Friends, in this season we're exploring Christianity itself, what exploring Christianity and what seeking to grow in faith in Christ might look like for us in 2024, both as a church but also individually.
And last week, Steve shared from the life of Jonathan Edwards and of others from the book of Hebrews who lived imperfect but outstanding lives, pursuing knowing God with their whole minds and hearts, and how that was of an incredible benefit to their faith but also to the city around them.
Our next step is in a book called Ephesians, in chapter 1.
And in this, we find an encouragement from one Christian to others to pursue knowing God.
And this comes in the form of a prayer.
It's a prayer that asks God to provide knowledge of God.
That's right, for God to provide knowledge of God.
Of Him in people, provide knowledge of Him as people seek Him.
This prayer shows us how Jesus meets the needs of every person.
How knowing Him more and more meets the needs of every believer.
And how praying in this manner, in Ephesians 1, actually fuels Christian faith and love for one another and love for their city.
That's an eternal benefit to Christians and their community and everyone around them.
So here's a question for you.
Do you seek to grow in your faith?
Do you struggle to find a reason to do so?
Or have you never put your faith in Jesus?
This passage is relevant to you today, as it was relevant to the Christians who lived in a city called Ephesus,
over a millennia ago.
A man called Paul wrote this letter to people in this city, and he knew them very well.
He wrote from prison to this place where he'd been two and a half years before.
He had helped grow their church.
He preached publicly for more than two years in that city.
And he knew it really well.
It was a multicultural place.
It was a center of the popular religion of the day.
There were temples and shrines, especially to the goddess Artemis of the time.
It was a place of international trade and thought.
It was like the religious, commercial, and intellectual crossroads
on your way in and around the Roman Empire.
Imagine main roads all converging, cluttered shop fronts, standstill traffic,
people and signs in languages from all over the world.
Kind of sounds like Chatswood to me.
With our shopping centers like shrines to consumerism and materialism,
which are the popular religions of our day.
And the terrible traffic, and the wonderful cultural diversity,
and the crossroads of all the train lines of Sydney, it seems.
But while our cities are similar in some ways, they're very dissimilar in others.
For Christians and Ephesians felt the pain of persecution really fiercely,
in a way that we cannot imagine as Christians here in Chatswood.
I encourage you to go read the end of Acts 18 and Acts 19,
to get a picture of what life was like in this city for Christians following Jesus.
But even though our experience as Christians can't be the same city to city,
we do face really similar problems.
So Paul asks God for, in prayer, what he knows all Christians need,
especially in Ephesus, but also here in Chatswood.
He prays for a knowledge of God that can help us process and cope,
and even thrive in our life following Jesus in our city.
So, open up to Ephesians 1 with me.
We're going to be in verse 16 and 17 first, so open up with me.
Firstly, we see there in verse 16 and 17 that Paul remembers the Ephesians in his prayers,
and he keeps asking that they might know him better.
Paul gets specific in praying for Christians to know God in three specific ways.
So have a look there in verse 18, I'm going to read.
He prays that Christians may know the hope to which God has called them,
the riches of his glorious inheritance as his holy people,
and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
Three areas of knowledge, hope, inheritance and power.
First, to the hope that God has called us into.
Christians embraced a hope in Jesus Christ when they first believe in him.
They've actually just set a creed declaring what it is that we first believed,
and that we still believe.
Christians embraced a hope in all the benefits of the good news.
That God himself, by grace, has called them into forgiveness,
true freedom, purity, safety, certainty, holiness,
joy beyond measure, and a changed heart.
There are so many benefits that God gives every Christian
at the very moment when they follow Jesus.
Increasingly knowing a sure hope in our spiritual reality
helps us turn to our relationship with God to face our present reality.
What happened when we first followed Jesus in the past
is still our sure hope in the present.
And if you need a reminder at any time
of all that you have been called to,
what is your hope in Jesus,
there is a board right there on the other side of that wall
that can show you everything available in Jesus,
or if you follow him, that you have in Jesus.
And from the moment when we came to faith,
we can look forward to a glorious future with God beyond this life.
