1
Ephesians 2:11-22
From the Outside In
As I was preparing for our time together this
week, I was completely captivated by the power
of the passage we are going to read today.
Not because it IS NEW.
But because it is REITERATING what we have
already talked about in the previous weeks.
And I thought to myself and even said to God:
“What am I supposed to do? Get up there and
tell them the SAME THING I ALREADY TOLD
THEM?”
Preach the SAME sermon…again…
And as clear as my voice is to you today, I heard
Him say… “YES”
They need to HEAR IT AGAIN.
2
We need to HEAR IT AGAIN.
Our hearts. Our minds.
They are so prone to wander. So PRONE TO
FORGET.
My bride and I were talking on Tuesday this past
week…2 days after the sermon I preached last
week.
And we CAUGHT OURSELVES MESSING UP on
something I had just preached on 2 DAYS
EARLIER!!
She just looked at me and said, ISN’T THAT
WHAT YOU WERE PREACHING AGAINST ON
SUNDAY???
I looked at her and said:
“Stop judging me WOMAN!” ;)
BUT…
I’m reminded…
I was reminded this week…it’s like we have
short term amnesia when it comes to the
Gospel.
We HEAR THE GOOD NEWS.
We let it DROP INTO OUR HEARTS.
We walk out the door. Get a burger and fries.
AND WE. FOR.GET!!
That’s why we have to stay LOCKED INTO THE
SCRIPTURES EVERY DAY.
We have to be REMINDED of the GOOD NEWS.
We have to be REMINDED of WHO WE
WERE…WHO GOD IS…AND WHO WE ARE
NOW…
So know this…I’m ON THIS JOURNEY WITH
YOU.
I FORGET.
3
4
So let me READ THE SCRIPTURES TODAY…let
me REMIND US and do what it says to do in
Isaiah 40:9-10 –
9
Go on up to a high mountain,
O Zion, HERALD of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
10
Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,
and his arm rules for him; 1
Listen today friends to our passage from
Ephesians 2:11-22.
11
Therefore remember that at one time you
Gentiles in the flesh, called “the
uncircumcision” by what is called the
circumcision, which is made in the flesh by
hands— 12 remember that you were at that time
separated from Christ, alienated from the
1TheHolyBible:EnglishStandardVersion.(2001).(Is40:9–10).Wheaton:StandardBibleSociety.
2TheHolyBible:EnglishStandardVersion.(2001).(Eph2:11–22).Wheaton:StandardBibleSociety.
commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the
covenants of promise, having no hope and
without God in the world.
13
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were
far off have been brought near by the blood of
Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has
made us both one and has broken down in his
flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by
abolishing the law of commandments
expressed in ordinances, that he might create
in himself one new man in place of the two, so
making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both
to God in one body through the cross, thereby
killing the hostility.
17
And he came and preached peace to you
who were far off and peace to those who were
near. 18 For through him we both have access
in one Spirit to the Father.
19
So then you are no longer strangers and
aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the
saints and members of the household of God,
5
6
20
built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the
cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure,
being joined together, grows into a holy temple
in the Lord.
22
In him you also are being built together into a
dwelling place for God by the Spirit. 2
Today we’re going to talk about what it means to
move FROM THE OUTSIDE IN.
We’ll spend the first part of today talking about
being on THE OUTSIDE.
Then about how Christ…through his sacrifice has
made a way for us to BE ON THE INSIDE.
And then we’re going to unpack what that means
FOR US…THE CHURCH.
So let’s talk first about THE OUTSIDE.
2TheHolyBible:EnglishStandardVersion.(2001).(Eph2:11–22).Wheaton:StandardBibleSociety.
THE OUTSIDE
Have you ever felt like an outsider?
Insert story of being an OUTSIDER.
THIS is what we are seeing in this passage here.
And…In order for us to have a clear
understanding of who we were BEFORE CHRIST
through this particular passage…
There are some things from this culture…
of the DAY THIS WAS WRITTEN…that we need
to get into our minds.
Paul is writing TO A CHURCH, particularly one
that is full of GENTILE (NON-JEWISH) believers
in Jesus Christ.
