1 Corinthians chapter 14. I'm going to read a few verses out of this chapter, not the entire chapter, but a good portion of it, beginning in verse one. And feeling as I do my dependence upon God, my own sense of unworthiness and inadequacy to do what I'm now doing. Let's go to the Lord in prayer and seek his help. for the reading and preaching of His Word. Let's all pray. O Lord, we do thank Thee today that we have a book we can trust, a book that is inspired of God, a book that is inerrant. And yet, Lord, we are mindful of the fact that we are not infallible or inerrant. We are prone to mistakes. We are prone to wander. And so we come to Thee, O Lord, to seek Thy help for the right understanding of Thy Word. I confess, O Lord, to Thee and before this body that I can accomplish nothing in my own strength or power or wisdom. And so I come to Thee, dear God, to plead the blood of Thy Son over my life and to ask of Thee, based on Christ's merit, that Thou wilt cleanse me and then fill me with Thy Spirit And may it please thee, Lord, to grant me strength of heart and mind, clarity of thought and speech, and especially unction from on high, so the message will be perceived not merely as a sermon crafted by a man, but may it be perceived as a message sent from God to this people for this time. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen. 1 Corinthians 14, we begin with verse 1. Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God. For no man understandeth him, albeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort, He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself, but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied. For greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret that the church may receive edifying. Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you? Except I shall speak to you either by revelation or by knowledge. or by prophesying or by doctrine? And even things without life-giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise you, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? For ye shall speak into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. Therefore, if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. Wherefore, let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth that my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? For thou barely givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all. Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. Brethren, be not children in understanding. Howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people, and yet for all that they will not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not. But prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, And there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all, and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest. And so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. How is it then, brethren, When ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. And then if you would turn with me to Ephesians chapter 3. You probably know that in Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, there are two prayers in this epistle. We are focusing now on the second of two prayers. We'll begin in verse 14 of Ephesians 3, where Paul writes, 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 passeth 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. Amen. We'll end our reading at the end of the chapter knowing that the Lord will add his blessing to the reading of his word for his namesake. For this conference, I've been assigned two topics, two topics you might say that are linked by a common thread. You'll notice if you've looked in the program guide that the name of my first topic is the edifying use of prayer, and the name of my second topic is the edifying use of God's word. Two distinct topics, and yet not so distinct that they're not related to each other, where prayer and the Bible are very definitely related to each other, but they are distinct. However, in the giving of these assignments there is a link between the two which pertains to the idea of edification, the edifying use of prayer, the edifying use of the Word of God. You might have thought, based on the section I just now read from 1 Corinthians 14, that I'd been assigned to speak on the topic of the charismatic movement and the proper use of spiritual gifts, or the theme of speaking in tongues, or the meaning of prophesying. No, the reason I chose 1 Corinthians 14 for my reading doesn't have anything to do with tongues or prophesying or charismania, at least nothing directly. The reason I read these verses is because no other chapter in the New Testament places such a strong emphasis on edification. Let me scan those references for you in 1 Corinthians 14, verse 3. But he that prophesied speaketh unto men through edification and exhortation and comfort. Verse 5. I would that ye all speak with tongues, but rather that ye prophesy, for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except ye interpret, that the church may receive edifying." Verse 12, Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. And verse 26, How is it then, brethren? When you come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. If I'm going to be faithful then to the assignment that's been given me, I think it's important at the outset of these studies that we come to a right understanding of the term edify or edification. If I'm going to address the edifying use of prayer and the edifying use of the Word of God, then we have to understand what exactly is meant by edifying anything. Now basically, and you may know this, the word edify conveys the idea of building something. It's a spiritual process. It makes reference to a building up of the people of God. I find it rather interesting to note that when Christ made his statement to Peter following Peter's confession of Christ, Christ said to him in Matthew 16 and verse 18, Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build, literally, I will edify my church. Something else that I found interesting about the