In verse 18, Paul describes us as a holy people
that share in a glorious inheritance together.
We're all written in the will.
Colossians 1.12, in another of Paul's letters to a different city,
uses similar language,
saying that it's God who qualifies us
to share in the inheritance of his holy people.
And while eternity with God is far beyond our imagining,
Scripture is bejeweled like a crown
with promises and pictures of a relationship with God
that will last forever through what Jesus has done for us.
So we find hope in the past,
and we look forward to the future riches in Jesus.
And for right now, Paul prays
that we would know the incomparably great power
that is literally toward us, for us,
toward all who believe.
And that power is that Jesus is ruling right now
over all the happenings, all the kings of this world,
all the powers that we face in our city,
in our nation, in our world.
Nothing is beyond the reign and authority of Jesus Christ.
So we hope in our past redeemed by Christ,
in a future promised in Christ,
and we can rest in his power now over our present
as he rules unseen over the chaos of this world.
Why does Paul ask God to grow a Christian's knowledge, though,
of their hope and inheritance and in Jesus' power for now?
Why does knowing God more in these three ways actually matter?
It's because this is the knowledge Christians need
to process, cope, and thrive in life, in our city.
And what are we trying to process and cope with?
Well, studies and books and arts,
they all come to similar conclusions.
All people are lonely or hopeless,
afraid of illness and death,
anxious about finances and housing,
frustrated that all of our relationships
are just bent to break down.
We might be isolated from the world,
a part of interracial conflict,
or scarred by trauma.
Every story, every song, every film,
they all play on how we all long
for such problems to be solved,
and they all look for answers.
And for a poetic summary that I think is quite beautiful,
we're going to explore, just for a little bit,
the chorus of a song by the band Coldplay.
I was obsessed with Coldplay when I was in high school.
That was a very long time ago.
But I find this song called
Death and All of His Friends really helpful for us.
So if you'll permit me,
listen to the words and the longing of this chorus.
I don't want to battle from beginning to end.
I don't want to cycle and recycle revenge.
I don't want to follow Death and all of His friends.
Do you hear the three problems they're bringing up there?
Death and all of His friends.
Well, it's Death and His friends' evil and disunity.
This seems a good summary of humanity's struggle
to process, cope and thrive in life.
But Coldplay's solution
is Viva La Vida,
another one of their famous songs.
The title of the album that these songs come from is called,
and it's two options,
Viva La Vida or Death and All of His Friends.
That's their choices.
And Viva La Vida seems like their solution.
Viva La Vida translates roughly as,
live life while it is long.
It's based on a painting by Frida Kahlo.
Viva La Vida means there's so much potential in life.
Keep at it.
Enjoy it.
Make the most of it while you have it.
And even though,
Frida Kahlo herself said at the end of her life,
I hope the exit is joyful,
and I hope never to return.
The world,
and Coldplay,
and Frida Kahlo,
and our city,
have no reasonable solution
to death and all of his friends.
Death, evil,
and conflict between people.
Humanity need a hope better than Frida's,
better than Chris Martin from Coldplay's.
We need a future beyond ourselves
for this life and beyond,
and a power over death,
evil,
and disunity
to trust in.
And the good news is that all people have that alternative.
Instead of death and all of his friends,
we don't have,
make the best of it while we live,
viva la vida,
we have Jesus.
For Jesus came from an eternal life past
that was without even a moment of hopelessness,
no disunity,
no lack of love or fear of the future,
and he gave that life up.
He came as our lifeline
into our lifetime
to his own creation
and joined with us
in living a life
headed toward hopelessness
and disinheritance
and death
and a broken relationship with God.
Also,
he could hand to us for free
a sure hope
after paying for our sin
in our place on the cross.
And also,
we would not have to face
another day of our lives
without looking forward
to a future of safety
and of eternal life
and of justice
and a perfect relationship
with our Creator.
Jesus exchanged
his glorious future
for a horrifying judgment
and end
that was ours.
He embraced death
so you could look forward
to your glorious inheritance
in God's Son.
