Rabbi Schneider - The Riches of Glory
So let's pick up now in Ephesians chapter 1, verse 16. He says, "I do not cease giving thanks for you while making mention of you in my prayers". I love this. If you want to know how to pray, if we want to know what are the deepest things that we could be praying for ourselves about, if we want to understand what it is we should be focused on in our prayers, we're going to find it right here in today's examination of Paul's prayer. He says, "I'm praying for you, I do not cease giving thanks for you while making mention of you in my prayers", and let's go, "that the God of Yeshua HaMashiach, of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory".
Now, notice here the relationship of the order. Paul was praying that the Father of Jesus... I mentioned this in an earlier episode. A lot of times Christians they've left out the Father. But Jesus always started with the Father. "In this way," He said, "Pray, our Father that art in heaven". Paul always starts with the Father. He began this book, "Blessed be the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ" is how he begins the book of Ephesians. And now notice how this happens once again in the 17th verse. He's praying for us that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ... It all flows from the Headship of the Father. The Father Jesus, then you and I. "...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him".
What is Paul saying? I'm praying that God will give you the ability by His Spirit to know Him. I'm praying that the Holy Spirit will open up to you to be able to see in the realms of wisdom and revelation that you would know Him. Who? The Father of Glory. Listen to it again. "I'm praying that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him". I mean, can you imagine anything that's greater than knowing God? I mean, think about everything that you want in life. What do all human beings want? They want to be happy, right? Isn't that what people are searching for? Whether they're trying to find it in the accumulation of things, new cars, new homes, different profession, different friends, spouse, whatever it might be.
At the core, human beings are creatures of great desire, and that the desire is happiness. But can you imagine the happiness that comes with knowing the One that's truly happy all the time? I mean, God is. He's complete light. I mean, you think about the sun. You know, I'm standing here under blue skies, a sunny day. I mean, that sun is a representation of the light that's always coming from God. And if you think about a sun, if a little child draws a picture of a sun, you know, they maybe draw a little yellow star or something with lines coming from it, that sun represents happiness. Listen, when you and I come into a deep, abiding relationship with God, we're gonna get strong and we're gonna be happy. This is the deepest prayer of our heart.
So Paul says, once again, "I pray the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of Him". Then he continues. "I pray that the eyes of your heart might be enlightened". I love that word. You know, we're not talking about religion anymore, right? We're talking about enlightenment, right? We're talking about being enlightened. It's like, you know you know. You know, it's like someone had that Eureka moment, you know, that moment they became enlightened. But, you know, knowing God is truly becoming enlightened. It's truly becoming filled with light so you can see straight, think straight, your attitude's right, you're prospering because you're living in the abundance of God's Spirit.
Listen again, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know what is the hope of His calling and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. So we're really talking about two separate things here. The first Paul mentioned, "I'm praying that you'll be enlightened, that you'll know what is the hope of His calling". What does this mean? It means that God has a destiny for you and for me that's so bright, it's so glorious. I mean, what is hope? Hope is the expectation of something good happening to you in the future, right? Hope is for the future.
Paul is saying, I want you to know what's in front of you, saints. I want you to know where you're going. I want you to understand. I want you to be enlightened about the destiny that Father God has for you. That we're gonna be glorified with Jesus. That we're gonna be in heaven in God's presence, in His bliss, in His eternal happiness and the glow of His countenance on us, enveloping us, heavenly music, I mean, light all around us. This is the hope of our calling. And words, obviously, can't adequately communicate it. Paul is saying, I'm praying that you'll understand the great future that's yours in God that called you.
So once again, I'm praying that you'll be enlightened with what is... By the way, that's a bird that you're hearing. That's a manaca that you're hearing behind me here. "What is the hope of his calling and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints". This is a mystery right here. Paul is saying, I want you to understand what are the riches of the glory, listen to this, of God's inheritance in the saints. God has an inheritance in you, and it's glorious. God's inheritance in you is richer and more beautiful than you could ever realize. Listen again, that you will understand what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. I want you to know that you're more valuable than you realize.
A lot of us, you know, we really devalue ourselves because of the world around us, you know. Criticizing. You say one thing, they, you know, criticize you for this, criticize you for this. You might have a problem with your body image. You know, you just feel like ashamed because you don't look like the perfect woman or the perfect man. You maybe think that you don't have the highest IQ. Whatever it is. You think about your failings, maybe even your failings as a parent or a husband or a wife. You know, we've been damaged by getting our cues about who we are from the world. But I want you to know you are much more than you can realize right now.
This is what Paul is getting at. He's saying, I'm praying that you would understand what are the riches of the glory. There's something so rich in you and so glorious in you. What is rich? I mean, rich is just like wow. I mean, rich. "...what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints... what is the surpassing greatness". So Paul's saying, this is what I'm praying for you, that you will be enlightened to understand. "...and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe". God's power is toward us. God's powerful intention is upon our life. The working of God's Spirit is upon you. Listen again. I'm praying that you'll be enlightened to know what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us that believe.
There's a power that's at work in your life, both in you and around you. I mean, how many of us have had situations that happen in life, and we might say, oh wow, you know, what a coincidence, right? But we know these are not just coincidences. It's the power of God in our life. I mean, it's sometimes as easy as open up the Bible, looking to the God, oh Lord, is there anything in the Bible you want to show me? And red, white, and blue, there it is, God speaking to you right from that specific verse that you open up to. God's power is surrounding our life.
