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What Is the Church? (Ephesians series)
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When you're in the business of preaching often, I tend to get asked one question quite a lot: How do you get your inspiration? Outside of the Bible, obviously — that's a given — but how do you come up with what to say? If you've got 20 minutes to say something, what do you say?
The idea behind today's message actually stems from an email I received a number of weeks ago, when a picture was given to me. At the time it sort of made sense — actually, it made a lot of sense. But only as I journeyed with that picture did it really begin to make sense.
Because it's always important to recognise the context around a picture. If someone gives you a picture, or you've had a thought, you always need to understand the context around it.
For example, one of my favourite photos on my phone is from the exact moment I was elbowed awake to the words, "Are you ready to be a dad?" My wife had just gone into labour with our first child, and this was the moment I knew: it's happening. He is coming.
Pictures and words need to be placed in the context they were meant for, in order to make sense.
As a church, we've been exploring for the last few weeks Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus — Ephesians — asking the question: What is the church? According to Paul — actually, no — according to Jesus, what is the church?
"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now 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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen."
Jesus, you have spoken. Lord, enable us to understand. Reveal yourself afresh to us this day. Amen.
I'd love to speak to the title God's impractical choice.
You may be wondering which glass I'm going to drink from — there seems to be an ordinary glass, and this thing. I grew up in Liverpool; I didn't know these glasses existed until I received that email four weeks ago. This is a coupe glass — the kind you'd use to celebrate with champagne or cocktails. Quite an elegant glass. And I thought: if we are created as God's masterpiece, why can't I indulge myself and drink from a glass like this as I preach at HTB this morning?
See, God often chooses the impractical choice. Or, put another way, God often doesn't seem to choose the obvious.
God often chooses those who are not necessarily ordinary to display his goodness.
Throughout human history, the church is often on both sides of the equation. Often a force for good, but sometimes a force for evil. Sometimes we look back and lament, What was the church doing? Other times we praise God and say how incredible it was that the church was the vessel to bring about that change.
And still God chooses to constantly use his church to display his glory. To make it local: for whatever reason, God has chosen HTB to reach London the way we do. Why? Who knows? And yet God is clearly doing something through everybody here, everyone online, and everyone part of HTB — to bless this city and make Jesus known.
As we heard Paul's remarkable prayer, I genuinely believe that we are an answer to his prayer.
The first reason Paul prays is his immediate surroundings. In verse 13, just before our reading, Paul says, "I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are for your glory."
Ephesians is a letter written by Paul in prison — imprisoned for one reason: because he is following Jesus. Paul is experiencing the reality of what it means to follow Jesus: that life won't be easy, that there will be storms, that there will be obstacles to overcome.
In a first-century prison, Paul would have known the only way he'd live was to receive care packages from the outside — people sending food to keep him going. But Paul knew a deeper truth: the only way he'd survive this trial was strength from within, a strength given only by God.
And yet, knowing this is true for himself, Paul still finds himself praying for the church — that they may have strength in their inner being. He'd heard reports that the church in Ephesus were going through a tricky moment as a community. So he prays that the same Spirit in him — the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead — would indwell every single person in that community.
This is why I love HTB: nothing happens without prayer.
Did you know that every Tuesday in this room, hundreds of people who work for HTB Group gather to pray for you? Every time there's an Alpha group here at Brompton Road, people are praying downstairs beforehand. And before a service like this, there's always a pre-service prayer meeting.
Why? Because we know nothing is possible without God. The strength we need to continue the race God has marked out for us cannot be sustained except by the strength that only comes from God.
In Acts 19, we read of Paul's first encounter with this church. He meets them and asks, "Have you been baptised in the Spirit?" And they basically say, "What's that? We're Jesus-followers, but what does it mean to be baptised in the Spirit?" Paul lays hands, the Spirit falls, and they are empowered and filled to the measure with the Spirit of God.
Then it says this:
"God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to those who were ill, and their illnesses were cured." (Acts 19:11–12)
Even a handkerchief touched by the Apostle Paul was healing people. So when Paul prays for strength and hope, these are not empty, wishful remarks. He's not saying a Christianese "I hope tomorrow will be better for you." No — he knows tomorrow will be better, because he knows that if God begins a good work, he will see it through to completion.
