Series: Ephesians
Title: Power of His Exaltation
Text: Ephesians 1: 19-23
Date: June 23, 2013
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Today, we will look again at
“the exceeding greatness of God’s power to usward who believe.” The apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesian
believers that God might enlighten the eyes of their understanding that they
might know more…
Ephesians 1: 19…what is the exceeding greatness of his
power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he
raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the
heavenly places, 21 Far above all
principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named,
not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his
feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him
that filleth all in all.
Our text uses the strongest
words possible to declare the power God worked to raise Christ from the dead. “The
exceeding greatness of his power.” It
means the super-excellent, super-excelling, super-surpassing, super-abounding,
super-triumphing greatness of his power.
“According to the working of his mighty power.” It literally means “The effectual working of
the might of his strength:” God’s power is irresistible and effectual. Our text declares the same exceeding
greatness of power was mightily worked to usward who believe as was worked when
he raised Christ and gave him glory.
Last time, we focused on the
act of raising Christ itself. It was the exceeding greatness of the power of
God’s justice, faithfulness, grace and love that raised Christ from the dead. This
power was worked to usward who believe because every elect child was raised in
Christ when he was raised—justice-satisfied demanded it, God’s faithfulness
demanded it, and God’s grace and love to usward who believe demanded it.
Today, our subject will be: Power of His Exaltation
Proposition: The exceeding greatness of power which
God worked when he raised Christ from the dead and exalted him to glory was
exceeding great power to usward who believe because he made Jesus both Lord and
Christ--Head over all things to the church.
Divisions: 1) Christ’s exaltation and power as Lord
over all 2) Christ’s exaltation and power as Head-Lord and Savior-over his
church; 3) The power worked toward his church as Lord and Savior.
I. CHRIST’S EXALTATION AND POWER AS LORD OVER ALL—God
the Father exalted Jesus of Nazareth when he—V20…raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the
heavenly places, 21: Far above all principality, and power, and might, and
dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in
that which is to come: 22: and hath put all things under his feet.
He is Lord Over All
It means Jesus, the GodMan,
is Lord. He came down as God the Son, he
returned as the GodMan. This one who is both God and Man in one body is Lord
over all. God the Father is so pleased
with his Son and the work his Son finished on earth, that the Father exalted
his Son “far above all.”
Jesus is Lord over “all
principalities.” It means Christ Jesus
is Lord over every form of government in heaven and in earth. The Lord Jesus is over “all power, over all
might, over all dominion.” It means anyone
in heaven or earth, visible or invisible, who has power: good angels and bad
angels, all earthly civil magistrates, even the devil himself either receives their
power from him or can only do what he allows them to do, all are ruled by him, all
are accountable to him, and all are set up and put down by him at his pleasure.
The Lord Jesus is “over
every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to
come.” This expresses the extensiveness of Christ’s kingdom: of his glory and
power. It extends to both worlds—heaven and earth. Also, it expresses the eternality of our
Savior’s rule as Lord—his rule as Lord is “not only in this world, but also in
that which is to come.”
Application: Do you see how the power worked toward
him, when the Father exalted him to this resurrection glory was power worked
toward usward who believe? Brethren, it is comforting knowing God is absolutely
sovereign to rule all things for the good of his people. But even more comforting knowing this is he
who loved us and gave his life for us. He
is not only God but Man like we—he knows the feeling of our infirmities. Our Lord and Savior has authority and power to
dispose and subdue all things, to work his sovereign will effectually, FOR US
HIS PEOPLE, without any hindrance from any powers that be, visible or
invisible. Oh, what a comfort!
II. NOW LET’S SEE JESUS EXALTATION AND POWER AS HEAD OF HIS CHURCH—V22:
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all
things to the church, 23: Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth
all in all.
Head Over All Things to the Church
God the Father put all
things under his feet and gave his Son to be, v22, “Head over all things to the
church.”
Christ being Head over the church includes two things. One,
it means Christ is Lord—he has the rule over us, and within us, who are called,
like a Husband has the rule over his wife. Two, it means Christ is the Savior of his
body, his church.
Ephesians
5:23: For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of
the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Application: Wives, the reason God charges you to be
in subjection to your husbands in everything is because it glorifies the
churches subjection to Christ our Husband our Head--“Therefore as the church is
subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.”