Have you ever been at ODDS WITH SOMEONE
AT CHURCH?
NOT TALKING ABOUT YOUR SPOUSE. ;)
7
Have you ever dreaded going to church
because of WHO WAS GOING TO BE THERE?
I have talked to married couples who have dealt
with infidelity.
And the person their spouse had the affair with
was at the church…
and they still went and HAD TO SEE THEM
EVERY SUNDAY…
THAT can make it a little difficult to worship
right???
THAT’S about as close of an example in our day
that I can give you to help us relate to
what it was like for the GENTILES AND THE
JEWS TO “GO TO CHURCH” TOGETHER.
The division between Jews and Gentiles in that
day was ONE OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL
DIVISIONS OF THEIR TIME.
8
These tensions would have been felt as Jews and
Gentiles came together
IN THE CHURCH as followers of Jesus Christ.
Let me give you a bit of a taste of what the
tensions were like between these groups.
In this lovely election cycle we’re in, there is a lot
of talk about BUILDING A WALL.
This is nothing new honestly.
We’re talking about building a WALL BETWEEN
NATIONS for security purposes.
The divide was so deep between Jews and
Gentiles of this time
that there was a WALL built inside the
TEMPLE…TO SEPARATE THEM!
Get that in your mind friends.
It would be the equivalent of us having a big wall
outside the door there.
9
10
And because we would hold SOME TO BE
MORE WORTHY THAN OTHERS…only a select
few could come IN THIS ROOM.
Those who weren’t QUITE AS GOOD…would
need to stand out there in the hallway and
worship.
In the Jewish temple,
there were these SIGNS posted on this WALL
THAT separated
the COURT OF THE GENTILES from THE
COURT OF THE ISRAELITES.
Archeologists…they have FOUND THESE SIGNS.
KNOW WHAT THEY SAID?
The signs said: "NO FOREIGNER IS ALLOWED
TO ENTER WITHIN...WHOEVER IS CAUGHT
WILL BE PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR
HIS ENSUING DEATH."
11
Some believed that Gentiles were made as
FUEL FOR THE FIRES OF HELL,
and that it was wrong to help a Gentile woman
GIVE BIRTH,
because it would bring another HEATHEN INTO
THE WORLD.
BUT…don’t put it all on the Jews.
The Gentiles weren't so crazy about the Jewish
people either.
They conquered the JEWISH NATION, so it was
easy to FEEL CULTURALLY AND POLITICALLY
SUPERIOR.
One Roman historian said it this way:
"The Greeks (GENTILES) wage a TRUCELESS
WAR against people of other races, against
barbarians."
There were all kinds of divisions:
12
POLITICAL, CULTURAL, FOOD, RELIGIOUS,
AND MORE.
And these divisions were not JUST
THEORETICAL.
They caused HUGE PROBLEMS in the church as
Gentiles became Christians
and as they came to EMBRACE THE SAME
FAITH AS THE JEWISH BELIEVERS
who had also BECOME CHRISTIANS AS WELL.
See…and you guys think this TRUMP VS.
HILARY THING IS BAD!!
Nothing compared to what the Jews and Gentiles
were dealing with.
But let’s look a little deeper at the first part of this
passage and see…what was it exactly that
caused YOU AND I TO BE ON THE OUTSIDE?
Just LIKE THE GENTILES
There were FIVE THINGS:
13
1. "SEPARATE FROM CHRIST" –
When we read this, we think "Jesus Christ,"
when we really should be thinking "Messiah."
Israel had the expectation of a coming Messiah
who would triumph over all their enemies;
Gentiles had no such hope.
2. "EXCLUDED FROM CITIZENSHIP IN
ISRAEL" –
God had chosen to be known by Israel and noone else.
If you were non-Jewish, you were EXCLUDED
from all of God's blessings unless you became
Jewish.
None of God's blessings for his chosen people
were yours.
3. "FOREIGNERS OF THE COVENANTS OF
THE PROMISE" –
God made all kinds of promises in the Old
Testament on the basis of his covenants with
Israel.
14
The Gentiles - THAT'S US - had no share in
these promises.
4. "WITHOUT HOPE" –
As bad as things got in Israel, the faithful always
had God's promises.