word edify And that is that in nearly every case when the word is used and translated by the English word edify, it most often is making reference to the mutual ministry that takes place between Christians one to another. I say I find this interesting to note because very often the idea of edification when it's contemplated, it's contemplated with the idea of one's own personal edification. I can only find one instance when the actual term makes reference to personal edification, and in that one instance the statement is a negative statement. We read in 1 Corinthians 14 verse 4, notice what it says, He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself. And I say the statement is a negative one because throughout that chapter, and indeed in other passages, when the idea of edification is in view, it's always with reference to the church or it's with reference to the mutual ministry of believers to each other. We have an obligation to each other to edify each other, to build each other up. That is a ministry between Christians. If I could cite just a couple more references. Romans chapter 14 and verse 19. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. Do you catch the drift there? One may edify another. Doesn't say, does it, that one may edify himself? No, the idea of mutual ministry is in view. Romans chapter 15 and verse 2, let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. And again, you see the drift. It is with others in view that the idea of edification is brought to our attention. And then one verse that we already read, I'll read it again. First Corinthians 14 and verse 26. How is it then brethren? when you come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation, let all things be done unto edifying." And of course the context there is within the church. It would seem then, wouldn't it, that if I'm going to tackle my assignment by addressing the edifying use of prayer and the edifying use of the Word of God then I must place an emphasis on how prayer and the Word of God are used corporately in the setting of building up each other. Now, I'm not suggesting that there is no place for the personal use of Bible reading for the individual Christian or prayer, individual prayer. There certainly is a place. And the need for individual or personal edification You can hardly function in such a way as to edify others if you yourself are not edified through prayer and through use of the Word of God. I'm simply making the observation that when it comes to the use of the word edify, then reference is made nearly without exception to our mutual ministry of building each other up in the faith. Now in 1 Corinthians 14, I think you can find links to both of my topic assignments. In other words, there is reference to the edifying use of prayer. If you look in verse 15 of 1 Corinthians 14, Paul says, What is it then? I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the Spirit, how shall he that occupyeth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified." So there is a connection here, isn't there, between prayer and edification. You see the implication behind the statement. In our praying and in our singing, and it might be worth noting here that there is a strong connection between singing and praying. There is a sense in which singing is a form of prayer. In our praying and in our singing, we must utilize our understanding. Which is just another way of saying that our praying and our singing must be based on sound doctrine. Doctrine that we understand to be true because it's scriptural. The failure to pray or sing with our understanding robs others in the congregation of saying amen to our giving of thanks, and hence they are deprived of edification. So there is a connection between our praying and our edifying others. And perhaps it's worth pausing here for a moment to simply make the observation that when you are in a prayer meeting where the praying is Spirit-filled and Spirit-led and Bible-based, this serves the purpose of edification. It serves the purpose of building up the brethren. I must admit that before I was given this assignment, I hadn't really appreciated the force of that truth. The value to prayer meetings is not only in bringing our prayers and our praises before the throne of grace but our times in prayer together also serve the purpose of edifying each other. I realize, of course, that we have to be very careful with this. It becomes a sore abuse of praying if instead of worshiping God and bringing our petitions to Him, we instead think that the time of prayer is a time to speak to other Christians. I've been in those kinds of prayer meetings, perhaps you have too, where I come away with the impression that some particular brother is not so much speaking to God as he may be speaking to me. Speaking to God, but speaking to me indirectly, and it appears, you know, the impression I get is that the indirect communication to me was more his aim than in speaking to God. That is definitely not the way edification comes through praying. In fact, that's a sore abuse of prayer. I think edification comes when in the time of prayer a man who is spirit-filled and humble and sincere and reverent is able to lift that prayer meeting to heaven as well as call heaven down to that prayer meeting so that the perception is sensed by all that Christ is among His people while they're in the place of prayer. Those are the prayer meetings that I love. when someone in the sincerity and simplicity of faith lays hold of God, worships God, calls upon God for great blessings. Oh, how my soul is filled, how my soul is blessed, how readily I'm ready to lend Him my hearty amen. And in that process, I'm edified. I believe John the Baptist had that kind of spiritual ability. And as a result, Christ's disciples requested of him that he teach his disciples to pray the way John taught his disciples to pray in Luke 11 and verse 1. So 1 Corinthians 14 makes reference to the edifying use of prayer. And if you care to draw the application from prophesying, that preaching can also come into view. then it becomes easy to see the edifying use of God's Word from that chapter, especially the edifying use of preaching, or proclaiming, prophesying, if you will, the Word of God. