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­­­­LSB  Ephesians 1:15-23

15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the full knowledge of Him, 18 so that you—the eyes of your heart having been enlightened—will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of the might of His strength, 20 which He worked in Christ, by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

I've been watching You Tube's about Los Angeles.  They're called Lost LA.  Which is weird because when I was a young man my goal in life was to be somewhere far far away from Los Angeles, which I achieved.  Nor do I have any desire to return.  This is my speed, right here.  4 seasons.  Few people.

But one of the half hour episodes was about the observatory at Mount Wilson, above Los Angeles.  And 100 years ago, Edwin Hubble, using the world's largest telescope at that time, discovered that there are other galaxies beyond our galaxy, the milky way.  Millions of them, it turns out.  

Earth isn't even a speck of beach sand in an ocean of sand particles.  Infinitesimally small in comparison to all the bodies in space.  The utter vastness of it boggles our minds and shakes our faith at it's roots.  

But it needn't.  Because nearly 2000 years ago the apostle Paul wrote words, inspired by the Spirit of God, revelation from God, to us, about every created thing, and the source of all of it, and the ruler of all creation.

God stepped into time and space, and through His servant Paul, tells us who it is who both created everything that exists, seen and unseen, but also who rules over all of it supremely.

Throughout the centuries those words have given men a proportional reference.  Big, bigger, biggest.  Even in ignorance, men understood the proportionality of what their senses could discover.  Plants and trees are here.  Animals are here.  Man is here.  The vast heavens are above.  And God rules over all of it.  All of it is His.

But science has expanded the understanding of the vastness of God in a couple of ways.  Edwin Hubble was just a pioneer scratching the surface.  Within a very few years of his discovery, his telescope on mount Wilson was rendered obsolete by the light polution of Los Angeles.  

Now we have the Hubble Telescope, in space, that can see far beyond anything would be able to even in the best conditions in our atmosphere.  We've learned that the skies are vast beyond our comprehension.  

And the same technology that allowed us to see far things also looked deeper and deeper into small things.  The building blocks of creation have been revealed to us by science.  DNA.  Do you understand that your DNA is made up of symbols that if put together in a unique word would wrap itself around the earth about 3 times, and each word that makes up human DNA is unique to that human.

So then, God, who spoke the limitless universes into existence, also spoke a unique DNA word for every human who has ever lived.  Almost as limitless, or perhaps moreso, than the universes.

Science has not made God unbelievable, it has revealed the immeasurable vastness of His intelligence and made us more guilty than we ever were in our ignorance, if we reject our Creator.

Psalm 50 indicts us in our ignorance;  Verse 21
These things you have done and I kept silent;
You thought that I was just like you;
I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.
 
We thought God was just like us.  That's less of a sin in ignorance.  It's a mis-understanding.  We didn't understand the gap between our given created intelligence and His Creative intelligence.  Ignorance made us less guilty.  I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes

Those who stand before God, having rejected Him, after the revelations of the depth of His intelligence that modern science has uncovered, are guiltier than those who knew less.  He has stated His case before our eyes.  DNA is impossible without the intelligence that designed it.  Countless vastness of universes beyond our milky way boggle our finite minds and cause us to fall on our faces before Him who created things we have no capacity to understand.

Paul, in his prayer on behalf of the christians at Ephesus, and by extension, his prayer for us too, speaks, in an economy of words that is still beyond our finite minds, of the power of Jesus.  Infinite power, that is for us, and not against us.

Trust me when I say, you want the infinite God to be for you, and not against you.  And Paul, in his prayer, in vs. 19, prays for us that we would understand with the regenerated eyes of our souls, the power that is for us.  Working for us, not against us.  

19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe

You'll recall from last week, because I know you were all listening and writing down notes, you recall that Paul prays for our regenerated, born again eyes to understand 3 things.

18 so that you—the eyes of your heart having been enlightened—will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe

Paul prays that we would have an expanded understanding of Hope, Riches of our inheritance, and God's Power toward us.  Those are the things Paul wants us to begin to understand, now that we belong to Christ and our sins and trespasses have been removed and paid for.  Hope, Riches, Power.

