That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, begin rooted and grounded in love….

Ephesians 3:17

Paul understood what was important for his children in the faith.  As he prayed for them, he prayed that God would do in them and for them what would be the best.  One of his requests was ‘that Christ may dwell, in your hearts through faith.’  Our hearts are full of something and/or someone.  Our hearts are, by nature, and apart from grace, ‘deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.’  God alone can grant us hearts that are new, clean, and filled with something else other than selfish desires and personal idols.  If these occupy our hearts no more, because of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, what will take the place of those things which used to occupy our hearts?  Paul is praying for his children, ‘that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.’  Who better than Christ to dwell in our hearts?  He is God, and as God, deserves to occupy our hearts.  He is our Redeemer, and as such, deserves to occupy our hearts.   He is our Prophet, Priest, and King, and therefore, deserves to occupy our hearts.  He is our Best Friend, and so deserves to occupy our hearts.  He is the Way, Truth and Life, and thus deserves to occupy our hearts.  Therefore, for all these reasons and more besides, we desire that Christ should dwell in our hearts by faith. 

Our Glorious Living Christ,
we rejoice that it is Your desire
to dwell in our hearts by faith.
We pray that today, You will indeed,
fill us with Your Holy Spirit,
and abide with us.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

To him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:21

How long will God receive glory from His redeemed?  The answer is, ‘Forever and ever.’  God is eternal, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.  He is worthy of eternal glory.  He has created us to glorify and enjoy Him as our chief end.  He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass, including redemption and how He accomplishes it in the lives of those whom He redeems.  Therefore the eternal God has redeemed these people for the purpose of glorifying Him, ‘forever and ever.’  This is ‘by Christ Jesus.’  Because it is ‘by Christ Jesus,’ He deserves the first place in our lives, our homes, our businesses, our relationships, now and always.  It is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring that to pass as He renews us in the whole person after the image of Christ, and enables us to die more and more unto sin and to live unto righteousness.  The end of that process is to be like Christ, ‘forever and ever.’  It would not be joyful for us to be with Christ without also being like Christ.  This is the place in our experience to which Christ is bringing us in order that we may glorify God and enjoy Him, ‘forever and ever.’  This is the brightest of futures for all of the redeemed.

Our Gracious Master and Our God,
we rejoice that You have given us
the privilege of glorifying You.
We praise You the because of Your divine ordination,
this is a privilege which we will enjoy
for all ages.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen

Ephesians 3:21

‘Glory be to the Father
And to the Son,
And to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end,
Amen, Amen.’

We exist to the glory of God.  It is God’s intention that all of His creation should bring Him Glory.  Most particularly, God intends that He should have glory ‘in the church.’  This is inextricably connected to the Person and work of Christ for it is ‘by Christ Jesus.’  This is glory which involves ‘all generations,’ that is, all of the redeemed of all ages.  It is glory which shall never cease, for it is ‘forever and ever.’  This means that God by Christ has redeemed all whom He has chosen in Christ and predestinated unto the adoption of children in order that by their existence and with all they do, they will bring Him never-ending glory.  This is encouraging for every believer.  It is also an encouragement for us to proclaim the Gospel.  We believe that Jesus saves.  Therefore, we make a full and free offer of Christ to all.  ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.’  Rest by faith in His Person and His work.  As He said, ‘Repent and believe the gospel.’  Embrace Christ as the gospel freely offers Him, join the body of Christ, and bring Him ‘glory in the church…to all generations.’

Our Glorious God and our Loving Father,
we rejoice that You have set Christ before us.
We praise You that by Him, You bring glory unto Yourself,
as You work in us and through us.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Now unto him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

Ephesians 3:20

Our desires often do not match our ability.  We may have aspirations to accomplish many things, yet when we attempt those things we find that we are unable to succeed.  The Holy Trinity is never unable to accomplish all that they intend.  Because God has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass and governs over all His creatures and all of their affairs, nothing surprises Him, nor is anything to hard for Him.  As Paul is concluding his prayer for his spiritual children, he utters a doxology to God ‘who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.’  Here is the confidence which we have, that our God is able.  In context, He ‘is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.’  Paul relates this directly to what God does in us through our relationship with Christ.  We are utterly unable to accomplish the development of our own spirituality by our own will or intent.  It is the work of the Holy Spirit which is ‘the power that works in us.’  He renews us in the whole person.  He causes us to have desires to make use of the means of grace.  He enables us to die more and more to sin and to live unto righteousness.  He is able, and He does.  This is exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.

Our All-powerful God,
we rejoice that You do all things well.
We praise You that, what You do in us,
and in all other places,
is exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

9:30 am Worship Service
10900 Huron Street
Northglenn, CO

Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-21

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 swell 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 passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness 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.

Sermon: The Love of Christ – Tomm Tice

1. Who can know the love of Christ?
2. How can we know the love of Christ?
3. What can we know about the love of Christ?

Catechism: Westminster Shorter Catechism Question #81

What is forbidden in the tenth commandment?

The tenth commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbor, and all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.

1 Corinthians 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. James 3:14-16 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hears, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not form above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

Worship:

Jesus Thank You
Psalm 23
It is Well with My Soul