They believed in the promised messianic
salvation.
Gentiles, they didn’t have THIS HOPE.
5. "WITHOUT GOD IN THE WORLD" –
Gentiles had gods, but they didn't have the one
true God.
So it's like Israel had the one true God and the
rest of us had fakes.
Put this altogether and you have a picture of our
exclusion:
cut off FROM THE MESSIAH,
cut off FROM GOD AS KING,
as well as ALL OF HIS PROMISES;
15
cut off FROM HOPE, and FROM GOD
HIMSELF.
Paul wants the readers of this letter to FEEL THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THEIR EXCLUSION,
not only from Israel,
but their EXCLUSION FROM A COVENANTAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND ALL OF ITS
BENEFITS.
Paul is telling us that
we need to SEE THE ENORMITY,
the significance,
of our EXCLUSION, BOTH FROM ISRAEL AND
FROM GOD.
Part of the reason is
MAYBE…JUST MAYBE the people HAD
FORGOTTEN
the gravity of the situation and had forgotten the
Jewish heritage of their faith –
16
something that is probably very true of you and I
as well.
One of the major themes of the book of Ephesians
is GOD'S ETERNAL PURPOSE TO BRING ALL
THINGS TOGETHER UNDER CHRIST.
Paul wrote in chapter 1 that God
purposed "to bring unity to all things in heaven
and on earth under Christ" (Ephesians 1:10).
What Paul writes here is significant not only for
the Jewish/Gentile divide,
but also FOR ALL THE WAYS that people are
excluded,
even WITHIN THE CHURCH.
Most of us are TRIBAL BY NATURE.
We divide by CLASS, RACE, ECONOMICS,
AGE, MUSIC.
This is true not only in society, which is very
fragmented.
17
It's also true WITHIN THE CHURCH.
Paul says that WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND not only understand, but feel - the significance of
these divisions.
THE INSIDE
Now…let’s jump down to VERSES 19-22 and see
where we are NOW. We are moving from THE
OUTIDE IN.
What does it look like to be ON THE INSIDE:
19
So then you are no longer strangers and
aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the
saints and members of the household of God,
20
built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the
cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure,
being joined together, grows into a holy temple
in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built
together into a dwelling place for God by the
Spirit.
18
Each of these images is PACKED FULL OF
MEANING.
1.
CITIZENS
STORY: about Mel and DRIVER’S LICENSE.
I had no idea how much I SHOULD VALUE MY
CITIZENSHIP UNTIL I WENT TO ANOTHER
COUNTRY.
STORY: Being held up at the border in MEXICO.
It’s easy to take it for granted. I don't anymore.
And that's nothing compared to the way that the
EPHESIANS WOULD HAVE SEEN
CITIZENSHIP.
Citizenship was a huge source of human pride.
Like LONGHORNS VS AGGIES (PAUL RYAN
STORY)
Your city PROVIDED YOUR IDENTITY.
If you traveled and met someone else from your
area, there would BE INSTANT CONNECTION.
19
Paul here says that WE'RE FELLOW CITIZENS
with God's people.
We possess a CITIZENSHIP FAR SUPERIOR to
any LOCAL CITIZENSHIP and even the coveted
ROMAN CITIZENSHIP.
We're part of a SUPREME community, a third
city.
But it gets even more intimate than that. We're
not just fellow citizens
2.
FAMILY
We're actually family.
We're "...also members of his household"
(Ephesians 3:19). This is an EVEN DEEPER
LEVEL of intimacy.
Tony Evans says it this way:
You've been called into SOMETHING
STAGGERING. If Bill Gates were to adopt a
child, that would be staggering. If the president
20
of the United States were to adopt a child,
the implications of THAT ARE STAGGERING.
Because we've been adopted into the family of
God, THE IMPLICATIONS ARE BEYOND
COMPREHENSION.
We're fellow citizens; we're family.
3.
TEMPLE
IT gets even more mind-blowing than this. We're
also GOD'S TEMPLE:
...built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the
chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is
joined together and rises to become a holy
temple in the Lord. And in him you too are
being built together to become a dwelling in
which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:2022)
For a thousand years, the temple in Jerusalem
had been the FOCUS OF GOD'S PRESENCE IN
THE WORLD.
