Shalom, everyone. We are going to turn in our Bibles to Ephesians chapter 3. And as I mentioned more than once, the Apostle Paul is very practical. Before he gives the duty and the responsibility of the believers, he always gives us teaching and doctrine. He does it almost in every epistle: the Romans, the Corinthians, as well as Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, and so on. Today, we are going to read the last verses of chapter 3 from verse 14 to verse 21. And really, brothers and sisters, this is an amazing fact that the Apostle Paul finds himself in prison yet praying for the believers at Ephesus. And really, this is the second prayer that the Apostle Paul is praying in this book, in this letter for the Ephesians.

And so we read in verse 14, where Paul is saying: "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God, now unto him that is able to do, exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church, by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end." Amen.

Interesting verses. Only eight verses the Apostle Paul gives now in this last division of the letter to the Ephesians. Of course, we know originally when the Apostle gave the letter, there was no chapters and verses, and all that which we have received, divided for us in the Scripture. But here we have, so interesting to see the concern that Shaul, that Paul had for the believers at Ephesus, that he takes the time to pray for them. You know, many times you would have a missionary who would write a letter to those who support him, and know about his work, and he says, "Brothers and sisters, please pray for me." Now here we have the missionary himself, you might say, the one who served the Mashiach, the Messiah Yeshua.

He is now not asking for the believers to pray for him, but instead he is praying for them. Now you would ask the Apostle, Paul, why do you pray for your brothers and sisters? In this case, he prayed for the Ephesians. In Philippians 1:9-11, he prayed for the Philippians. In Colossians 1:9-12, he prayed for the Colossian believers. And every time you find the Apostle Paul interceding on behalf of God's people. Now we know that others have prayed for him as well, but you can see the commitment that this man had to take the time to pray for the people of God. Now you will notice immediately here in these verses that I read, there are really three things that we want to pick up from those verses that we have read.

Verses 14-15, Paul addresses God the Father in prayer on behalf of the Ephesians. Verses 16-19, Paul requests for the believers in his prayer things that were very important for them to receive from the Lord. In verse 20-21, Paul praises God for all that he is and for all that he is able to do. Three major points I would like to share with you today as we are studying these last verses of the third chapter of Ephesians. Now you notice how he began in this verse 14. He used that word, for this cause. What cause, Paul? For what cause you are going now to begin to pray?

You remember that I said in a previous meeting, when we were together studying the first part of Ephesians chapter 3, that in verse 1, he already said, for this cause I, Paul. But instead of going into a time of prayer, he gave them all these truths concerning the mystery of the body of Messiah. What is that mystery? I'll just remind you what we have had in a previous session together. This mystery, Sod in Hebrew. This mystery is the union of Jewish people and Gentiles united together in one body, which belong to our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. That's the mystery. A mystery in this case in the Bible, as we have it three times mentioned in chapter 3.

Verse 3. The mystery. Verse 4. The mystery of the Messiah. Verse 9. The mystery which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God. This mystery was not known in past ages, but now has been revealed to the believers in this present day dispensation. It's not only talking about the fact that the Gentiles will be saved in a messianic kingdom. They sure will, but that is not a mystery. That was already pointed out in the prophecies that many of the Jewish prophets have prophesied years ago. But the mystery here is Jew and Gentiles united in one body on the same ground where the hope is in heaven.

The promises are going to be part, we are united together and we are going to glory to be with our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. So, he is saying for this cause, in light of all the information that I have given you non-Jewish believers, this mystery that you are going to be united together with Jewish believers in one body, in light of these beloved brothers and sisters of the Ephesians, now I want to tell you what I am doing. And that is why verse 14 said, For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Because of this truth of the body of Mashiach, uniting Jewish people and Gentiles together in one body by the finished work of Yeshua the Messiah on the cross, on the tree.

Because of this, now I am turning into a time of prayer. And I want you to notice that he used the word I bow my knees. Now you know in the Bible we have various ways in which believers have been praying. We find sometimes believers standing and lifting up holy hands and praying. But this is very interesting that here the Apostle Paul is now saying, I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. The bowing of the knees suggests that he is prostrate before the Lord, acknowledging that he is in a deep need and a deep desire to acknowledge God the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

And you know what, where did he learn that I bow my knees? You know we go to various church meetings, various groups of Christians, of believers in Yeshua. Sometimes you go to a prayer meeting, people are standing. Other times you go to a prayer meeting, people are sitting. Other times you are going to a prayer meeting, all the group, all the going on their knees and praying to the Lord. Now, there is not a matter of preference, but there is an expression of dependence and humility before the Lord, acknowledging the fact that he is the one that is the source of the blessing for the people of God.