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. That sure sounds a lot like preaching to me. So hopefully I've laid the groundwork for my assignment by focusing on the meaning of edification. I must come now to the topic at hand, which is the edifying use of prayer. And in order to focus more closely now on this particular topic, I want to direct your attention to Paul's prayer for the saints at Ephesus, found in Ephesians 3, verses 15 to 21. Let's turn now to that passage as we think for the remainder of our time on the edifying use of prayer. And here I must admit that just as John the Baptist leaped in the womb of his mother Elizabeth when Christ drew near, being carried in the womb of the Virgin Mary, so my soul leaped within me at the prospect of having a good reason to turn to Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3. This is certainly an edifying prayer to say the least. And even though the term edify is not found in these verses, although we will see in the course of this study one particular term that does have a direct bearing on the concept of edification, I believe you'll discover that the elements that contribute to edification are all here. And, in fact, that's the first point of analysis I want to bring to your attention. Consider with me, first of all, the elements of edification. What are we talking about? when we talk about building each other up. I've given you a definition for the word, but there is much that has to go into that definition and into that concept. What are the elements of edification? If edification is a building up process, then there are certain things we need in order to be built up. First and foremost would be strength, spiritual strength. This is the first thing Paul prays that the saints at Ephesus would receive. Look at the way Paul begins his prayer in verse 14. 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. We are at once reminded, aren't we, that Christianity is a religion of the inner man. Our religion takes us to the very core of our being. We do not simply give assent to a creed and then strive to live by a certain code of conduct. Oh, we do have a creed and we do have a code of conduct, but that's not all we have. If that's all we had, we would be no better than whited sepulchres that might outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly would be full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Christianity is a religion of the heart. It begins with a new heart, a regenerated heart. And the Christian's need from the time of his regeneration is for constant and continual renewal of that heart. But though our outward man perish, Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 16, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. And so it is this inward man that needs the strength that is in view here. But not just any kind of strength. Notice that Paul's prayer is that the saints at Ephesus might be strengthened with might. That word might is a familiar word, the word from which we get our English term dynamite, that we might be strengthened with dynamite, the might of dynamite. Here's the strength that you and I need as Christians. We need dynamite strength, which is just another way of saying we need supernatural strength. It comes from the Spirit of God Himself. You're perhaps familiar with Paul's statement to the Romans, found in Romans chapter 1 and verse 16, that tells us the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. It's the same word there, that word power. The gospel is the dynamite of God unto salvation. And I've always found that statement incredible. because it speaks to us of the ongoing need in the Christian's life of that kind of power, of gospel power. And there is a sense in which I suppose you could say that the term dynamite breaks down. And that when you think of a blast of dynamite, I mean, you've got a big, impressive blast, but after that it's done. But in the case of the Christian's life, we need the ongoing power of the gospel. Stop and think about it for a moment. Who among us doesn't feel the constant need for spiritual strength? It takes strength to live the Christian life. It takes strength to pray. It takes strength to fight sin. It takes strength to pursue holiness. It takes the strength of courage to witness for Christ. It takes strength to apply ourselves toward being spiritual, because being spiritual is not something that comes naturally. It comes supernaturally. In Romans 7 and verse 22, Paul makes another reference to the inner man. He says, For I delight in the law of God after the inward man. That's a good thing. And that's the mark of a regenerated soul. But then Paul goes on to say in the next verse, But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. And in Galatians 5 and verse 17, For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. What a dilemma! What an impasse! Oh, I delight after the law of God in the inward man. That's good, that's great, but if I have no power to go that way, then what good does that desire do me? And if the flesh lusts against the spirit, the spirit against the flesh, I'm at a hopeless impasse. What is the solution to the impasse? God, I must have strength. I must have strength for that inner man to prevail, for the new nature to gain the preeminence over the old nature. So there is a new nature set against an old nature, and what does it take to break the impasse? It takes spiritual strength. It takes gospel strength. And I should perhaps note here that when I speak of strength, I'm not simply referring to the strength of our resolve, as if to suggest that I have greater resolve to overcome the flesh than I'll overcome it in that power alone. No, rather, the strength or the might that I'm referring to is the strength of your faith in the gospel of Christ. Let me have the strength of faith. Let me believe that Christ really has atoned for my sins. I made reference a moment ago to Romans 7. That's the