But when Paul mentions power, it's like he just opened up a horn of plenty and everything inside just spills out.  As soon as he speaks of power, power in a positive way, power toward us, power that works for our benefit, he just boils over and he can't seem to end the sentence.  

It's almost as if he says, Power, let me tell you about the depths and vastness of the power, toward us, for our benefit, that we just fell into.  Fasten your seat belts.  The afterburners are kicking in!

I stopped mid verse last week, mid sentence in vs. 19, on purpose, because that's the point where Paul shifts gears and we're rocketing into a whole different realm here.  Power??  Let me tell you about POWER!!!  

19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of the might of His strength, 20 which He worked in Christ,

In that verse, Paul exhausts the greek language of every possible word to describe power.  Four different greek words to try to fill out the limitless power of Christ, towards us.  

And to the credit of our translators, they've also tried to help us by using four different words that define every aspect of power.

19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of the might of His strength, 20 which He worked in Christ,

Power, working, might, and strength, are all descriptors of the power of Christ.  Let's take a quick look at the greek words here, just to unpack what Paul was trying to get across to these folks about Christ's power.

Power is from the greek word dunamis.  We get our word dynamite.  I feel like the father in that rediculous movie about the greek wedding that's always telling the kids that the greeks invented language and all words return to being greek.  Actually partially true in ways.  dunamis.  dynamite.  And the word to the original hearers meant strength beyond any human strength.  Miraculous power.

And even the greek word used first here, about power, has modifiers that increase it, make it even larger than regular dynamite miraculous powers.

This is hyperballon, megathos, dunamis.  Hyperbole.  Surpassing power.  Megathon.  Surpassing mega miraculous superhuman power.

You understand that all the super hero's action figures from three quarters of a century of super hero's is actually a Satanic psuedo replacement for the actual super mega dynamite power of one person that is actual.  Real.

All the super hero nonsense only cheapens the actual Hyperballon megathos dunamis person who is real, and who is on our side, working for our good with all of that super powers.

Next word for power there in verse 19 translated as working is;  energeian
19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working (energeian) of the might of His strength,

The word translated working is energeian.  And it means action.  Energy!  Like the difference between potential energy and kinetic energy.  energeian is when the dynamite goes off!  It's the word for power in action.  The dynamite causes the explosion.

Next word for power there in verse 19 translated as might is;  kratous
19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of the might (kratous) of His strength,

Kratos is the word for the ownership and execution of power.  dominion.  Exerted power.  Talking heads on our TV's tell us all day long what they're going to do.  But they need kratos to actually accomplish what they said.  Kratos is the dominion, the ownership to actually effect the action.  

1st Kings 20:11.  One of my favorite verses.  Let not him who girds on his armor boast as him who girds it off.  Anyone can boast while they're putting the armor on.  Show us the power.  Then boast when you take it off, after the victory, not before.  

Jesus has the might to accomplish all that He says.  And that's actually where Paul is going with all of this!  Dominion over the dynamite.  Well, then, how much dynamite is there?  What are we talking here?  Next word.  

Strength.  ischyos  
19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of the might of His strength.  ischyos  

How strong is He?  What is the measure?  This is the word to define the amount of the power that overcomes.  How much dynamite?  

Enough to speak the limitless universes into being from nothing.  Enough to speak our world into creation, from nothing.  Enough to define every human who has ever lived by a single unique word that is their particular DNA.  

But none of those are what Paul uses as the measure of His power.  

19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of the might of His strength, 20 which He worked in Christ, by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

How much power?  Enough to raise Christ from the dead, and then seat Him next to God on His right hand, in the heavens.

I can sort of fathom the galaxies going on for infinity.  Not really, but I kind of understand that concept.  And I can understand a little bit about the string of DNA that makes up me, which if you lined up all of the characters into a single word, they would wrap around the earth 3 times.

And that's just me.  Every living thing has DNA.  Again, another YouTube.  Grape vines growing at Olvera street in Los Angeles.  Ancient.  The spanish brought them with them in order to make some wine.  