You may find yourself here today going through one of those storms of life. But that which God has started in you, he will see to completion. We know a God whose word does not return void. When he says yes, the angels respond, "Amen." If God begins something, no enemy, no strategy from hell will ever thwart the will of God. And if God has chosen to use his church, he will continue to use his church.
As Paul prays, he begins to praise. Here we see one of the most remarkable verses in all of Scripture:
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." (Ephesians 3:20)
When I hear that verse, I try to imagine what it might be like. Paul is clear — it's beyond your imagination — and yet I find myself trying to picture what these immeasurably more things might be. What would it feel like to experience God's immeasurably more?
But can I suggest something this morning? You are the immeasurably more.
See, anytime Paul wrote to the church and wrote his own name, Paul, he would have paused and reminded himself he was once known by a different name: Saul. In Acts 9, we meet Saul on his way to persecute and murder the church. On that road, Jesus encounters him: "Saul, why do you persecute me?" Paul is blinded by light and then commissioned to be the apostle to the Gentiles — the leader of all those who don't yet know the love of God, who are outside the people of God.
He's commissioned to reach those far outside his vicinity — almost like those at the 11:30 at Brompton Road on one of the hottest days ever! As I look out on this room, I can't help but think Paul would never have imagined that this was the answer to that prayer — that this is the community reached in London.
One of my rhythms is that I cycle into work, and that's when I catch up on Sunday's talk — often on a Tuesday or a Wednesday. And can I assure you: if you're listening to this on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, you are listening to it exactly when you were meant to hear it. You are the immeasurably more, beyond the imagination of Paul.
He knew God would use his church. That's why, when we gather, we sometimes celebrate communion together — to remember what Jesus has done, to remind ourselves that the cross stands above all human history. It is the first, the beginning, and the last word. This is why Paul praises.
Verse 20 doesn't happen unless verse 19 happens:
"…that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:19)
Paul is asking the church to be full — to be Spirit-filled, equipped to display God's goodness.
Let's rewind four weeks. It's 2 a.m., and my wife and I are going through one of the hardest periods we've had as a family for a long time. I found myself waking at 2 a.m. and praying — well, praying is a nice way of saying it. I was angry. I was almost shouting, trying not to wake my wife and children. I was asking God, "Where are you? Why is this happening to us? What have we done to deserve this? Can you show me that you actually see me?" Then I went back to sleep.
I woke the next morning and thought, maybe I was just too tired. Then — ping — my phone goes. It's a lady over at Courtfield Gardens. She emailed to say:
"Jack, I was woken up at 2 a.m. You were on my mind, so I prayed for you. As I prayed, I had the image of a coupe glass filled to the measure. And I was reminded of Psalm 23, where it speaks of David being anointed and his cup overflowing."
And then it dawned on me: the only way we can tell right now that this glass is filled to the measure is if I move it — because it overflows.
When Paul speaks of the church being filled to the measure of the Spirit, he isn't praying that the church is static — that it simply receives nice feelings about God. No — he wants the church to move, for then it will overflow. Then the Spirit will overflow.
That's why we don't just gather in one space on a Sunday and call that church. Church is wherever you are tomorrow at this time. And on Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday — you get the gist. Wherever you are, there is the church.
You might say, "But Jack, the jug only has a limited amount of water. If you keep shaking and pouring, we'll run out." But I'm reminded that the God we believe in — his well never runs dry. He constantly outpours his blessing on his church.
For whatever reason, beyond our imagination, God chooses to use people like you and me to display his glory. We can't explain it, and yet we know that as we are filled and as we move, we begin to see the overflowing of Psalm 23. The church isn't called to be a people who stop, static, just receiving the love of God. The church is called to go out to all nations to declare that Christ is Lord and Christ is love. And the one who has filled me will fill you — not just in the past, not just in the future, but today.
God's impractical choice often reveals his glory — the choice that isn't the normal choice. The Scouser who stands before you today to preach at HTB in London: it's not an ordinary choice. And yet, here I am.
When you're in your office tomorrow, at home, in the park, or wherever you find yourself, God has chosen you to be there — to overflow his love to those you meet. For God's impractical choice of the church is the answer to Paul's prayer of the immeasurably more.
What would it look like if HTB became a vessel for more and more people realising that God loves them, that the Spirit will fill them, and that his love will overflow to the ends of the earth?
In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