Jesus proved
that he has the power
to rule life
right now.
So let's look back
at Ephesians 1
because Paul can't stop
talking about
how Jesus
has actually killed
death
and all of his friends.
He has the power
over it right now.
Jesus first
conquered death
itself
when he rose again.
That power,
have a look there
at verse 19,
that power
is a mighty strength
exerted
when God
raised Christ
from the dead.
The power
that proved
stronger than death
at Jesus' resurrection
is the power
that will raise
his followers.
And at the same,
at that same power,
raised Jesus
to the throne
of heaven
where Jesus rules
in verse 21.
Above all rule
and authority,
power and dominion,
and every name,
now and to come.
There is no evil
done in the world
that Jesus' power
does not rule over.
No matter if we see
him ruling over it
or not,
we can trust
our king
through anything.
And Jesus is also
the only ruler
who can unify
all people together.
He unifies
the people,
his people
as the church.
Have a look there
in verse 22.
The church
which is his body,
the fullness
of him.
Jesus himself
is active
in the world
right now,
dealing with death
and all of his friends
through
people who follow him.
as his power
displayed
and impacting
the world.
As if he is here
for he is
in and through
his church.
Coldplay song goes,
I don't want
to follow death
and all of his friends.
Jesus defeated death
and all of his friends.
So follow Jesus.
If you follow Jesus
you have hope,
you have an inheritance,
you have God's power
in Jesus for you
right now,
but you will still
feel the effects,
all the problems
of death
and all of his friends.
We're all a part
of this city
and if our eyes
are open
we're all a part
of the world
whether it's on our screens
or right in front of us
and it's hard.
We are so prone
to forget
the spiritual reality
put on this page
in Ephesians 1.
So prone to forget
how Jesus
gives us life,
even life
to thrive
in our city
whether life
is hard in Ephesus
or whether life
is hard in Chatswood.
Paul's solution
for all believers
is to pursue
knowing what we
already have in him
and not forgetting
this knowledge
day by day.
or else
one of three things
are going to happen.
We either turn
to the world,
turn to ourself
or our fears
to process
and cope
and try and thrive
in our city.
If we forget Jesus
we might turn
to the world
for answers
drifting from
all Jesus offers us
into a
viva la vida
lifestyle
where
our life
might not
look too
different
to people
down at the mall
who don't
have any
knowledge of
Jesus at all.
A life that
ends up in a
dead faith.
Or we turn
to ourselves
looking at
Jesus
and all he
has accomplished
as not quite
enough yet
to save us
from our sins
and so work
vigorously
and religiously
to save
ourselves
somehow
in our way
in our works.
Or we forget
and follow the
fears
of our city
of our time
the fears
that are on display
on our screens.
Those fears
can shape
our worry
and our worry
can be so
strong
that instead
of looking at
what Jesus
has accomplished
is enough
we actually
fear
into seeking
more and more
spiritual experiences
in place of
that completed
works of Jesus
Christ.
Following Jesus
means looking
to him
day by day
as if he
has gone
before us
and we
are following
literally
following him
step by step
into a life
of thriving
in him.
But not
seeking to
know him
more
leads us
to doubt.
We must
respond to
our proneness
to forget.
Proneness
to forgetting
the hope
and the future
and the power
of Jesus
Christ
by seeking
to know
God more
and regularly
remembering
all his
benefits
to us
past
and future
and in
our present.
So what is
your next
step
in getting
to know
God
through the
completed
wonderful
glorious
works of
Jesus Christ?
If you
don't follow
Jesus yet
and like
Coldplay
you are
looking
for an
alternative.
Your next
step is to
explore
Christianity.
God is
known
and knowable
and wants
you to
know him
through
Jesus
Christ.
We would
love to
help you
explore
knowing
Jesus
through
history,
through
his
teachings
and all
he has
done for
you today.
So come
speak to
me or
speak to
someone you
know here
about what
your next
step might
be exploring
Christianity.
And if you
do follow
Jesus your
next step
is always
going to
be pursuing
deeper and
deeper knowledge
of God
through Jesus
in the
Bible
day by
day.