chapter that describes in vivid detail the battle between the old nature and the new. That battle leads to a kind of wretchedness that Paul would explain when he says, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? And I think it's worth noting here that when it comes to gaining the victory over the flesh, there are two things that really come to pass if you look carefully at Romans 7 at the end and on into Romans 8. One of them is a matter of identification. Paul makes reference on two occasions, I won't turn to it now, I'm off on a side tangent here, I won't have you turn to it, but Paul makes reference on two occasions to the sin that dwells in him when he says, so it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. Now, he's not excusing sin on that basis. We cannot simply blame it away as if to say, I'm not responsible for it. Oh, I am. But what Paul is doing in that verse is refusing to identify with the sin nature. That's not me. I've done it. I'm guilty of it. I need cleansing. I need forgiveness. But that is not me. That is sin that sadly still abides in me. So I refuse to identify with the sin nature, even though I must sadly acknowledge the reality of it. But then when it comes to the battle of gaining the victory, gaining the strength and applying the strength, that's when you come into Romans chapter 8. And I think it's very important to remember that when you're reading these epistles, the chapter divisions have been imposed by man. And it's sometimes too easy to draw too great a distinction between the chapters. It is in that context of the flesh battling against the spirit, the old nature battling against the new nature. How do I gain the victory? Well, it's a matter of identification. But then here comes the next step. No condemnation. There is therefore now no condemnation. to those that are in Christ Jesus. Oh God, give me the strength to believe that. Give me the strength of faith to appropriate that. No condemnation. So the first element to our edification, to our being built up is this strength. Strengthened with might by His power in the inner man. Strengthened in our hearts. Strengthened with an increase in faith The next element to our ratification is found in verse 17, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. We're back in Ephesians 3 now. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. And just like the previous element, we have to say with regard to this one, that it's something that applies to the inner man. Christ dwelling in your hearts. That speaks, doesn't it, of the inner man. The very core of your being is your heart. And I believe the idea here is one of communion. I love the emphasis in our devotion this morning on the fact that Christ is present with his people. We don't serve an ideal. We don't worship an ideal. He's a true man. The son of man and the son of God and his presence can be known and should be known. Indeed, there's a sense in which you could say Paul is praying that the saints at Ephesus would know the truth of Christ in them, the hope of glory, or that they would be enabled in their spiritual experience to say what Paul himself says in Galatians 2 and verse 20, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." We can, of course, cross-reference this petition with that familiar verse found in Revelation 3, verse 20, which describes Christ standing at the door and knocking. Behold, I stand at the door and And would you note here that this is something that is written to the church. I know that we use that evangelistically, and I think that's a valid use. But in the setting in which that statement occurs, it is the setting of Christ standing at the door of the church. I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him. And here's where the idea of communion comes in now. I will sup with him and he with me. This is why I say the idea behind Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith pertains to our communion with Christ. Christ supping with his people or with his church The thing that is so sad about that text in Revelation is that it's found in a context of self-sufficiency. The Christians at Laodicea thought they had everything and were in need of nothing. How many Christians in America, I'm afraid, say the same thing? I dare say there are people here today that think that way. Oh, you wouldn't be so foolhardy as to come right out and say that you have everything and you're in need of nothing. You know better than to do that. But what does your life say? All you need do is measure your life by your devotion to prayer. How much time is spent in prayer? How much time is spent in communion with Christ? Are you present at the church prayer meeting? Do you meet with your family in prayer? Do you shut yourself in the prayer closet to get alone with God and worship Him and bring your petitions to Him and know the blessedness of His presence? Dr. Mike Barrett used to utilize a very challenging and convicting statement when he would say to his hearers, you can have as much of Christ as you want if you know little of Him. The cause may very well be traceable to the fact that you don't really feel such an acute need for him or have such a strong desire for him. Paul certainly hoped for greater things for the saints at Ephesus, and Paul himself certainly knew the blessing of Christ dwelling in his heart by faith. So should it be the thing that we desire. We shouldn't settle for anything less. We walk and serve and worship the true and living God. I love that statement. I love that statement for its vitality. We're not following cunningly devised fables. We walk in fellowship with God. We profess to know and love and serve Christ who is alive. He is a person, as was said this morning in our devotions. So that is without a doubt a key element to our edification dwelling with Christ, communing with Christ, He with us. Now, when that happens, when these first two things take place, when the inner man is strengthened in faith and Christ dwells in your heart by faith, then this prayer indicates clearly that it leads to something. It leads to the believer