And Paul learned that from past history from among his Jewish brethren historically. You know, it was Abraham our father in Genesis chapter 17 and verse 3 that fell on his face before the Lord. We have Joshua in chapter 5 and verse 14 of his book. He fell down on his face before the God who had promised him so much to enter into the land of Israel and to possess all the promised land. Even King Solomon, when he finished to pray in the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem, he himself rose up from being on his knees to give glory to God after he prayed and acknowledged the fact that the God that had promised him a blessing is the one that deserves all the glory and the honor.

We read in 1st Kings chapter 8, it says, And it was so, verse 54, that when Solomon had made an end of praying, all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. Even Daniel, in the book of Daniel chapter 6 and verse 10, it was his custom to open the window towards the city of Jerusalem, to go on his knees and to pray to the God of his fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is amazing. You know, Paul learned it by experience when he learned it from his forefathers.

All of these men of God, and I'm sure women of God, oftentimes find themselves prostrate before the Lord, facing the Lord, acknowledging their deep need of God to help them in their life. Now, it's not an issue of one being on his knees, but it's just an expression that is very interesting found here in this chapter. Do you know that even Yeshua the Messiah, in Matthew chapter 26, in verse 39, this is in the garden of Gatshmanim, Gatshmanim, and he went there a little further, and he fell on his face, and he prayed. And he said, "Oh, my Abba, oh, my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.

Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done." Even Yeshua, when he had gone to the garden of Gatshmanim, Gatshmanim, he fell on his knees and on his face ultimately, and he spoke to the Father, acknowledging he is dependent upon the Father. And I think it is very precious to see such an attitude. Of course, not everyone can do it physically, and it's not always possible, and so on. But the point is, there is an expression of dependent upon the Father. And you notice in this book that we are studying, there are various postures in which we find Paul mentioning concerning the believer. the believer. In chapter 2 and verse 6, he said concerning the believers, that God had raised us up and made us to sit together in heavenly places.

Here's the word to sit, chapter 2 and verse 6. In chapter 4 and verse 1, we have another expression. It says in chapter 4 and verse 1, "Therefore I, the prisoner of our Lord Jesus, beseech you that ye walk." "Worthy of the vocation wherewith ye have been called." Here is sitting, chapter 2, verse 6. Here is walking in chapter 4 and verse 1. And if you notice in chapter 6 of the book of Ephesians, in verse 13, here is the standing. Chapter 6 and verse 13, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Chapter 2, verse 6, sit. Chapter 4, verse 1, walk. Chapter 6, stand. How can we sit, walk, and stand with the attitude of the heart?

It has to be in light of the verses that we have here from verse 14. "For this cause I bow my knees." Here is the four expressions: "Sit, walk, stand, and bow." So, first of all, the cause of his prayer is the information that he had about the mystery of the Church of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. The second thing that he does, he bows his knees, he is praying. It shows his attitude of heart. He bows his knees. And look, who does he pray to? Very interesting. He says, "I pray unto the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah." Now, this is also, I found it extremely interesting.

You know, before Yeshua came, most of our people, Israel, have always prayed to God. Elohei, Abraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That expression, praying to the Father, and not only Father, but Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, is more in line with the present-day dispensation. We pray unto the Father in the name of the Son and in the power of the Spirit. We talk unto the Father in the name of the Messiah, Yeshua, the Son, but we do it in the power of the Holy Spirit of God. I don't think there is anywhere found in Scripture one verse where we are told to pray to the Spirit.

We are to pray in the power of the Spirit to the Father in the name of the Son, but we do not have anywhere in Scripture where we are called to pray to the Spirit. Not because the Spirit is not co-equal with the Father. Definitely, God the Son, God the Father, God, Ruach HaKodesh, they are all co-equal. Three persons in the Godhead. But the formula that we find in Scripture, even Yeshua Himself said, taught the disciples, "When ye pray, pray this way." You remember what He said in chapter 6 of the book of Matthew? He taught them to pray. Our Father which is in heaven. Hello be thy name.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. These teachings that He taught the disciples, it is in view of the present day period of time in which we live, in which you and I now became sons and daughters of the Father. Every one of us who are believers are part of this wonderful family of God, sons and daughters of the Father. That's why He said for this cause I bow my knees unto the Father. And who is this Abba? He is the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. You know that Yeshua, before He became a man, He was always the eternal Son. He was eternally the Son.

Sometimes we sing that song, eternal Son, eternal One. He was that eternal Son of God. He was in eternity the eternal Son of the Father. And now He came into this world, became a man, as Ben-Adam, as men. He paid a price for us on the tree and made it possible for us to be part of this great family. So, He is praying to the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah in verse 14. And this is a very, very important thing to understand in the present day dispensation. That we are to pray to the Abba in the name of the Ben and in the power of Ruach HaKodesh.