21
But now, Paul says, God is doing A NEW
THING.
He's building A NEW TEMPLE,
this time located AMONG PEOPLE –
more particularly, in his church.
This building isn't GOD'S HOUSE, like ROBERT
TALKED ABOUT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
together you and I are PARTS OF GOD'S
HOUSE, his HOLY TEMPLE.
It's a temple with three parts:
1. THE FOUNDATION OF THE APOSTLES AND
PROPHETS - those who brought the Word of
God to us
2. THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE, JESUS
CHRIST - He's at the center; everything else fits
around him
22
3. BUILDING BLOCKS - US! Gentiles used to
be excluded from the temple;
now WE'RE PART OF WHAT GOD IS BUILDING
This means that God actually INHABITS HIS
CHURCH.
This is the focus of GOD'S PRESENCE IN THIS
WORLD.
If you wanted to go where God's presence dwelt,
you USED TO HAVE TO GO TO THE TEMPLE.
Now, if you want to go to where God's presence
dwells,
you have to go AMONG HIS PEOPLE, HIS
CHURCH.
WE ARE WHERE GOD DWELLS.
You see how this gets more and more
intimate????
Fellow citizens is SORT OF CLOSE;
family is a LOT CLOSER;
23
blocks in the temple ARE CONNECTED
MILLIMETERS APART.
You're SUPPORTED BY OTHERS, and you also
SUPPORT OTHERS.
You are part of something MUCH BIGGER THAN
YOURSELF.
HOW?
So here is the question:
What happened between verses 11-12 that
describes the ALIENATION AND SEPARATION
between Jews and Gentiles,
and verses 19-22 that describes THE FULL
RECONCILIATION AND UNITY?
Here we could talk about this for days.
These verses, 13-18, are so rich and thick with
doctrine that it would take FOREVER TO
UNPACK IT ALL.
24
So I will leave a lot of questions unanswered and
make one main point that I think is the most
ESSENTIAL THING.
What happened between the alienation of verses
11-12 and the reconciliation of verses 19-22?
The answer is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God
died—
and HE DIED BY DESIGN.
Yes, he rose and is alive.
But the emphasis here FALLS ON HIS DEATH.
Where do we see it?
We see it in the word "BLOOD" IN VERSE 13B:
"You who formerly were far off have been brought
near BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST."
We see it in the word "flesh" in verse 15, ". . .
ABOLISHING IN HIS FLESH THE ENMITY."
25
And we see it in the word "cross" in verse 16,
"...and might reconcile them both in one body to
God THROUGH THE CROSS."
The rest of the text is Paul's explanation of HOW
THE BLOOD OF CHRIST—
his DEATH IN THE FLESH on the cross—
removes the ENMITY BETWEEN GOD AND
JEW,
GOD AND GENTILE AND JEW AND GENTILE,
And so, it IMPLIES…
between EVERY ETHNIC GROUP of Christians
who are in Christ WHO HAS BECOME OUR
PEACE.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
It means this: Because of the CROSS.
We are reconciled…not only VERTICALLY…WITH
GOD…
BUT HORIZONTALLY WITH EACH OTHER.
26
SIMPLY PUT:
THE GOSPEL DESTROYS RACISM.
I mean, all throughout the Bible.
Starting in GENESIS 1
IMAGE OF GOD. Male and Female? All humans
made in the IMAGE OF GOD…therefore EQUAL.
God comes to ABRAHAM Genesis 12…says I’m
going to save the world…I want to make sure that
SALVATION goes to ALL GENERATIONS.
MOSES…a Jewish man…marries a BLACK
WOMAN in Numbers 12.
God not only APPROVES OF IT…he PUNISHES
the people who SPEAK AGAINST IT.
(Go read it…)
In Acts 10…He tells PETER…
Don’t show FAVORTISM! Instead…God accepts
everyone from EVERY NATION who FEAR HIM
27
AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT.
THE GOSPEL IS SAYING HERE…
No longer are you going to GET YOUR
IDENTITY, by looking DOWN ON OTHERS.