being rooted and grounded in love. Look at what it says in verse 17 again. that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye being rooted and grounded in love." That's an inescapable impact of inner strength in Christ dwelling in your hearts by strength. Rooted and grounded in love. You see the causal relationship between Christ dwelling in your heart and being rooted and grounded in love? And we're definitely now in the realm of edification, especially by the use of that term grounded. That's a building term. It speaks of a foundation for a building. But in the case before us, I prefer to think of it as a foundation for something else. I prefer to draw a more modern day analogy and think, if you will, The foundation for a launching pad. Have you ever seen an actual rocket launch? Some of you folks are closer to Florida here. Maybe some of you have seen that. I've only seen the news clips of them, but I'm told that they are awesome things to actually behold. An elder in our church, Ryan Elliott, some of you know Ryan. He shared with me some while back that he was driving in Florida on some work-related mission when he noticed that everyone was pulled off the side of the road and everyone was out of their car looking in the same direction. So, he stopped too out of curiosity as to what everyone was looking at. Turns out it was a rocket being launched out of Cape Canaveral. You've seen the pictures. that whole rocket seems to be engulfed in flames and clouds from the thrust of those powerful rocket engines? And ever so slowly it seems that that rocket ascends out of those fiery clouds and makes its way towards space? Have you ever thought of what that launching pad must endure in terms of the powerful thrust of those rocket engines? Why is it that the thrust of those rocket engines causes the rocket to lift instead of just blowing a big hole in the ground underneath it? It has to be the strength of that launching pad that instead of disintegrating beneath the thrust of the rocket, instead it holds firm and it gives the rockets its power to lift. Now I use the illustration of a launching pad very deliberately. Because when you look at this verse in Ephesians that speaks to us of being rooted and grounded in love, it does more than just suggest to us that we're planted and firmly secure in love. We are that, thank God. But that's not all. Oh, not by a long shot. We're not only firmly rooted and grounded in love when Christ dwells in our hearts by faith, but we're also prepared now to launch out to launch out into all the various dimensions of Christ's love. Can you see now this launching pad analogy? Look again at verses 17 to 19. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, and here comes the launch, 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." Have you ever found those words just a little bit strange? The love of Christ passes knowledge, and yet Paul's prayer for the saints at Ephesus is that they would know something that is beyond knowing, that they would comprehend in fuller measure that which passeth knowledge. We're grounded in love and we launch out into all the dimensions of Christ's love. Indeed, we come to know that which passes knowledge, but that's not even the end. After being grounded in love and preparing to launch out into the heights and depths of love, there follows one more thing. It's given to us in verse 19, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. That's edification. These are the elements to edification. Strengthen the inner man which comes from the Spirit of God and the might that he imparts. Communion with Christ through his indwelling presence, grounded in love, launching out into greater revelations of that love and then being filled with all the fullness of God. What a vision! I know that our brother was kind of preaching against ideals this morning, but I can't help but pause and note here what an incredible ideal is being described to us here. And yet in Paul's mind, it's not really such an ideal as it's deemed to be the common experience of every Christian. Did you catch that in verse 18? That ye may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height He didn't say that you may be able to comprehend with those few truly spiritual saints that make up a tiny elite group of super-Christians. He said, rather, that ye may be able to comprehend with all saints. Now, I've done something in this study this morning which would not bode well if I was being graded in homiletics class. I focused so much on my first point, the elements of edification, But I'm not going to spend near as much time on my remaining points. But that's OK, especially if you'll catch the vision of what edification encompasses. Let me then quickly and briefly go on to my next point, which is simply this, the potential for edification, the potential for it. It seems that a number of preachers and commentators point out that this prayer of Paul in Ephesians 3 takes us to the top of the mountain as it were. Perhaps nowhere else in all the Bible can you find language that is so vivid and so sublime when it comes to describing a Christian's spiritual experience or what I'm calling now his edification. I've been reading a book that has to do with the use of eloquence in preaching. Is it something a preacher is to use, or does his eloquence become the very thing that gets in the way and nullifies any real and lasting spiritual benefit from his sermon? In defense of the use of eloquence, the author of this book points out the eloquence of the Bible itself. In fact, he provides page after page of straight statements drawn from the Bible. Verses are portions of verses that display the eloquence of the prophets and the apostles and the writers of Scripture. It would be pretty hard to deny that what Paul describes in these verses demonstrates a superb eloquence. And I think the lesson that can be drawn from that book I'm reading is that you can hardly do better than Scripture itself when it comes to eloquence. When Paul writes of comprehending the breadth and length and depth and height of the love of