves & leaves a good example!
c. Jn 14:8-11 - Lord Jesus was the carbon copy of His father! So you can know who Almighty God is like by discovering what Lord Jesus was like.
2. In 2:18 & 3:12 - God is shown as the Father we all have access to.
a. In the Old Testament God was unapproachable. ILL: The Day of Atonement.
b. Ex 33:20-23 - The idea is if you saw God you would die!
c. Through Lord Jesus you can have unrestricted access to God through prayer!
B. v14-15 - God becomes the pattern for all true fatherhood!
1. Literally, this verse says, whose fatherhood all heavenly & earthly fatherhood is a copy.
2. You ought to be able to approach your Heavenly Father with the same confidence you approach your earthly dad!
C. Approaching God’s throne with confidence is enhanced as you pattern your relationship to your children after His relationship with you!
II. v16-17 - An Understanding of the Strengthening of Christ
A. v16 - What kind of strength is it? (Ps 28:7)
1. Power (δύναμις) = explosive, where we get our word “dynamite”!
2. When you use dynamite, you rearrange the scenery.
3. God’s Holy Spirit can provide you with the power to rearrange things in your life.
B. v16 - What’s this inner being? It’s the center of your reason, conscience & will.
1. Reason = a change in your loyalty - shown in your faith.
2. Conscience = a change in your desire - shown in your repentance.
3. Will = a change in your actions - shown in your baptism.
C. v17 - Approaching God’s throne with confidence is enhanced as you allow the Lord to dwell in your heart more fully!
III. v18-19 - An Understanding of the Love of Christ
A. v18 - What are the dimensions of God’s love?
1. Rom 8:38-39 - For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2. Love’s broadness - it includes everyone. The Jews thought it just included them.
3. Love’s length - God became a man & lived a perfect life as an example to you.
4. Love’s depth - Lord Jesus went to the cross & died there to redeem you.
5. Love’s height - Lord Jesus now makes intercession for you in heaven.
B. Where is that love to be demonstrated today?
1. v19 - Know (γινώσκω) = to know by experience. You experience this love when you surrender your life to the Lord & He forgives you of all of your sins!
2. v18 - Together with all the saints. The church with all it’s problems, inconsistencies & diversions, is still the place you will find God’s love expressed in this old world!
C. Approaching God’s throne with confidence is enhanced as you pass on the love of Christ to others!
How do you approach God with confidence?
Know & be a godly father.
Allow Christ to dwell in your heart more fully.
Pass on the love of Christ to others.
Then - pray with confidence!
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