See…listen friends…
Until you HEAR THE GOSPEL…you DIVIDE THE
WORLD.
You walk down the street…you see some “types”
of people…and you ROLL YOUR EYES AT
THEM.
“OH…THOSE PEOPLE”
People of different POLITICS.
People of different RACE.
People of different SOCIAL CLASSES
It’s how we FEEL BETTER ABOUT OURSELVES.
But the GOSPEL DESTROYS THAT!
WHY???
This passage shows us
It says…look at those people over there…ON
THE OUTSIDE (Gentiles)! Living their lives FAR
AWAY FROM GOD.
They’re REJECTING GOD. Living HOWEVER
THEY WANT.
But LOOK AT THE PEOPLE ON THE INSIDE
(Jews).
The ones who are LIVING GOOD LIVES.
And God…now you need to TAKE ME TO
HEAVEN WHEN I DIE.
And they’re saying: you people…you need to
RESPECT ME…because I’m a REALLY GOOD
PERSON.
Both of them are being SELF CENTERED
Both of them are being ARROGANT.
They’re both doing it in a way that takes
DIVISIONS IN THE HUMAN RACE…
28
29
And MAKES THEM WORSE!
They’re both being SELF RIGHTEOUS.
Both making themselves SAVIOR AND LORD.
Therefore…THEY ARE BOTH LOST!
And the GOSPEL SAYS…there is no PECKING
ORDER!
Everyone from a TERRORIST to a HOOKER…to
a PILLAR type person in a church…
You’re all SINNERS.
You’re all trying to be YOUR OWN SAVIOR…in
different ways.
And therefore you’re all EQUAL BEFORE GOD.
And therefore you’re all EQUAL RECIPIENTS OF
GRACE…
IF. YOU. ASK. FOR. IT!
And the GOSPEL HUMBLES YOU OUT OF
THAT KIND OF PRIDE!
30
It DESTROYS COMPARISON!
And it also RESHUFFLES THE DECK.
We all have things that make us PROUD OF
WHO WE ARE.
For example…let’s just say…YOU DO LOVE
YOUR ETHNIC HERITAGE.
Whether you’re LATINO…or BLACK…ASIAN…
Or a CZHECH like me!
And you’re very HAPPY BEING whatever it is that
you are.
Some of you are like I’M TEXAN!
That’s my ETHNIC GROUP! ☺
Listen, that’s part of what makes you feel like
WHO YOU ARE.
PROUD.
And you went on…YOU GOT AN EDUCATION.
You got a GOOD JOB.
31
You have a CAREER.
You’re a PROFESSIONAL PERSON.
These are GOOD THINGS!
BUT…
Then along comes THIS FACT:
If you GIVE YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST…
You are now ACCEPTED IN HIM.
The Lord of the UNIVERSE…not only PARDONS
YOU..
But HE DELIGHTS IN YOU.
As PERFECT. RIGHTEOUS. IN CHRIST.
And THAT AFFIRMATION.
THAT IDENTITY.
IS SO POWERFUL…it goes to the FOUNDATION
OF YOUR LIFE.
And everything else…becomes SECONDARY!
32
It’s great to be a TEXAN.
A Hispanic.
An African American.
It’s great to be a PROFESSIONAL _________.
But those THINGS…pale in comparison TO THIS!
And that LOOSENS YOU UP…
You’re no longer so LOCKED UP IN YOUR
CULTURE.
RACE
PROFESSION
POLITICS
You don’t NEED THAT to feel good about
yourself anymore.
And BECAUSE OF THAT!
PAUL can come to a guy like PETER…
33
Who was told all along that GENTILES were
unclean.
And even after he became a Christ follower, he
REFUSED to eat with GENTILE CHRISTIANS.
And PAUL tells him in GALATIANS 2:14…
You’re NOT LIVING IN LINE WITH THE
GOSPEL!
Is that CRAZY or what?
Did you ever catch that???
ONE PILLAR OF THE CHURCH (PAUL)…calling
out another PILLAR OF THE CHURCH (PETER)
PAUL said…you should NOT DO RACIAL
DISCRIMINATION
You should NOT JUDGE A PERSON by the color
of their skin…RATHER THAN THE CONTENT OF
THE CHARACTER.