I invite
you to
take a
step that
you may
not have
taken this
year toward
opening your
Bible in a
more purposeful
way.
Jess has
already mentioned
an explore
book.
It's a
resource that
guides you
through little
letters or
books like
Ephesians.
Day by day
helps you
understand it,
helps you
pray about
it, helps
you apply it
to your
life, helps
you know
God more.
I encourage
you to get
one of those
when they
come in.
Or go have
a look at
our resource
table today.
And do
this together
with others.
We have
community
groups starting
up again soon
in our church
and that's
where we
every week
ask questions
of the Bible
and of
faith together
openly.
Christians
flourish in
God's word
in community
and I
encourage you
to consider
joining a
group to
grow in your
knowledge in
God this
year.
But you
might be
sitting here
and not
want to
take a
next step.
Some of
us find the
idea of
knowing God
in the
pages of
books,
knowing God
more with
others
openly,
intimidating
or makes
us feel
afraid or
it's just
too hard.
It's just a
pressure on
our shoulders
that leads
us to give
up.
That's been
me in the
past,
especially
when I was
younger,
but in
and out
of season.
And if
that's you,
Ephesians has
one more
encouragement for
you.
Have a
look at
Ephesians
1.17.
And just
look at these
verses and
look, where
does our
knowledge of
God come
from?
Does it
come from
our hard
work?
Does it
come from
our intellect?
Does it
come from
how well we
know English?
No.
Our knowledge
of God
comes from
God himself.
Paul here
asks God
that he
may give
you, as
it says,
the spirit
of wisdom
and revelation.
There is a
spirit of
God that
gives knowledge
of him to
us day by
day.
A Holy
Spirit that
works through
the words of
scripture, in
books, and
through people
to help us
grow in our
faith in
God.
And as
verse 18
says, if
you look
there, it's
only as
God himself
enlightens the
eyes of
your heart
that knowledge
comes into
you in a
life-giving
way.
Jesus
himself, who
called himself
the light of
the world,
like a
light in a
pitch-black
room,
through the
Holy Spirit,
does the
knowledge-giving
that we
seek.
The pressure
that you
might feel
to grow
in your
knowledge of
God is
actually on
God as
we take our
next step to
know him
more.
It's a
partnership,
the pressure
is on him.
Paul has
told us he's
praying for
us, for
the Ephesians,
for knowledge
of God,
that we find
in what Jesus
has already
done, in
what he's
going to do,
and what he's
doing in and
through us
now.
And his
prayer shows
us how to
take that
next step,
and that
God will
work to
give us
that knowledge
as we
take it.
And Paul
shares this
prayer with
us, as an
example of
what to pray
for, to
shape the
culture of
God's church,
of people who
follow Jesus
together, to
be a people
who are
thankful, who
expect big
things of
God, and
who are
prayerful
observers of
fellow Christians
around us as
he grows us
in Christ.
How often do
you pray, like
Paul prays here,
for other
Christians?
If Ephesians
1 is an
example for us
to follow,
then we
should pray for
other Christians,
as it says in
verse 15,
when we
hear of their
faith in the
Lord Jesus and
their love for
God's people.
Beyond just our
relationship with
God, our
relationship, we
should consider
the work he is
doing in the
lives of the
Christians around
us, and look
for signs of
faith and love
in them, and
respond, like
Paul, with
this unstopping,
ongoing
thankfulness, not
waiting for
something to go
wrong in a
believer's life,
to pray, but
never stopping in
thankful prayer,
asking God to
grow faith and
acts of love in
people who we
are thankful for
as we see God
working in them.
When you have
conversations with
other Christians,
you should ask
how they're going,
how are you
going, and
really want to
know.
That's good
friendship, it's
good Christian
friendship.
And you
should ask
what's really
going on in
this spiritual
life.
How are you
going, and
how are you
growing?
And Ephesians 1
demands that that
second question,
how are you
growing, is
motivated by an
ongoing,
unstoppable
thankfulness for
that person in
your life, and
in your city, and
a desire that God
would be spiritually
imparting knowledge
to them through
his spiritual
wisdom and
revelation, that
they would be
growing day by
day in Jesus.