Paul goes on to say, "these powers are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might, which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 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 age to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all and is in all".
What's going on here? Paul is saying that the power that's at work, beloved one, in our life, it's the same power that raised Yeshua from the dead. Think about the power that raised Yeshua from the dead. It's an unstoppable power. The power that is at work in your life because of God's love for you is more powerful than any power in heaven or hell. It's the power that not only raised Jesus from the dead, but lifted Him up and caused Him to ascend through all the resisting powers of darkness, and then seated Him in the heavenly places at the right hand of God the Father.
And then Paul goes on to say, the Father put all things in subjection under His feet. That's the power that's at work in your life. Let's just pray for revelation. It's a lofty, lofty truth. But sometimes there's a difference between understanding something cognitively and really being able to carry it with us in our heart so that we can walk victoriously in life, right? So let's just together ask the Father to help us understand this. This is what Paul is praying. This is what Paul is praying to the Father for, that we'd be enlightened about this reality.
Father, we pray that You would enlighten us to understand the power, Your power that's at work in our life, Father, that it's the same power that raised your Son Yeshua of Nazareth from the dead. Father, that You'd help us to comprehend that the same power that not only caused Jesus to come back to life from the dead and then raised Him, but that Father, even from there, it's the same power that lifted Him through the heavenly realms, through powers of darkness, all the way to Your right hand in the heavenly places. And then, Father God, You set him in place there and subjected everything under His feet. And that, Father, that same power work in our lives. Father, that You are working in our lives in the same way that you raised Yeshua, seated Him at Your right hand in the heavenly places and put everything under His feet. Help us, Father, to enter into a greater revelation of that. Father, I'm asking, we're knocking right now. Father, Daddy, we are asking and we're seeking. We need to comprehend this in a greater way. Father, we don't want to be like the disciples on the boat, that when the waves came and the storm came, they panicked. Father, we want to be able to go through life confidently with a spirit of expectation and hope. That You'll deliver us from every situation. Father, that we are never alone here. That You're continually at work in our life for good. Father, that You're causing all things to work together for good to those that love You and are called according to Your purpose. So, Father, we come to You right now, each and every one of us asking You to do, Father God, what Paul prayed for You to do. And what we're now asking You to do, is enlighten us, God, about Your power that's at work in our life.
We've actually got several kind of birds in the distance there. I hope it's not too distracting for you. On the next episode, we'll make sure to solve the issue here. Hopefully, it'll just make you feel surrounded by God's creation. So Paul concludes here, he speaks about Yeshua, he put all things in subjection under His feet, under Yeshua's feet. Now listen to this. "...and gave him, Jesus, who's seated at the right hand of the Father, everything under His feet, He's been given to us", listen, "He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all".
So let's think about this. Jesus, all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him. He's right now seated at the Fathers right hand in the heavenly places and everything is under His feet. And Jesus, this exalted One at the Father's right hand, has been given as head to the church. This one that reigns, that lives in total freedom, this one that's an absolute victory, everything subjected to Him, this One has been given as head to the church. That means you can connect with somebody. You can connect with someone that's reigning over all. That whatever you're facing right now, you can receive the mind of Christ. You can get vision to see through and over every situation. We have victory in Jesus.
And this is what we're pressing in to know. This is what Paul prayed that we would know. I think too many of us, we walk through life, we've accepted defeat. Many are listening right now, and you've accepted even being depressed. But you know, Jesus is at the Father's right hand. He's an absolute victory. And He's been given to the church, beloved, to you and I, to be our head. You can connect with this One that's reigning and is free. Do you know the Bible says in the book of Romans that we reign, that you and I reign in life through Christ?
When you and I forge a relationship with Yeshua, this Exalted One, when we forge a relationship with Him, we enter into His rest, to who He is, and we can begin to live in life even as the way Jesus walked on water. He was in the middle of a storm, but He walked on top of the storm. We have to believe this for ourselves. I know that life is hard. It's hard for all of us. It's hard for me too. But we have to believe that we can have what God's Word says we can have. We have to believe. We can't settle for anything less, because if we settle for something less, that's what we're going to get. We're going to get what we settle for.
But remember Yeshua said, "If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed". So we have to keep on pressing in, beloved, knocking, seeking, asking to enter into the fullness of the triumph that Jesus has purchased for us by His blood. Paul prayed that we'd be enlightened as to our inheritance. Our inheritance is to become complete in Jesus, to walk in the fullness of His strength.
Father, we ask You to strengthen us right now by the power that raised Your Son from the dead. Father, You told me years ago that when I got strong I'd be happy. Father, we're asking You to strengthen us by the power of Your might that You used when You raised Your Son from the dead and seated Him at Your right hand of the heavenly places for above all rule and authority, every principality, every name that is named. Father, seat us there with Messiah. Your word says that we've been raised with Christ and are seated with Him there in the heavenly places. Father, we're asking You today, Daddy, have mercy on us and bring us into the full revelation of this. Father, we love You. Jesus, we love You. We thank You for what you've done. Father, we praise You for what You've done. You saved us through the praise of Your glorious grace. Father, we praise You today for Your glorious grace, which You lavished upon our life in our wisdom and insight through Your Son. Help us to live lives worthy of our calling. Father, we want to love You like Jesus loved You and walk in His victory for Your glory.