(Eph 5: 24) Likewise, husbands, the reason God charges us to love our wives “EVEN
as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” is because it
glorifies Christ the Husband—the Head—of his church—there is no better motive
for wives and husbands than this!
So we see Christ as our Head
means he is Lord and Savior of his church.
III. LASTLY, LET’S SEE THE POWER OUR HEAD WORKS TOWARD HIS CHURCH
AS LORD AND SAVIOR.
The Fullness of Him
First, notice, v23 says the
church, is “his body, the fullness of him.” Every elect child was chosen of God to
make up the fullness of Christ body, the fullness of him.
Ephesians
5:30: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones…32: This
is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Yet, we were dead in sins
and some are still dead in sins. So since each child in particular is the
fullness of him, each one must be quickened (created) and called to faith in
Christ so that we be united to his body so that Christ’s body might be full.
Get hold of that—it is great assurance for
us who believe! Each redeemed child shall be quickened and kept because if just
one is lost, Christ’s body will not be complete—his body is the fullness of
him.
He Fills All in All
Also, notice verse 23 says it
is Christ that “filleth all in all.” Be sure to get this—this point is
extremely important—part of Christ’s Mediatorial work is the work he is doing
now that he has risen into his exaltation glory.
Now, he has finished the work the Father gave him to do on this
earth.
·
He
is our Wisdom: “by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many for he
shall bear their iniquities.” (Is 53: 11) He finished that work!
·
He
is our Righteousness: “he hath made him sin for us, who knew no sin that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor 5: 21) He finished the first part
of that work on this earth.
·
He
is our Sanctification—“By one offering he hath perfected forever them that are
sanctified.” (Heb 10: 14) He finished that work.
·
He
is our Redemption—“ by
his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, he hath obtained eternal
redemption for us.” (Heb 9: 12) He finished that work.
But it is also our Head’s
exaltation glory, promised and given him of the Father, to minister to his
church the grace and spiritual gifts which he has procured for us by his death,
burial and resurrection. [Not at the exclusion of the Father and the Spirit—but
together with each person in the trinity.]
This is why God the Father “hath put all things under his feet, and gave
him to be the head over all things to the church.” It is our Lord and Savior’s resurrection
glory to fill all in all.
So what all does the Lord Jesus Christ fill?—he “filleth all in
all.”
·
He fulfills all the scriptures which speak of Christ’s
resurrection work in this gospel age.
·
He fills all his pulpits sending his preachers
·
He fills all his saints with life and faith.
·
And by calling each child into his body, he fills his body with
all fullness.
First, he fulfills all the
scriptures which speak of Christ’s resurrection work in this gospel age, one of
which is to fill his pulpits with his preachers. For instance:
Jeremiah
3: 15: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed
you with knowledge and understanding.
Do we dare deny Christ’s
power to fulfill his word, his scriptures?
It is Christ’s glory to fill all in all and scripture says he does.
Ephesians 4: 8: Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led
captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men…(…10: He that descended is the same also
that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11: And
he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,
pastors and teachers;
Paul said, "If Christ
be not risen, then is our preaching vain and our faith vain; ye are yet in your
sins; then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." (1
Cor. 15:14-18.) Our preaching would be vain, not only because it would mean we have
no Savior in glory, but also because we would have no Sovereign Prophet to make
the work effectual in the hearts of those to whom we preach.
But it is the Power of our
Lord and Savior to give his preachers the message, to keep us, and to fill his
lost sheep with life. He, himself, based our confidence on his power.
Matthew
28: 18: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth. 19: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20: Teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with
you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
So we see he fills his
pulpits.
Also, Christ fills all his
saints—as Paul puts it, in
Philippians
1: 11:…being filled with fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ,
unto the glory and praise of God.
He fills us with the Holy
Spirit by whom we are regenerated and brought to newness of life. He fills us
with faith, repentance, love, joy, perseverance, etc. In the Old Testament
scriptures he himself said that he would do this.
Zechariah 12: 10: And I will pour upon the house of David, and
upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and
they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him,
as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for
him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn…13: 1: In that day
there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.
