Sermons on Transformation
Three Needs of the Church
In Ephesians 3:14-19 we see Paul petitioning the Lord on behalf of the Church. He first asks that the Church be strengthened. This tells us that we need to be strengthened spiritually. We are naturally weak, but Paul is not confused about where the source of strength comes from for the Christian. It comes through the Spirit of the living God. The purpose of this strengthening is so that Christ would further dwell in our hearts. The more Christ dwells in our hearts the more we will love God and others. He then asks that the Lord would cause the saints to know the love of God. God’s love is beyond human comprehension and it takes a work of God for us to grasp and experience it. But when we do – we are transformed by it. This leads to Paul’s final petition that the Church be filled with the fullness of God. In essence, that the Church would be mature like Christ. That’s the end goal of His prayer and should be our goal as Christians. However, it takes the supernatural strength of God to bring this about. So let’s pray to that end!