They recently took a cutting from those ancient vines in order to catalog them with all the other grape vines on earth.  Apparently that's a thing.  And they discovered that the DNA of those vines was identical to grape vines growing a few miles away at San Gabriel Mission.  No surprise, but still fascinating.  Brought from Mexico in the 1700's.  Pretty amazing.  Still making wine.

I can almost get my mind around creation.  It's too marvelous for me, but I sort of understand the concepts.  

But this power that raised Jesus from the dead, and tranlated Him bodily to heaven, to be seated as an equal at the right hand of the Father . . . I have no way to conceptualize that.  It's beyond the galaxies, which by the way, this book says, God is going to roll that barrier between Him and us, roll it up like a scroll.

That's the extent of the power of God . . . FOR us.  Toward us.  For our benefit.  For His glory.

You say, with all that power, why doesn't He fix everything that's broken, here on earth.  This creation of His is really really broken.  Doesn't He have the power to fix it?  

He does, and He will, but not according to your wishes or your schedule, but at His speed according to His ultimate glory.  The plan of redemption goes into effect in Genesis 3:15.  And the plan is fully implemented at Rev. 22.

Meanwhile, He is in sovereign control over everything.  It's all working towards His fulfillment for His ultimate glory, according to His design and plan.  This life is like a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.  A blip in eternity.

Instead of thinking of whatever difficulty and unpleasantness you're facing here for 5 minutes, Paul wants us to open our spiritual eyes and begin to grasp the enormity of the hope that knew me before time began, and the riches of the inheritance, with Jesus, forever, and the incomprehensible limitless power of God to bring those things about.  For us.  Toward us.

OK, then, Paul, could you talk a little bit more about the extent of that power.  Yes.  Yes he can.  Paul is on a roll talking about something that makes him super happy while he's being beat up here on earth.  The power and wealth of being adopted into God's family.  The limitless power of Jesus who is in control.

seating Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

There are other powers.  Right.  We know that.  Actually we're painfully aware of that, being at the bottom of that totem pole.  

Governments have power.  Men have power.  Angels have power.  Demons have power.  Satan has power.  Those are powers we can sort of understand.  

Jesus is higher.  We're watching this stupid lawyer series and this one lawyer is always telling people below him, "I'm here, and you're here"  "Now go do your job."

This verse tells us that Jesus is at the top.  Those words describe levels of power and authority in the realms of both men and angels, holy and evil.  And Jesus showed us His power, just an inkling, when He was here the first time.  

He spoke to demons and they obeyed and fled.  He spoke and enough food to feed 20000 people came from a basket of fish and bread.  He spoke and the wind obeyed.  He spoke and sick people were made well.  And He rose again from the dead on the third day, just as He had spoken.

Rule, authority, power, dominion.  And every other name you can come up with.  Now and forever.  Jesus isn't just above, He is FAR above every thing that is.  Both here and in eternity.  He is King of kings.  He is Lord of lords.  Both now and forever.  

We would do very well to pause for a few moments and simply listen to the author of the book to the Hebrews speak of these rankings;  Hebrews ch. 1;

1 God, having spoken long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days spoke to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds, 3 who is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power; who, having accomplished cleansing for sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

5 For to which of the angels did He ever say,
“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You”?
And again,
“I will be a Father to Him
And He shall be a Son to Me”?
 6 And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says,
“And let all the angels of God worship Him.”
 7 And of the angels He says,
“Who makes His angels winds,
And His ministers flaming fire.”
 8 But of the Son He says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
And the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
 
9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”
 10 And, “You, Lord, in the beginning founded the earth,
And the heavens are the works of Your hands;
 11 They will perish, but You remain;
And they all will wear out like a garment,
 12 And like a mantle You will roll them up;
Like a garment they will also be changed.
But You are the same,
And Your years will not come to an end.”
 
13 But to which of the angels has He ever said,
“Sit at My right hand,
Until I put Your enemies
As a footstool for Your feet”?
 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

I had to read the entire first chapter.  There's no place to stop.  It's all saying the same thing Paul is telling us here in Ephesians.  Christ is God the Son who sits in glory at the right hand of the Father.  Far above all.  Far above all.