The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit of God. The Triune God that we have in Scripture. Now, it says in verse 15, immediately, the next verse, what does this teach us? Another thing that we learn that is very important. It is out of this Father, God the Father, of whom the whole family in heaven and in earth is named. Now, you notice that word for the whole is better said, every family in heaven and in earth is named. Now, sometimes, and unfortunately many in the present day church age, they think, well, God finished with Israel. And there is only one so-called family called the church, the ecclesia.

But it is not true because God has many families. And Paul very clearly says, what came out of Abba, the God, the Father, there are various. Every family in heaven and also in earth is named. Israel, our people of old, are an earthly nation. To our people, they were promised in the earth, in the land, in Canaan. The believers of this church age dispensation, to us, the promises are heavenly. In my Father's house, there are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you, Yeshua saying, John 14. And if I go, I will come again, and I will receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

So, God has a family in heaven, family on earth. On earth, what about the Old Testament saints before Israel were called as a nation? What about Adam and Eve and all those that were part of this earth at the time before God had chosen Abraham, our father, to be the father of the Hebrews? Well, there are many families that God have. And you and I might not know, but at least I present for you today, those three families at least. The heavenly company, the church. The earthly company, Israel. And the Old Testament saints, the patriarchs, prior even to the call of Abraham, our father. They become a company called a family in their period of time.

And I'm sure when we're going to be in the presence of the Lord, we will discover that there were many over the generation who became believers in the true and living God, part of this family. So, there is not only the church, the ecclesia, there is also Israel, the nation. There are also Old Testament saints of God prior to the call of Abraham, our father. So, Paul is addressing the father in his prayer, not the son, not the spirit in this context here. The Abba of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, but he does it in the power of the Holy Spirit of God. So, this is what we have here in verses 14 and 15 of our chapter.

Now, notice in the next verses, and these are also important. Here is the context, you might say, of what Paul prayed for. Verses 16, 17, 18, and 19, there are four requests that Paul is requesting from the father. Notice that in this context, he doesn't pray for a good job. He doesn't pray for physical health. He doesn't pray for financial needs. It's not that it is wrong to pray for that. We need to pray for that. And you notice most of the time in our list, in our prayer list, we pray for mostly physical needs that the brothers and sisters have. But here, you notice in the context, he's praying for the spiritual needs of the people of God.

And he's praying for four things. The first thing he prays here in verse 16, for strength in the inner man of every believer, whether it is the Ephesians in the context or whether it is you and I. "Strength in the inner man." Look at this. He says, "I pray that he would grant unto you, Ephesians, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man." Now, he's praying, first of all, for strength to be able to continue on and to appropriate what God has done in our life and provided for us to appropriate it to our day by day living.

Now, where do we get that strength to be able to have this? Where do the Ephesians be able to get this strength? Now, the Apostle Paul is praying for strength in the inner man. And I want to highlight some things here in verse 16. He used the word, you notice, that he would grant you according to his riches. You notice he doesn't say that he will grant you out of his riches, but according to his riches. What's the difference? If somebody is a millionaire, and he's going to give you $5, he says, "Listen, I'm going to give you a gift of $5." He took $5 out of his wealth, and he gives you $5.

This came out of his wealth, out of his riches. But if the same person, the same millionaire will give you $100,000, it will be much different, right? What's the difference? It's not coming out of his wealth, but it's coming according to his wealth. Now, he's not talking about money here. He doesn't talk about anything else except the spiritual appreciation of what the Lord has done for us. You know what he's praying? That the Lord will grant to the believers at Ephesus, and I would say to you and I, according to his riches, in light of all the spiritual wealth that is available for the believers because of what Yeshua has done, not out of his riches, but according to his riches.

In other words, he's beseeching God that we will be so spiritually taken up by what God had provided for us that what we have will not be out of God's riches, but according to God's riches and glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man. So, he's praying that all what we really have positionally, we will also appropriate practically. That is amazing, right? That is amazing, right? Because it's very easy, by the way, when we have accepted Yeshua, the Messiah, we immediately received the Holy Spirit of God that indwelt in us, and the Holy Spirit gave us what you call new birth.

Immediately we are the children of God. It's one thing to be a child of God, having the Holy Spirit of God indwelling us. It is another thing to have the Spirit of God on earth guiding us and leading us in our lives. You know, that's why we sometimes say about some Christians or some Messiah follower, this is a spiritual brother. This is a spiritual sister. How do we know that? Because in some measure, God appropriates by the Spirit of God to their lives because of the finished work of the Messiah for them. In other words, they are really seeking to live out their life for the Lord.

