The Power of the Spirit

9th Sermon in the Series: Who is the Church? A Study of Ephesians
Dr. Timothy Keller - 27 November 2011

Ephesians 3:14-21
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge---that you may be filled to the measure of all fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever, Amen.

• The fullness of God is in you as a Christian


• Knowing Christ intellectually vs the experience of Christ in our hearts


• Pascal Fire


• Power of the Spirit gives is the ability to deal with life.


• Spiritual inner sensitivity to the gospel truth.


• Christ's love is more real than all others.

1. Regular sustained seeking through prayer---Jesus make thyself to me a reality


2. Obedience--kneeling and submitting to the authority of the Father.


3. Community--together with all saints.

Deterined meditation---grasping and wrestling for God's love against the inner flaws of our heart.
Abstraction of God needs to be understood through the gospels which is a prism of Jesus' experience on Earth.

We are an collection of sin but purified through Christ. Isaiah 1:18
John 17:1-4

A Foretaste of the Future

8th Sermon in the series: Who is the Church? A Study of Ephesians
Dr. Timothy Keller - 20 November 2011

Ephesians 3: 1-13
1For this reason, I, Paul the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of the Gentiles----2Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3that is, the mystery made known to me by revelations, as I have already written briefly. 4In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. 6This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
7Ibecame a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. 8Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unserachable riches of Christ, 9and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11accroding to his enternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13I ask you therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

• Life is hard and there is suffering all around us.


• The mystery of the Gospels is salvation through the wonder of grace.


• Salvation by adhering to rules doesn't work because we always fall short.


• The final purpose of God is to sum up things in Jesus Christ.


• Every church is riddled with flaws.


• No suffering is for nothing....everything we do counts.


• No suffering can hurt you because we have the freedom to approach God and since that can't be touched, that becomes our treasure in this life.

A New Humanity

6th Sermon in the Series: Who is the Church? A Study of Ephesians?
Dr. Timothy Keller - 06 November 2011

Ephesians 2: 11-18
11Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)-- 12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away and have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostilty, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpse was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

• People look down on others


• Time oriented culture vs event oriented (why certain groups are late)


• Do I feel good about myself by making fun of others?


• People of different races who are brought into Christianity are brought in to a new and common identity.

Alive with Christ

5th Sermon in the Series: Who is the Church? A Study of Ephesians
Dr. Timothy Keller - 30 October 2011

Ephesians 2:1-10
1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in trangressions---it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith---and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God---9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

• Being sinful is to be enslaved by something.


• 2Timothy3 speaks of material things we cling to


• Self-centeredness is human nature.


• Martin Luther - Human heart uses everything to serve oneself.


• Do I help others for my sake or for their sake? Do I just do it to feel good about myself or look good in front of others?


• Everything is a gift from God.


• Boasting-We are all looking for something to face life---some kind of validation for ourselves.


• Anger vs Contentment--Am I always annoyed about something? If I am, then I don't see life as a gift from God


• Disdain vs Acceptance--Do I look down on others? Am I too proud of my accomplishments?


• Can I forgive? Do I keep grudges when I'm wronged because I feel superior. I shouldn't lose sleep over people that snub me.


• Only God should be at the center of our lives.


• Look at Christ's selflessness


• We should boast through him - Galatians 6:14