34
You would not be able TO BE A RACIST…if you
understood the IMPLICATIONS OF THE
GOSPEL.
Your IDENTITY HAS CHANGED.
The DECK HAS BEEN RESHUFFLED!
And it’s not just that you DON’T LOOK DOWN
ON THEM.
That because of CHRIST…you now HAVE A
BOND WITH THEM.
There is now A NEW RACE…a NEW
HUMANITY…
Within the church FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN
CHRIST.
So How does God do this?
LOOK.
It’s in verse 16:
that he might create in himself one new man in
place of the two, so making peace, 16 and
might reconcile us both to God in one body
through the cross, thereby KILLING THE
HOSTILITY3
What’s He saying there?
I THOUGHT NOTHING DIED ON THE CROSS
EXCEPT JESUS?
2 Cor 5:21
“God made HIM SIN…who knew NO SIN…so
that we might become THE RIGHEOUSNESS
OF GOD IN HIM.”
That shows us that GOD…put Jesus in the place
of us…where WE should be destroyed for our
HOSTILITY.
For what WE’VE DONE TO THIS WORLD
God should PUT US TO DEATH for our
HOSTILITY…
But right here in EPHESIANS…it says that HE
SLAYED HOSTILITY!
3TheHolyBible:EnglishStandardVersion.(2001).(Eph2:15–16).Wheaton:StandardBibleSociety.
35
36
Jesus GOT THE HOSTILITY.
See…because we’ve been HOSTILE towards
each other, GOD SHOULD BE HOSTILE towards
us.
Because we have DESTROYED each other, GOD
SHOULD DESTROY US.
But INSTEAD.
THE DESTRUCTION CAME DOWN ON HIM!
And when Jesus did it VOLUNTARILY…that is
AMAZING.
And wouldn’t you say that the TRINITY…
Father, Son, Holy Spirit…
That they are A SUPERIOR race to you and I?
I mean.
They have NO BEGINNING.
NO ENDING.
PERFECT in all THEIR WAYS.
37
HOLY.
Definitely a SUPERIOR RACE.
And YET…HEBREWS 2:11 says this about
JESUS:
He is NOT ASHAMED TO CALL US BROTHERS.
He was not ASHAMED to identify with AN
INFERIOR RACE.
He didn’t SEE US AS INFERIOR
He went to the CROSS…and He was not
ASHAMED TO CALL US BROTHERS!
And when the CROSS COMES INTO THE
MIDDLE OF YOUR LIFE…
There will be NO ONE you come across that
you’d be ASHAMED TO CALL BROTHER either.
Regardless of HOW THEY SMELL.
The color of their SKIN.
This is the kind of CHURCH WE’LL BE.
Now hear me…there isn’t a perfect church…
That can be INCLUSIVE of all people.
I’m speaking in ENGLISH here…that alone is
EXLCLUSIVE…
because how many languages are spoken in the
GREATER HOUSTON AREA?
I mean…that leaves out A LOT OF PEOPLE!
Not ONE CHURCH...can encompass all these
things.
But GRAND CENTRAL can ask the question…
“How do WE STRETCH??? To be more
RACIALLY…CULTURALLY…
INCLUSIVE!!”
That I’m CHRISTIAN FIRST…American second.
CHRISTIAN FIRST…college educated second.
CHRISTIAN FIRST…professional second.
How do we SACRIFICE to make that happen?
38
39
Why would WE attempt this?
Because
THAT’S HOW this world will see…
one of the main evidences THAT GOD’S power is
at WORK in this world!
THE GOSPEL CHANGES EVERYTHING!
Later in Ephesians, after his powerful portrait of
the church AND ALL THAT GOD CALLS IT TO
BE,
PAUL prays for the church, and then in 3:20-21 in
the benediction to his prayer he says:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably
more than all we ask or imagine, according to
his power that is at work within us...
It is a TALL ORDER.
We can't do it, BUT HE CAN.
He can do immeasurably more abundantly than
all that we ask or think - according to His power
at work in us.
"...to him be glory in the church and in Christ
Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and
ever! Amen."
40