To become a believer, it's not something we have done. The Spirit of God came and dwelt in us. We accepted the Messiah. We become children of God. But to live the life of the believer, it's another story. It's completely different because now the Spirit of God not only indwelling us, but the Spirit of God have to empower the believer to live for the Lord in a world that is contrary to anything that has to do with the things of God. And that's why Paul is saying, brothers and sisters of the Ephesians, the first thing for the Lord, I'm praying that he will give you the strength to live the life of the believers in a world that is against you on a day-by-day basis.

That you will be strengthened in the inner man. You know this expression? The Hebrew expression is ha-adam ha-pnimi. The inner man is different than the outer man. The Bible teaches us in 1 Samuel 16, man looketh upon the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart, on the inner man. And he's saying really that God will strengthen you inwardly, this new man, the inner man, that which belongs to the Lord, that which you have committed for God, that he will strengthen you to be able to walk with him here in this world. Now, brothers and sisters, this is what you call practical Christianity, or I will put it in our Hebrew terminology, practical Messiah following.

It's not only to have the Holy Spirit of God indwelling us, but if the Spirit of God indwelling us, what about our walk with the Lord? What about the believers at Ephesus, their walk with the Lord? That's why he's saying that he wanted them to be strengthened in the inner man, but you notice that it's not by their own ability, but it has to be by his Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God is the one that is able to strengthen us in the inner man. And I want you to see these two expressions found elsewhere in the Bible. Go to 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 16. Use this expression three times in Scripture.

Paul says, For which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. Now we know that we just look at each other and we say, boy, boy, the outward man, we can see how it perishes. Decay coming, old age coming, pain coming, all the marks and the scars are evident in our bodies. The outward man perishes, but the inner man of the believer, it's renewed every day. This is really similar to what Paul said in Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 16, that he might be strengthened by his Spirit in the inner man. In other words, grow spiritually.

Appreciate the Messiah more and what he has done for you. Live the life of the Mashiach in this world. With the strength of the Spirit of God. That's what he's praying. You might say he's praying for you and for me as well. You know what? They have a lot of opposition. They have a lot of difficulties in their life. Abba, Father, I pray that they will be strengthened to continue on the life of following Yeshua in this world. Why there are so many believers who lived in various countries in this world who have been persecuted and suffered physically. They locked them in jail. They have tortured them.

They have done all kind of things in the lives, in the bodies of the believers. But the inner man seems to continue on to follow Yeshua the Messiah with devoting them. How is it possible? It's only possible where Paul said that they may be strengthened in the inner man by the power of the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot continue on and be strengthened on our own. It must be the power of Ruach HaKodesh. Look at Romans for a moment. Again, Shaul Paul is speaking. This time in Romans chapter 7, he speaks about himself. What makes us delight in the things of God? It's that inner man, this new nature that God had given unto us.

That inner man delight in God's word, in God's laws, in God's provision, in God's ways. But the outward man perishes and gets decay. But the inner man delight in the things of God. So Paul mentioned that I delight in the law of God after the inward man, the inner man. What happened to a person that is unsaved and not a believer? Well, does he delight in the law of God, in the things of the Lord? Not at all. He doesn't want to hear anything about the things of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah because he is not saved. He or she are not believers. They don't have the Holy Spirit of God indwelling them.

What they need to do is, first of all, bow and accept the fact that sin needs to be judged and the Messiah was judged for them. And they ought to accept him, first of all. But for the believer, Paul is praying that the Holy Spirit of God will empower them. And you know, the Holy Spirit of God is a divine person. The Holy Spirit of God is empowering the believers to be able to walk with the Lord. Galatians 5.16, walk in the Spirit and he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. When we don't walk in the power of the Spirit of God, we fail the Lord.

We fail him again and again and again. Why? Because we cannot live the believer's life in the power of the flesh. It just doesn't work. We will fail the Lord on our faces every time. And that's why Paul is praying, I want Abba, my Father, the Father of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. I really pray that you will strengthen the brothers and sisters of the Ephesians in the inner man by the power of Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit of God. Every time you will see a believer does something for the Lord in a right way, you will say, this brother, this sister is empowered by the Spirit of God.

And empowered by the Spirit of God has nothing to do with Ocus Pocus and all kind of things like that. It's simply submitting to the Lord, to His Word, as the Spirit allows us to do so. And so the first request of the Apostle Paul for the believers at Ephesus is that they will be strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man. Ba'adam hapnimi, inside the inner man. Secondly, I want you to notice in verse 17, here's Paul praying. He's praying on behalf of the brothers and sisters at Ephesus. Secondly, he's praying in verse 17, for deep and mature relationship with Yeshua, the Messiah. He doesn't want us to be shallow.

