Where Abundance Begins and Ends

Pastor Mitch Coggin July 28, 2024 Pentecost

Imagine a sermon in the form of a prayer. Elizabeth read Paul’s prayer written to the new congregation in Ephesus. Paul knows that he cannot provide what they would need to get through the struggles they would face. Paul knows all too well that being the church is not a self-help project. He knew the church must rely upon God, not on their own efforts.

This prayer follows closely Paul’s description of his ministry to the Gentiles. The church at Ephesus was made up of both Jews and Gentiles. According to one commentator the church is a holy experiment in reconciliation.The Jewish people brought their own faith traditions that they thought gave them a leg up on the Gentiles. For example, the Jewish Christians thought the Gentiles should be circumcised as a prerequisite to becoming a Christian. That does not guarantee that they or anyone, for that matter, were always near to God. Just because we may attend worship, sing songs of faith, and listen to the sermon does not necessarily mean we have a deeper life of faith.

Paul begins his prayer, “For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father.” So what’s the reason? What’s at the core of his prayer? The passage comes in light of the many divisions in the church at Ephesus. In chapter 2, Paul talks about the dividing wall of hostility being broken down. He was referring to the wall in the temple that divided the Jews from the Gentiles and kept people apart as they tried to worship God. The scriptures say that the veil of the temple divided the holy place where only the high priest was allowed once a year on behalf of all the people. When Jesus died, the veil was torn in half. Now anyone can pray their own prayers of forgiveness directly to God. I remember my seminary professor saying that you can’t believe in the torn veil, if you don’t believe that the dividing walls of hostility and division are demolished. God’s love includes everyone.

The powerful image of the dividing wall of hostility being broken down also refers to the hostilities and divisions in the church today. We reconstruct divisions in spite of our best intentions. Instead of Jews and Gentiles, we have divisions between warring factions, between right and left, orthodox and progressive, mainline and evangelical. We fall into habitual battles on any issue when we believe our side is right in the hopes that our side will triumph. Paul’s reason for this prayer is that the church would be rooted and grounded in love instead of being rooted and grounded in their own judgements. This is a prayer for Ephesus, or any church is at risk of failure because of their divisions.

Paul stressed that when we come together in unity; we are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God. Paul used a rare Greek word that denotes this coming together. “Family” is not ordinarily used in this context, but Paul writes: “For whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.”

In the opening chapter of Ephesians, Paul states that his purpose in writing is so that “the eyes of their heart would be enlightened.” Paul prays the church will be strengthened in their inner being. Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase in The Message captures what this means when it says, “that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite Him in.” In other words, in their heart they would be rooted and grounded in love. Love is our first response rather than our differences. So, at their very core they would be made stronger. Again, it is what is at the core of our heart that matters.

Paul’s prayer is that the church will be strengthened and know the love of Christ that is beyond our understanding. Is this church’s divisions at the core of their being? Do those define who they were or who we are?

Session has been meeting several weeks to clarify our purpose as the people at St. Andrews. In the most recent meeting, the elders named what they believe best defines our purpose for being. They identified the four core values: spiritual formation and growth, music and worship, mission and outreach, and community support. The elders are going to look at what this means to us by talking to others, exploring, studying and praying to discern how these will define our future ministry.

Paul’s prayer continues, “I pray that you will have the power to comprehend with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love that surpasses knowledge.” In other words, to know a love that is beyond knowing.

Remember, our divisions are not from a position of strength but perpetuate the inadequacies of others and our feelings of superiority. We do not define or create the church alone. Paul reminds us that while whatever we do may seem inadequate,there is a power beyond what we are doing because we are being built together spiritually as a dwelling place for God.

How fitting that our passage ends with a doxology. “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, Amen.”

I’d like us to end by reading again, our call to worship responsively: God comes with hands filled with grace;
God offers justice like a neighbour bringing flowers from their garden.
For this reason, we come to worship our God.
Jesus comes to hold up those whose legs wobble;
Jesus picks up all who stumble over their faith.
For this reason, we come to follow Jesus.
The Holy Spirit comes, as close as every breath we take;
the Spirit makes clear God’s hopes for us.
For this reason, we come to learn from the Spirit.
We come to this place with our struggles and leave with new hope.

SUNDAY READINGS

1^st Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-21

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

1^st Scripture: John 6:1-21

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.” When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.