Ephesians Series Week #21 The Prayer Put into Action Ephesians 3: /14/2013

Transcription

1 Ephesians Series Week #21 The Prayer Put into Action Ephesians 3: /14/2013 I. Introduction an review A. Up to now we have been learning how to make the components 1. First we learned the recipe for the caramel sauce 2. Second we learned how to make the ice cream 3. And the last time together we learned to prepare the cones, wrapping them around the stainless steel cone 4. Today we eat B. Consider once again the prayer in Eph. 3: What is the primary request of Paul s prayer [that we be strengthened] 2. For what purpose does Paul request that a. So that we can experience: b. The presence of our Lord c. The understanding and knowing of His love d. And being filled with the fullness of God 3. What is the result of that experience a. Things we cannot fathom [3:20] b. Notice the tie in to the power c. And you experiencing these things brings glory to God the Father (1) through His Son Page 1 of 9

2 (2) and His church C. In order for us to experience these things, there must be a portal, a means of entrance 1. That portal is meditation 2. Meditation is spoken of throughout the Holy Scriptures 3. But first we should be reminded of what its not a. It is not eastern meditation b. It is not transindental meditation c. It is not emptying yourself of everything d. It is not becomeing one with everything e. Those are all Satan s counterfeits f. And they are very dangerous II. What is meditation A. Its not Bible study, and yet it incorporates Bible study techniques and goals B. Its not prayer, but it involves communication with God together with communion with Him C. Its in between these two, it incorporates both but is neither D. Most of us miss it completely, our quiet time is spent in Bible study or devotions and then we go to prayer, but no meditation E. It is hard work but very rewarding III. Meditation has been described as treating passages of Scripture as a love letter A. What is he saying, what does he mean, why did he say it that way, why didn t he say this, why won t he say that Page 2 of 9

3 B. Meditation is a way to use the Scripture as a means to see God, and by seeing Him, enter into His presence C. Meditation works best when the passage is memorized 1. David speaks of doing most of his meditation while lying on his bed at night 2. Did David keep a scroll by his bed? IV. Understanding meditation A. In a simple way of looking at it, is taking the truth that we have learned and stored in our head, and praying it down into our soul until it catches fire, thereby branding our hearts with its message and its meaning B. [three slides] C. Augustine put it this way: the assent of the soul into God D. Consider the description of meditation by John Owens, a Puritan minister [Slide] E. According to Augustine, there are three parts to meditation 1. The first is retentio a. retentio means the distillation of the truths of Scripture and holding them centrally in the mind. b. This means study and concentration on a passage of Scripture to simply understand it, so you see its thrust. c. Retentio is thus learning everything that a passage says. 2. Contemplatio survey, contemplation. a. contemplatio means gazing at God through this truth b. the purpose of contemplatio is to move from a kind of objective Page 3 of 9

4 analytical view of things to a personal dealing with God as He is. c. It is to deal with God directly, to stretch every nerve to turn this "knowing about" into real knowing--to move from knowing a fact about him to actually "seeing" him with the eyes of our heart d. It is one thing to study a piece of music and another to play it. e. Its one thing to be told how to ride a bike and then to watch someone else do it, but its is an entirely different experience to personally learn how to ride a bike 3. Dilectio means delighting and relishing the God you are looking at. a. You begin to actually praise and confess and aspire toward Him on the basis of the digested and meditated truth. b. If you have moved from learning, to personal meditation, then, depending on your spiritual sharpness, the circumstances of your life at that time, and God's sovereign Spirit, you begin to experience him. c. Sometimes it is mild, sometimes strong, and sometimes you are very dry. d. But whenever you are meditating ("contemplatio") and you suddenly find new ideas coming to you and flowing in, then write them down and move to direct praising and confessing and delighting. That is (as Luther would say) the "Holy Spirit preaching to you". V. How to meditate Page 4 of 9

5 A. A simple way to meditate is to emphasize each word or phrase and seek to learn its meaning or purpose 1. Consider Matthew 4:19 And He said to them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. a. Follow to do what Jesus did b. Me not a set of rules or regulations but a person, the son of God c. I will it is a promise, a statement that we can rely on d. Make that is a process e. Fishers one who casts the net B. More in depth methodology is what we need to learn 1. Target a passage: [Eph. 3:13-21] a. Pray over the question of what passage to select b. Ask God to show you what to meditate on c. Ask for advice and recommendations from spiritually mature believers 2. Memorize the passage a. Its availability helps promote intimate knowledge of the passage 3. With longer passages you need to learn how to create a summary outline to understand its meaning [e.g. Eph. 3:14-21] 4. Consider Eph. 3:14-21 a. Paul his praying for us b. he is concerned we will lose heart c. what are these apparent contradictions about Page 5 of 9

6 5. Why would that be important to know? a. when we understand dwelling with us, we understand presence b. when we understand Christ s love, we can learn that love must be experienced c. that leads us to learn how to understand being filled and fulness 6. Learn what the words mean a. Meanings: (1) dwell (2) comprehend (3) know 7. Ask questions a. Write them down b. Seek answers c. Ask God to tell you 8. Pray over application considerations: a. what does this tell me about God; what does it reveal about Him? b. how can I praise Him for and through this? c. how can I humble myself before Him for and through this? d. if He is really like this or wants this, what difference does this particular truth make in how I live today? e. what wrong behavior, harmful emotions, false attitudes result in me when I forget He is like this? f. how would my neighborhood, my family, my church, be different Page 6 of 9

7 if they saw this in me? g. does my life demonstrate that I am remembering and acting out of this concept? h. Lord, what are you trying to tell me about You, and why do You want me to know it now? VI. Review of the process A. First comes retention 1. Memorize 2. Outline 3. Learn background and context 4. Learn words and their meaning 5. Determine how they fit together 6. Ask questions 7. Find out the answers 8. Consider all unanswered questions and pray over them B. Then comes contemplation mixed with prayer 1. Remember the letter written by Jonathon Edwards a. One day I rode out in to the woods for my health in 1737, and having alighted from my horse in a retired place, as my manner commonly had been to walk for divine contemplation and prayer, 2. How do you do this a. We take the truth and pray through it and over it (1) This is when God starts to really respond Page 7 of 9

8 (2) Sometimes He leads us to meanings (3) Sometimes He gives us understanding (4) Sometimes He lets us see Him and His message b. Questions to use: (1) What does this tell me about God; what does it reveal about Him? (2) How can I praise Him for and through this? (3) How can I humble myself before Him for and through this? (4) If He is really like this, what difference does this particular truth make to how I live today? (5) What wrong behavior, harmful emotions, false attitudes result in me when I forget He is like this? (6) How would my neighborhood, my family, my church, be different if they saw it work deeply? (7) Does my life demonstrate that I am remembering and acting out of this? (8) Lord, what are you trying to tell me about You, and why do You want me to know it now, today? 3. Ask to enter His presence and to gain understanding C. Finally there is delighting in His presence 1. Consider: a. Psa. 37:4-5 (1) delight a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment; joy; Page 8 of 9

9 rapture b. The delight of Christmas morning (1) why do it, because of how much I loved those boys and to see them enjoy Christmas c. Gal. 4:4-7 (1) the Father s love for His child Page 9 of 9