Unfortunately, we often have to admit we are shallow believers. But look what he's saying in verse 17. You know how many times we have to ask the question, if the Lord knows my heart, would He feel comfortable? Will He feel at home in my heart, my thoughts? Is my heart tuned to His will? Can He feel at home in my heart? Can He rest and say, I can enjoy fellowship with this person? Do you remember when God came to our father Abraham in Genesis chapter 18? And Abraham invited him to the tent? God and the two angels went into the tent and enjoyed fellowship with father Abraham.

But do you remember when he left? And the two angels were going now to Sodom. And Lot asked them to come in. They said, no, no, no, we are going to sleep outside. We are not coming in. Eventually, they came in. But they didn't want to get in. Why? Lot and Abraham, both of them were believers. But with Lot, they could not have fellowship because Lot was not spiritually in the right condition. With Abraham, he felt at home. And you know what Paul is saying? Here's another thing that Paul is praying. He said, you know, brothers and sisters of the Ephesians, I'm going to pray to God, to the Father, to the Abba, that He, the Mashiach, will dwell in your hearts by faith.

The dwelling comes from the word to tabernacle, to dwell, to rest, and to enjoy fellowship with the people of God. How many times God does not feel at rest with us? Why? Because we are not in that suitable condition. And we know that, right? So he is saying, I'm going to pray for that. Oh, yes, you are already believers, brothers and sisters of the Ephesians. You belong to Yeshua. You are going to go to heaven. You have been blessed with every spiritual things in heavenly places. You are chosen in the Messiah before the foundation of the world. This is your eternal position. This is your eternal position.

But practically, I'm going to pray for you that your heart will be so much engaged with the Messiah that Yeshua, the Mashiach, Christ, will dwell in your hearts by faith. You remember, I'm thinking, when I studied this passage, I was thinking about the passage in Revelation, the Church of the Laodicean, where we find out in chapter 3, in verse, I think it is verse 20, where Yeshua said, Now, what in the world is he doing outside knocking on the door? Art not he to be in the midst of his own people? The Church of the Laodicean were a miserable church. He's saying here, the Laodicean, you don't understand, you don't realize that you are lukewarm, you're neither hot nor cold.

He says, you say that you are rich, but you do not know that you are poor and blind and miserable and wretched and naked, he says in chapter 3, in verse 17 to the Laodicean. Well, the Lord wants to feel a trust in the life of the Ephesians, and he wants to feel a trust in the life of us, of our life, and he's praying. Here's Paul, you see what Paul wanted, practical walk with the Lord for the brothers and sisters in Ephesus. That's why he's praying for this here in this chapter. And this is nice, because that shows that Paul cared for the brothers and sisters.

He didn't want them only to say, I'm saved, I'm a believer, but he wanted the spiritual growth. And I'm sure he would want to see this with us as well. So he's praying, in verse 17, he's praying that the Messiah will dwell in your heart by faith. And now, secondly, notice in the very same verse, that you will be rooted and grounded in love. Now, when you think about rooted and grounded, you think about the tree, for example. If you're going to plant a tree, and it's not going to catch, the roots will not go down deep, it will be very shallow, when the wind will come, the tree will fall.

It will not be able to stand. Well, what we really learn here, from this verse 17, that he wanted that the believers would be grounded and rooted deep down in their hearts, in their lives, that there would be deep believers who have deep appreciation of Yeshua, the Messiah, walking with him here in this world. What an expectation. He didn't want a shallow Christianity, or shallow Mashiach following. He wanted deep and rooted in love. And you notice he used this expression, rooted and grounded in love. In other words, the love of the Lord Yeshua will constrain us. Love for him, love for the people of God, love for the world, but to be rooted and grounded in love.

Rooted. Speak of deep relationship with the Lord. This is an expectation that our pastor Paul was praying for the believer. Let me show you a verse in Matthew chapter 7. Please turn to Matthew 7. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, where Yeshua was preaching there in the Galil. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, at the end of Matthew 7, in verse 24, he says those words, Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock. And when the rain descended, and the floods came, the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon the rock.

On the other hand, verse 26 and 27, Everyone that heareth this saying of mine, and doeth them not, I will liken him unto a foolish man that built his house upon the sand. The rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. And here what he is really saying, that the believer is to grow and to mature, but being rooted and grounded in love, love for God, love for the Messiah, Yeshua, love for the people of God, but rooted and grounded. As he mentioned in other passages, the psalmist of Israel says, Blessed is the man, psalm 1, who walketh not after the counsel of the ungodly, and sitteth not in the seat of the scornful, and standeth not in the way of sinners, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law does he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree by the water, growing. This is psalm 1, verses 1, 2, and 3. So, the Lord wants the believers to be rooted and grounded in love, love for God, love for Yeshua, love for the people of God. That's why we teach every Shabbat, every Friday, the Bible. The Bible is our instruction book. It teaches us. It draws us. It speaks to us. It convicts us. It helps us. It guides us. We not always obey it, but that's why we teach the Word of God. But what happens when we don't teach the Word of God, when the Word of God is not being taught, and we are not being grounded?