On the day of Pentecost,
when 3000 were quickened and converted, Peter declared it was done because it is
written by Joel and also by David. Then Peter said of David,
Acts
2: 30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to
him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would RAISE UP
CHRIST to sit on his throne; 31: He SEEING THIS before spake of the
RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh
did see corruption. 32: This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are
witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the right hand of God EXALTED, and having
received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, HE HATH shed forth this,
which ye now see and hear. 34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but
he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35
Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel
know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,
both Lord and Christ.
Understand also: Christ did this work in the
Old Testament age. But the reason we see so many quickened
and converted from the start of this gospel age, when before there were fewer,
is because now Christ is raised and exalted to this great glory.
Application: Do you see his power to us? Because
Jesus is Lord and Savior with all power it is certain that each lost sheep shall
be regenerated and converted effectually by his mighty power.
John
5: 21: For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the
Son quickeneth whom he will. 22: For the Father judgeth no man, but hath
committed all judgment unto the Son: 23: That all men should honour the Son,
even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the
Father which hath sent him. 24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth
my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall
not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
He quickens “whom he will.”
Who does Christ will to quicken? He said
in
John
17: 24: Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me be with me where
I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovest
me from the foundation of the world….26: And I have declared unto them thy
name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in
them, and I in them.
All the elect of God
therefore shall be quickened because it is Christ’s will. His will can never be frustrated because the
Father has given him all power to be Head over all things to the church,that he
might fill all in all. If one is lost he fails in his exaltation work. “He shall not fail nor be discouraged till he
hath set judgment in the earth, and the isles shall wait for his law.” (Is 42:
4)
He Shall Lose None of His Members
So how long will our Head—our
Lord and Savior—keep working this mighty power?
Scripture answers that in Ephesians 4. After Paul declared that Christ
sends forth his preachers, he also declares it is for this reason AND til this
certain thing happens:
Ephesians
4: 12: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying
of the body of Christ: 13: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fulness of Christ:
Illustration: Remember his church is “his body, the
fullness of him”. Picture a head. Then add
an arm, then a hand, then fingers, then legs, feet, so on. As each member is added the body becomes
closer to being a full body. When all the members are added the body connected
to the head make up a perfect man.
So Christ shall continue sending
his preachers till every last child—member—is added to his body. When the last
member is joined Christ’s body will be—“a perfect man, the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ.”
Application: Brethren, do you see how that God
worked exceeding great power to usward who believe when he made Jesus both Lord
and Christ and gave him all this power and glory over all things? The good news in this for us is that it means
not anything nor anyone can stop Christ from bringing his lost child under the
sound of the gospel, nor can any prevent Christ from quickening and converting
his child through the Holy Spirit by the gospel, nor from keeping us until we
awake in his likeness.
“The
pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hands.” (Is 53: 10)
I pray he will reveal it
more fully to each one of us. Our Lord and Savior really has all power over all
things. He is the Head over his church in all things. He is in our midst and in each of his
children and he is able to rule and govern our brethren through his gospel—and
his whole church—like he did when he walked this earth.
We need to understand this more
because the majority in our day are doing what the scripture said they would do,
“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:” (2 Tim 3: 5) When he brings men to behold Christ, the
Power and Wisdom of God, he becomes Lord, as well as Savior, and it stops the
nonsense that goes on in churches today, first and foremost with preachers trying
to lord over God’s heritage. Instead,
his preachers preach his Power as fully and unapologetically as Christ our Head
will enable us.
When Paul encouraged the brethren
at Philippi to humble themselves and to love and esteem their brethren better
than themselves, he spoke of Christ’s humility, then of this great exaltation
glory. Then he said,
Philippians
2: 12: Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence
only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation [daily
affairs] with fear and trembling. 13: For it is God which worketh in you both
to will and to do of his good pleasure. 14: Do all things without murmurings
and disputings: 15: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God,
without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye
shine as lights in the world; 16: Holding forth the word of life;
So when we have an erring
brother, instead of thinking ourselves something when we are not: we take him to
our sovereign Head in prayer, we encourage him to continue hearing Christ word preached
in the gospel and we wait on our Head to work the needed correction in our
brother. And if he goes on in obstinacy
and leaves us—we bow to our Sovereign Lord and Savior. We do so because he has power to subdue all
things to himself.
Philippians
3:15: Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any
thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you…21:…according
to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Amen!