Study Questions: Ephesians #6
By God’s Strength
Ephesians 3:14-21 (CGS#6)
INTRODUCTION: We can all agree that the Christian life is not an easy thing to live. Just ask the Apostle Paul! Last week, we learned that Paul was actually under house arrest in Rome when he wrote this letter to the believers in Ephesus. And why was he under house arrest? Because of his preaching of the gospel. This context serves to help us understand the faithfulness of Paul and the fervency of his prayer for the Ephesian believers. Paul is not encouraging them in any direction or towards any action that he himself has not already walked. He prays for them, knowing that walking this Christian life faithfully can only be done by God’s strength and not ours. Paul tells the believers in Ephesus that he kneels in prayer for them. This doesn’t really stand out to us as unique. In the West, we sit and bow our heads in reverence to pray. That is a cultural norm for us. But for Paul and Jews like him, they would have prayed standing. In fact, if you go to the Western Wall in Jerusalem today, you will see Jewish people standing in prayer. So, why does Paul tell them that he is kneeling in prayer? Kneeling was reserved for particularly sacred or significant moments. For Paul to kneel in prayer over them meant he knew the weight of what they were going through and what strength they needed to continue. And what does Paul pray for? He prays that they would be strengthened with power through God’s Spirit, rooted and grounded in love, that they would be able to comprehend the love of Christ, and that they would give God glory. Here we are again, hearing Paul remind us that we are saved from something by God and saved for something by God. The key here is God. He has done the saving, redeeming, sealing, and adopting. He is the one who has reset the trajectory of our lives. And it is he who deserves all of the glory. So, we should give him our everything! Well, yes, but even in a twist of grace, Paul reminds us that even to give God our everything, we need to be strengthened by him. We are in need of God’s help even to glorify God, and he is more than willing to help us! That is why Paul is praying so fervently for these believers and, by extension, us.
See, the question for you and me will always be, how will we remain faithful? Will it be by our own strength and fortitude? And yes, there is a willingness we must exhibit to endure and walk faithfully with Jesus. The kingdom of God is not opposed to effort. However, our own effort isn’t enough. We need God’s help. This is actually a gift of grace. God calls us to faithfulness and gives us the strength to be faithful! And it isn’t like God gives just enough or only so much. He is infinitely greater than us and gives out of his own strength, which never runs out. It is why Paul tells them that God is able to do far more abundantly than we could think or imagine! What a gift of grace! God saves us, reorders our lives, and then gives us the strength to live it all out. How will we remain faithful? Only by God’s strength that makes the Christian life possible.
GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question. When was a time in your life when you needed someone else’s help with something? Or a time when you tried to do something on your own, only to realize that it wasn’t a one-person job?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage(s). It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
Note: Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following questions. [1]
- In times of difficulty, is your heavenly Father the first person you turn to or the last resort when all else fails?
- How have you experienced the Spirit’s power renovating your heart as a home fit for Christ?
- How have these verses encouraged you to pray, and helped you to know what to pray for?
- Wide … long … high … deep … Which aspect of Christ’s love particularly thrills you today?
- Remember pastor Brent’s questions of examen from Inspire Sunday’s Q&A? Consider utilizing them in the evening this week to help you connect with God and be purposefully responsive.
- Where did I see God today?
- Where did I miss God today?
- What do I need from God tomorrow?
[1] Questions 1-4 from: Richard Coekin, Ephesians for You, ed. Carl Laferton, God’s Word for You (The Good Book Company, 2015), 102.