Some that used to say, salvation is only by faith through Yeshua the Messiah, and a few years after, he says, not really. You can get saved on a basis of your good works, or some other things. Or before, they used to say, well, Yeshua is the only way of salvation. He died for us on the tree. Well, it's not only through Yeshua later on. Why? They were not rooted and grounded in the love for the Word, the love for the Lord, the love for the people of God, the love for Yeshua. Well, if we are not rooted and grounded in the Word of God, we will be able to allow all sort of doctrine and teachings to creep into our lives and to sway us.

By the way, we are going to go to chapter 4, and you see why the gifts were given, in order that the believers will not be swayed with every wind of doctrine. In fact, let me read that. It says here, in chapter 4, verse 14, that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. You know, this is important to be rooted and grounded in the Word of God, in the love of God, in the things of the Lord. And Paul is praying. This is his second request from the Abba, God, the Father of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah.

So, he prayed that the Messiah will dwell in our hearts, will feel at home in our hearts. Secondly, in verse 17, that the believer will be rooted and grounded in the things of the Lord. It's very precious, brothers and sisters. So, we have the first request, verse 16. We have the second request in verse 17. And now, the third request we have in verse 18, in the first part of verse 19. And look what Paul prayed thirdly. Paul prayed to know in our lives what Yeshua has done for us to comprehend, to grasp, and to know the love of the Messiah in our own personal life. So, he's saying, in verse 18, that ye may be able to comprehend, another word for comprehend is to grasp, to understand, with all the saints, what is the breadth, that's the width, and the length, and the depth, and the height, in verse 19a, and to know the love of Mashiach, which passes knowledge.

Now, here's the third request from the Lord. And you notice that he does what he does here. He's using, you might say, four directions. The width, first of all, and then the length, and then the depth, and ultimately, the height. What he's really saying here is exactly what God said to our forefathers in the past in connection with the land of Canaan. The land of Canaan. Let me give you two verses, please. Genesis chapter 13. Please go back to Genesis chapter 13. Look what God said to Abraham Avinu, to Abraham, our father. He promised Abraham a land. Chapter 12, verses 1, 2, and 3. But now that Abraham began his journey towards the promised land, now he's telling him in chapter 13, in verse 17, notice what he's saying to him, just a very short verse.

Arise. Walk through the land in the length of it, and in the breath of it, for I will give it unto you. He's saying to Abraham Avinu, to our father Abraham, he says, I promised you the land. That is a sure promise. God is going to give Abraham and his descendants the promised land, the land of Canaan, the land of Israel. But now, Abraham, I want you to walk. As it says here in chapter 13, he says, now Abraham, I want you to walk through the length of the land, that's how long it is, and through the width of the land. In other words, not only to have it positionally, but also have it practically.

You walk all along the promised land of Canaan, you walk all the width of the land of Canaan, that is going to be the promised land that I promised you positionally, you are going to inherit it practically. It's going to be yours. Well, what does he say? A very similar thing that Apostle Paul is saying to the believers at Ephesus, and he's saying to you and I, oh, you have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in the Messiah Yeshua, chapter 1. But it's not only to know it in your head and to have this hope that one day you're going to have it when you're going to die, you're going to live this sin, he's saying to the brethren of the Ephesians and to you and I, he says, I want you to know it now.

I want you to experience this in your life now. I don't want you only to wait for the future. You have to enjoy it today. The promises that God had given unto you. Just go now to Joshua, chapter 1. Here's another man that he was promised to go into the promised land. Joshua, Joshua, the Hebrew word is Yehoshua. He's also now going to lead our people of old into the promised land now after they were 40 years in the wilderness. And to Joshua, he said to him, look at this. He was ready to lead the people of Israel into the promised land. Look what God is saying to Yehoshua, Joshua, in chapter 1 and verse 3.

Every place that the soul of your fruit shall tread upon it, that I have given unto you, as I said it unto Moses. Notice verse 4. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even unto the great river, the river of Euphrates, all the land of the Chittites and unto the great sea towards the going down of the sun shall be your coasts. But you notice in verse 3, it says, every place that the soul of your fruit shall tread upon, this I have given unto thee, unto you, Yehoshua, Joshua. Now, he already promised Yehoshua to lead Israel into the promised land. He has given this land to the Hebrews, to our own forefathers many, many years ago.

So what he's really saying, Joshua, go in, make it your own, possess it. By the way, the Ephesians of the Old Testament is the Joshua. The Joshua of the New Testament is Ephesians. So every time when you study, you want to know what is the Ephesians of the Brit HaChadashah, the New Testament, you read the book of Joshua, Yehoshua. You want to know what is the Joshua of the New Testament, you read the book of Ephesians. Promises of the land, go inside and possess it. Promises of heaven and spiritual blessings for us in the church age, enjoy it, live it up, learn it, make it your own practically every day of your life.