And that unlimited power is toward us.  God is for us.  Our hope is not for anything in this current world.  Our hope is that we are in Christ.  We will be with Christ.  Our inheritance IS Christ.

Vs. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet,

This is an ancient idea of levels of order.  It goes all the way back to Genesis 3 in the garden of Eden, after the fall into sin.  

 14 And Yahweh God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than any of the cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you will go,
And dust you will eat
All the days of your life;
 15 And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
 
The victor is always seen as crushing the enemy under his feet.  Psalms 110
Yahweh says to my Lord:
“Sit at My right hand
Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.”

Vs. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet,

Where are we in all of this ranking from top to bottom.  Every created thing is in subjection to Jesus, under the victorious feet of Jesus.  But what about us.  Where are we in this deal.  Are we trampled down under His feet?  No.

22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

We aren't trampled down.  Christ is the head.  But the next thing directly under the head, which is Christ, is His body, the church.  The church isn't crushed along with everyone else, under the feet of Jesus, God gave the church to Jesus to be His body, and God gave Jesus to us, to be our head.

What a position we have with Him.  All the power of the worlds are His, and we belong to Him.  He is for us, not against us.  His first victory, at the cross was to purchase us.  And now we will be with Him for all the rest of the victories as He takes back this fallen world as His own.

We belong to the One who is far above any and all other created things.  And His power and dominion are for us, and not against us.  While we remain on this earth, we are His body.  This world has no other visible tactile way to see Christ than what it sees when they look at christians who are the body of Christ.

Finally, we need to camp for a few moments and consider those final words, and try to comprehend the incomprehensible.

23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

It's for your benefit that I keep reading the same scripture from John the apostle as we try to understand what it means that we, as the body of Christ, are in some sense, the fullness of Him.  He is the head, we are the body.  For eternity.

1 John 3:2  Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not been manifested as yet what we will be. We know that when He is manifested, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

There is a revealing of the body of Christ, in completion, in toto, when Christ returns and that's a huge deal that we don't quite completely understand.  

Paul speaks of this event when the body of Christ is revealed, with Him, in glory, in Romans 8.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

Did you get that.  Maybe a little bit.  This planet groans, waiting for it's redemption.  Freedom from corruption.  Sin brought death.  To everything.  The planet we live on is decaying and death reigns here.  

And Paul pictures our planet, this earth, this world that Greta and all the green earth people are so worried about, Paul pictures this world as groaning in it's decay.  This planet is the unwilling slave of corruption that sin brought to it.

The earth is groaning, and waiting, for what?  Get this;  it groans and waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  

When Christ returns, with His bride, the body of Christ, the glorified sons of God, with Him in glory, then the corruption of this world will end.  What the green earth folks can never even get close to doing, Jesus will do when He comes with His bride, the glorified body of Christ, the sons of God.  That's us.

This world is going to be delivered into the freedom of the glory of the children of God, at that event.  The revelation of the sons of God, with Christ, in glory.  

This week our president did not attend the meeting of the signators of all the climate change protocols that no one can do.  COP28 will be the largest summit about climate change and it begins this thursday, without our president.  And honestly that's a good thing.  

The arrogance of fools who use thousands of gallons of jet fuel to fly to a summit to discuss how they will fix what only one person can fix.  They do not possess the kratos, the dominion, the strength or might to accomplish anything.

Only a single person has the power and authority to reverse the groanings and corruption that sin has enslaved this planet with.  That person is Jesus, the Messiah, who died and rose again from the dead, and Who sits at the right hand of God.

He will return and He will depose Satan and utterly eliminate sin and corruption.  This planet will enjoy a 1000 year reign of Christ on David's throne where it will enjoy edenic splendor.

But, in all of this, there are winners and losers.  Those who love sin and hate God, all of the powers that we have spoken of this morning, those powers will be against every hater and rejector of God.  Fierce wrath will come upon the dwellers here who are in rebellion.  

All of the power of God will be against His enemies, and toward the good of His beloved adopted sons.  How marvelous it is to be with Him, and not against Him.