Frederick Buechner wrote about tears.
“Whenever you find tears in your eyes, especially unexpected tears, it is well to pay the closest attention,” he wrote. “They are not only telling you something about the secret of who you are, but more often than not God is speaking to you through them of the mystery of where you have come from and is summoning you to where, if your soul is to be saved, you should go to next.”
Rooted and Grounded
Ephesians 3:17
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
I don’t know if you do this or not….but I try to do it. Do you look back at the past year and see where you’ve been? It helps me gain some perspective. Some things I’m not too pleased with…I may have not exercised enough or eaten better…I may have spent money on things that could have waited or maybe not saved as much money as I’d like….I may have not read as much on certain things I’d wished vs watching TV or reading something on the internet. Not meant to be depressing, just an honest evaluation of where things are with my personal stuff.
I do the same with church. We all know that it’s not about numbers, right? I mean we can have a good year and it not all be about attendance every Sunday or what we’ve given to missions. Sometimes it’s about depth and growth in our knowledge of the Lord. However, isn’t it good to have more people in the sanctuary? Isn’t it good to see Sunday School attendance up? Isn’t it good to have a really good turn out for VBS? Or a good Lottie Moon offering, or good participation in Shoebox ministry or My Father’s House? Or even better, isn’t it good to have this many salvations and baptisms and new members joining the church in the past year? The answer is yes!!!! Those are great and all praise is due to the Lord and His handiwork.
So as we look back, it should help us to look forward. We can learn from things we should do more of and things we shouldn’t do at all. That goes for personal and church. We aren’t thinking that God loves us more if we achieve more…that’s not what I’m saying. What I believe scripture teaches is that we are loved…therefore, we want to be good servants and to love our neighbor. We want to grow in grace and our faith in Him.
How do we do it?
I’m not really a slogan or mission statement guy, but I think what I believe the Lord has for me as pastor in 2024 is to grow closer to the Lord so I can serve Him more and serve you more. I think there will be a theme in 2024….
Rooted and planted (you see this reference right)
Ephesians 3:17
[17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
So what does that mean? What does that look like?
It means we will be a church (a people) deeper in the word, seeking the Lord, prayerful.
I mean how do you think we got here? It was by seeking the Lord right?
The Lord was leading us to the Pastorate.
Oak Grove was praying for someone who would want to be here!
We have prayed for growth (in numbers and depth)
We’ve prayed to “make a difference in our community”
The Lord has been answering.
Are we watching?
Are we going to keep it up?
—————-
We will be in Ephesians today….
London has a giant Ferris wheel called the London Eye. It’s bigger than any Ferris wheel that you’ve likely been on. It’s 450 feet high. From it you can see places in London that you could only see otherwise in an airplane. It lets you see parks and gardens, palaces and businesses, Big Ben and historic cathedrals.
The book of Ephesians is like that. NT Wright says that Paul offers a breathtaking view of the entire landscape (of Christian Life)…God, the world, Jesus, the church, the means of salvation, Christian behavior, marriage and family and spiritual warfare. It helps to see familiar places from unfamiliar angles. (Have you ever seen anything on a ride vs driving that you haven’t seen before?)
Ephesians is like that.
So in Ephesians 1 Paul shows us our forgiveness and redemption in Christ, that we’re adopted because of his love and are to be holy and blameless and to be thankful for all of that.
Ephesians 1:7
[7] In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
Paul’s first prayer in Ephesians is here in chapter 1…he “does not cease to give thanks for them” It’s about seeing the Kingdom
Ephesians 2 Paul tells us “how” that we are saved by grace through faith and not of works. That we were dead in our trespasses but are now made alive by Christ.
Ephesians 2:13
[13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
And here we are in Ephesians 3.
Let’s read verses 14-21
Ephesians 3:14-21 (Paul’s second prayer about doing the work in the Kingdom)
[14] For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, [15] from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, [16] that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, [18] may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, [19] and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
[20] Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
So Paul is praying that they (the Christians) will be strengthened with power through the Spirit. (So this is a prayer for Spiritual Strength)….he’s on his knees, most of the time prayer was standing up…he’s begging God
That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith
How? Being Rooted and Grounded in love
What stops us?
What helps us?
What are we called to do?
- What stops us?
It started in Genesis. Worshiping something else
10 commandments warn us to have no other gods before Him
Isaiah 44 – warns of idols
Revelation 14 – tells why mankind is fallen and what man is following
Many more verses, just showing that this is an age old problem and that the Bible from cover to cover reminds us to only follow God.
Practically…what stops us? Distance from God. What causes distance?
Lack of obedience, wrong habits, wrong attitudes, wrong behaviors
When I get into what helps us it will feel theological, but it’s practical advice. I want you to hear this part practically today.
It feels like church is theological and when we step outside of the door it’s back to practical and I only go back to God at church or my 1 minute prayer.
What stops us from being rooted and grounded is practical.
Am I?….
Drinking too much
Taking prescription or non prescription drugs too much
Looking at porn
Addicted to my phone or social media
Sleeping with someone who’s not my spouse
Plotting to sleep with someone who’s not my spouse
Not raising my kids right (?)
Seeking approval outside of the Lord
Constantly focused upon (being a victim to the past) something that I cannot control (idol)
Being a jerk
Greedy
Selfish
Lazy
Looking for an argument
…..You know the list….it goes on and on…Living outside of the clear will and instructions of God
LISTEN: God cannot and will not bless sin, let alone habitual sins
So that is what stops us? Us
- What helps us?
Read our bible more
Go to church
Pray more
Pray for wisdom
Memorize scripture
Read a good Christian book
Go on a mission trip
Give to a mission
Pray for a mission
Pray for Unity and God’s working here
Pray for your family
Pray for the lost
Pray for your family to know the Lord and be strengthened
Renew your commitment, get baptized, join the church
Pray for your friends
You see Paul here is praying for the followers to be filled with power. There is no secret sauce or special prayer…..scripture tells us to keep knocking, to keep seeking the Lord, pray without ceasing.
Pray for one another. Pray for these young families. It’s hard raising kids in this age.
Be strengthened in your inner being. Pray for that….don’t give up.
NOTE: Paul says the term “in Christ” more than he talks about Christ being in you!!! Yes the Holy Spirit indwells the believer, but we take that for granted. The NT is clear that we are to keep pursing God and holiness. (Not earning salvation) Even as we age our bodies get weaker, but our inner being can grow stronger!!!!
Paul prays for filling of power and to know God’s love more. If we understand that God loves us, we trust Him, we seek Him, we abide in Him.
What helps us? More of God
- What are we called to do? (What does it look like to be rooted and grounded?)
Love the Lord your God with all your heart
Love your neighbor as yourself
Forgive (others and yourself)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Go and tell the world the gospel and make disciples
—————-
There have been
Blessings in past year
Challenges in the Past year
Let’s pray like we’re desperate (on our knees)
Let’s pray that God would use us unlike any other time
You know the world needs it. Our community needs it. Families need it!
Let’s pray that the pews would be full.
That the altar would be full
That invitation would be overwhelming
That people would join the church
That the baptismal waters would be stirred every week
That the lost would be found! Salvations!!!
Ephesians 3:20-21
[20] Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Let’s look to 2024 and be Rooted and Grounded in Love.