That's what he's saying to us as believers in Yeshua, the Messiah. So what he's saying, and I'm back in Ephesians chapter 3 in verse 18 and 19, Paul prayed for comprehension, for grasping and understanding what to know the depth of the Messiah and what he is. And that's why he's saying that ye may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the width, the length, the depth, and height, and to know the love of the Messiah that passes knowledge. Now, in our case, it's not only width and length, in our case, in the believers, in this present day case, also the depth and height. And I think this is very beautiful.

Just think with me for a moment the width of the person of the Messiah. When Yeshua came down from heaven to this world, he opened his hands and he says, come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. The Messiah never limited himself to one person or one nation. He opened his arm and he says, come unto me all the width of the love of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah is really encompassing every people, tongues, and nation. John 3.16 For God so loved the world, that's the width of God's love towards mankind that he gave his only begotten son.

What about length? The length of the love of the Messiah is eternity, is eternal. From everlasting, Psalm 90 and verse 2, from everlasting to everlasting thou art God. You know, the length, how far God in eternity past Yeshua was in existence and in eternity future he is ever existing. He is from everlasting to everlasting the creator, the upholder, the sustainer and the lover of the human race. From everlasting to everlasting thou art God. What about the depth? Think about the depth. The Lord Yeshua came from heaven to this world. He went step by step down to this world. And Paul mentioned that in Philippians chapter 2, though he was equal with God, he counted not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and became a servant.

And even as a servant he went all the way down, even to the death of the cross. How deep could he ever go? No deeper than that. Sometimes we think deep, deep, the love of God had been proven on the tree when Yeshua bore our sins in his body on the tree. There is no deeper love. That's why he said, and to know the love of the Messiah which passes knowledge. How can we fathom? Whoever loved us like him, whoever cared for us like him, no one ever loved us like Yeshua the Messiah. Not our parents, not our families, not our friends, not the best of men.

No one loved us like Yeshua the Messiah. He went to the depth of judgment where all the waves and the billows of God's righteous indignation against sin fell upon him. Now you know what moves our hearts when we think about what he has done for us. You know what's going to change us? When we think of what he has done for me, each one of us says he has done this for me. He went down to the depth of the cross. The verse that Paul mentioned in Philippians chapter 2 and he says in verse 8 being found in a fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross.

You know the shame that was involved in dying on a cross. The Bible tells us cursed is the man that is hanging on a tree. What a shame he had to experience when he died for us on the cross. Sometimes we have a song a shameful death he died. What a shame he had to experience because of all that which men have done to him. But this is nothing compared to what God have done for us. The depth of the Messiah's love brought him all the way down from heaven to this world. He became a man in obedience all the way he went to the cross.

What about the height brothers and sisters? You know the love of God towards mankind he brought a sinner like us that deserve to be judged brought us as high as to the immediate presence of God. You know what I remember a brother said it what I will never understand when I'm going to stand before the Lord what in the world I'm doing here. How can he take a poor vine sinner and bring him to his presence in heaven? Who can understand that? That's what we will never understand what am I in the world doing in glory in the presence of God? Me that dishonored the Lord that have rebelled against him that constantly violated his word what in the world am I doing in this place?

It will be nothing but worshipping the Lord and saying Lord you know we're going to get crowns and we're going to cast it before his feet and we're going to say you are worthy it's not us it's nothing that we have done you brought us to the height of the love of God that brought us to heaven every one of us who is one day going to stand there in the presence of the Lord to sit around Yeshua you read Revelation chapter 5 the 24 elders represent the church the assembly they all bowed before him and said to him thou art worthy thou art worthy to receive the praises and the honor from us thou

art worthy worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing we are going to be prostrate at his feet and we are going to tell him worthy is the lamb for what he have done for us remember that and you see Paul is praying he's saying Abba father I pray for this that they will appreciate what the Messiah have done that they will as it says here will with all the saints will know what is the breadth and the length and the depth and the height and to know the love of the Messiah which passes knowledge now there seems to be a

contradiction here to know the love of the Messiah and then he says it passes knowledge well if you are going to know it how is it passes knowledge well as I mentioned in a previous meeting together we will never exhaust the depth of the value of the person of Yeshua the Messiah his person and his love passes knowledge beyond us throughout eternity afresh we will be overwhelmed with the greatness of the person of Yeshua the Messiah and yet today people use his name as a curse word people reject him and despise him and God said that the name of Yeshua every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Yeshua the Messiah is Lord