So is your
heart moved
toward other
believers in this
way?
Are your
conversations in
our Christian
community filled
with questions
about growing in
faith, answers of
how God has given
us a hope and a
future and a rest
in the power of
Jesus?
We want one
another to thrive
in life.
But, if you
ask, how are you
growing, and a
fellow believer
doesn't know how to
answer that
question, maybe
they are not
growing in their
faith.
And this is not
to ask to seek to
shame them, this is
to ask to seek to
help them grow, if
we can, and also
to pray for them.
If you're not
pursuing God, or
you discover someone
else is not
pursuing God, then
it demands action.
So, are you
willing to come
alongside someone
and help them grow
in their faith?
To ask them
questions of how
they're relying on
God to process
and cope and even
thrive in life?
Do you see signs
that they're running
to the world?
That they're relying
on themselves?
Or that they're
motivated by their
fears?
Are you willing to
commit, even long
term, to helping
them grow in their
knowledge of God?
This is the kind of
community culture of
faith and love that I
think was on display
in believers in
Ephesus.
And that's why Paul's
thankful in verse
15.
I think he'd
seen it.
I think he'd
tasted it.
And I think he'd
heard of it, even
years after leaving.
And he prays like
this all the more,
so that the things
he's thankful for,
their faith in Jesus
and their love for
each other in their
city, would just
grow and grow and
grow.
Because he hears
that they're thriving
in life.
And he wants us to
thrive in it too.
He doesn't want them
to get distracted away
from what we really
need.
And this is the
kind of community
that St. Paul's in
Chatswood should seek
to be.
One where we pursue
openly knowing Jesus
more, knowing God
more in him as we
live together.
So the best answer
of how to process
life, how to cope
with life, how to
thrive in life, is
only found in the
hope and the
glorious future and
the power that we
find only in
following Jesus
Christ.
For only in Jesus
Christ can we know
the hope that is an
unshakable foundation.
Only in Jesus
Christ can we know a
future that is an
unshakable force
working unseen, an
unshakable promise
worthy of carrying
through life.
And only in Jesus
Christ can we know a
power that is an
unshakable force,
working unseen in our
world right now that
drives away despair and
the power of death and
all of his friends.
For Jesus conquered
death.
He reigns over all
things and he himself
is our head.
He is the one who we
follow.
We are his body and
his church.
He alone can unite
people who would
otherwise hate each
other.
He alone can unite
people from any
background, any
culture, any gender,
any age group, any
language.
And those who have
turned to follow Jesus
need to know deeper
and deeper, no matter
their age, day by day,
no matter where they
started.
All Jesus has been,
all he will ever be,
and all he is right
now for Christians
across our whole world,
in our city, in this
room, as we continue
to grow as his people.
So that in our
growing there would be
such an impact in one
another and on our
city that people who
look from other cities
around can see Jesus
on display like he
saw it in Ephesus.
May such a prayer
shape us, change us,
inspire us, and be
prayed daily in our
community as we live
lives following Jesus
in Chatswood.
I'm going to pray this
prayer over us.
And whether this is
your last Sunday with
us or your first,
whether you know
Jesus yet or not,
let us pray in line
with Ephesians 1
and ask that God
would know, help us
to know him more.
Let's pray.
Glorious Father, we
praise you that in
Jesus Christ there is
an alternative to
following death and
all of his friends.
Please help us to
follow him and truly
live.
Please grant us
wisdom and revelation
to know you, our
Lord, your son Jesus,
deeper and deeper,
day by day.
Would you enlighten
our hearts so that we
do not turn to the
dark and that by his
light we might know
you more.
Please give us a
knowledge of the hope
we have in all we are
called to in him, a
knowledge of the riches
of our glorious
inheritance in him, a
knowledge of Jesus'
power that is right
now ruling over death,
evil and injustice,
powerfully binding us
together as his church.
Please help us to know
you more and more,
oh God, in Jesus,
who is our Lord and our
all in all.
Amen.