is adorned to the glory of God the Father well three requests so far bear with me for another request here the last request here is found in verse 19b Paul prayed Paul prayed for the fullness of God to be the believer's provision the fullness of God again I mentioned to you and the scripture mentioned that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessings in heavenly places in the Mashiach Yeshua as we have it in chapter 1 that is positionally but now he's saying I want you to also know it practically and that's why he's praying in verse 19b that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God you know what is the fullness

of God all the fullness of God is residing in the person of Yeshua the Messiah I want you for a moment turn to Colossians chapter 1 in verse 19 Paul is saying for it pleased the Father that in him this is in Yeshua the Messiah should all fullness dwell look at chapter 2 in verse 9 of Colossians it says there for in him in Yeshua the Messiah in Christ Jesus dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily now how can you grasp that all the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in the body of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah the Father the Son the Spirit all the fullness of the Godhead dwelleth in the person of

Yeshua the Messiah so Paul is saying to them can you imagine what a high high request that he requested from God but could he ask anything lower he couldn't ask anything lower because if God had blessed us with every spiritual blessings in the Messiah Yeshua in the heavenlies well how can he ask God less than what he pray on behalf of the Ephesians he couldn't ask less if God promised that much and gave that much I'll ask for that much that a believer will enjoy it today let me ask you a question brothers and sisters can we say that Paul's requests have been answered in my life or your life can we say that we

live up in the light of these prayer requests I don't think so but nevertheless he prays for that he asks for that because that's the truth in which we have been brought to in this present day dispensation of the ecclesia the church age so now that he said that he concludes verses 20 and 21 Paul praises God for all that he is and for all that he is able to do is really there is a doxology the climates now Paul was like in a very spiritual state when he was praying for that it's like the apostle John on the island of Patmos when the Lord Yeshua gave him this revelation he fell on his face

it's like Yeshayahu Isaiah in chapter 6 when he saw the king in this vision in the temple in Yerushalayim he says woe is me for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of unclean lips for my eyes have seen the king he was overwhelmed and Paul is overwhelmed here and that's why he closed this prayer in this doxology and you notice that triune God somehow is being expressed here in these two verses verse 20 God is able to do all God is able to do above all God is able to do exceeding above all that we ask or think notice that verse 20 unto him this is God the

father Elohim Abba that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us in other words God is able he is able to do above what we ask above what we think and you notice the way he built it up he said unto him that he is able to do and then he said unto him that he is able to do exceeding then he continued unto him that he is able to do exceeding abundantly and then he continued he said unto him that he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think he is like building he said God is

able to do all things God is able to do above all things God is able to do exceeding above all things you know sometime in our life there are things that seem to be impossible we just say oh boy I don't know how I am going to handle this situation and then the Lord comes in and in grace he assists the believer to carry through and get over the situation that we face it's amazing the way God is able unto him that he is able to do exceedingly above what we ask what God is able to do and sometime in our lives when things are hard and difficult it's so important to lean on the

Lord and to pray and to ask him to help because he is able you know we sing that song he is able and God is able to do much more than what we ask or think it says here in the next part of this verse 20 he does it according to the power that works within us well what is that power this is the Holy Spirit all things are possible with God in the power of the Ruach Hakodesh the Holy Spirit of God it is possible he is the God of the impossible but it must be in the power of the Spirit of God not in the power of the basal of the flesh Yeshua

said in John 15 without me ye cannot do nothing and the doxology is being closed in verse 21 unto him and to him be all the glory in the Messiah Yeshua and he closed that chapter unto him be glory in the church by Yeshua the Messiah again the church here is not a building it's not a brick and stone it's not wood it's not sticks the church is believers living stones every believer is part of the ecclesia called out the church unto him be glory among the believers in the believers by Yeshua the Messiah or by the Messiah Christ Jesus Mashiach Yeshua throughout all ages world without end and he says amen you see how

he closes the may it be so by him saying amen he's saying let it be so God that is my prayer for the people of God unto him be the glory by the Messiah Yeshua and I wanted to see the triune God he praying to the Father now unto him that is able this is God the Father and then according to the power that works in us the power is the Holy Spirit of God you can see that it is the working of the power of the Spirit of God and then thirdly you can see the Son unto him verse 21 be glory in the assembly by the Mashiach Yeshua throughout all ages world without

end and he closed that session with the word amen wonderful brothers and sisters to read such a passage and that is all when it comes to doctrine Ephesians chapters 1, 2 and 3 deal with teaching doctrine theology now from chapter 4 5 and 6 he is going to go down to practical duty in the life of the believer so he says if now you have the positional truth doctrinally now how does that going to work out in your own personal day by day life and so we will continue by the grace of God next time may the Lord encourage us and help us to look to the Lord and continue on to follow after him