Christ, he is engaged in a process of convincing his readers that the love of Christ can never be scaled, can never be plumbed, can never be fully comprehended. What an eloquent description of the incomprehensible vastness of Christ's love! And when he indicates that the believer in his spiritual experience can go even further and be filled with all the fullness of God, that's enough to take your breath away. The question, I suppose, that comes naturally to mind is this. Is Paul being realistic here? Or is he just being eloquent? Do these words convey to us some far-flung ideal that realistically is quite beyond us? Or can we really be strengthened with might and grounded in love in such a way that our souls truly can soar into the heavenlies and to an indescribable fullness that can be our portion? The words of verse 20 indicate to us that Paul is not exaggerating by the way he describes the elements of the believer's edification. Quite the opposite. He feels his limitations. He feels that there are no adequate words to express the sublime spiritual experience of the believer. And so in order that the saints at Ephesus might know that Paul feels the limitation of words, he breaks forth into doxology in verse 20. Look at what it says there. 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. Think about that for a moment now, that doxology as it has particular reference to the elements we've just now been depicting. Strengthened with might in the Spirit, in the inner man, by the Spirit, Christ dwelling in your hearts by faith. Is that strength really attainable? Can such genuine communion with Christ actually be realized? To which comes the answer. Not only can such strength and communion be known, but God can do way more to the point of surpassing or doing exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think. And can we really become so firmly grounded in love that we're able to launch out into the vast expanse of Christ's love? To which this doxology answers that Paul is not describing the maximum state of blessing that a Christian can realize. He's describing the bare minimum because God can do exceeding abundantly, way more than your soul soaring into the vast expanse of the love of Christ. And God can do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond. You're being filled with all the fullness of God. My, what potential for edification. What potential for rich, spiritual, genuine fellowship with our God and with our Christ. With such potential for such incredible edification or building up in our experience of Christ, Is there any excuse for us to be spiritual paupers? I couldn't help but reflect a little bit from my brother Weaver's message this morning. I have a good excuse, I think, now for my financial state. I've been in ignorance all my life. I can't make the same excuse, though, spiritually. Is there any excuse for us to be spiritually poor? Is there any excuse for spiritual dullness or barrenness? There is, you know, a contrast in our text to edification. This is the condition that Paul perceives in the Ephesians that leads him to pray. It's found back in verse 13. Look at what it says. Wherefore, I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. Some other English versions translate the phrase faint not as lose heart. I desire that ye not lose heart. One Greek lexicon defines the word this way, to be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted. Could any contrast be greater? The contrast between soaring in the heavenlies or being spiritless, wearied out, and exhausted? And the cause behind this exhaustion is given to us in the same verse. It was Paul's tribulations that had the potential for leading the Ephesians to be wearied and exhausted. I think another cause could be traced to this kind of weary exhaustion, which would be the cause of worldly wanderings. being so enamored with the things of this world that instead of the things of this world growing strangely dim in the light of Christ's glory and grace, instead it's the things of Christ that grow strangely dim because of the artificial glitter of all that's in the world. And so the potential for edification is there, and it's very real, and it's potentially breathtaking and inspiring. But the potential for being faint is really there also. And I'm afraid that it's this faintness that we're more readily familiar with than breathtaking awe-inspiring edification. What can change that? What can turn the tides? Well, this brings me to my last and final point. We've seen the elements of edification as well as the potential for edification. Can we think finally now and briefly to the means to this edification. It's undeniable that Paul certainly had a lofty ideal for the saints at Ephesus, to be strengthened, to be rooted and grounded in love and to soar into the vast dimensions of God's love. That's a pretty high ideal. Those are pretty lofty words. to be filled with all the fullness of God and then to concede that all he's been describing can easily be taken to even greater heights by God who can do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think? How did Paul expect that to happen for the saints at Ephesus? How can you and I expect such vital and glorious edification to be our spiritual experience? Well, you probably know where I'm going with this. Paul prayed for the saints at Ephesus. Verse 14, 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. I finally arrived at my topic assignment the edifying use of prayer. I've derived at it perhaps more by way of a conclusion, but we're here nevertheless. And it's so simple. You want to be strengthened and you want Christ to dwell in your hearts by faith and you want to be grounded in love and you want the breadth and length and depth and height of that love that passes knowledge and you want to be filled with the fullness of God. We have to pray. We must pray. This is Paul's prayer for the saints at Ephesus. But I can go a step further and say that you need to make this prayer in Ephesians 3 your own prayer. Make it your prayer for yourself. Make it your prayer for others you love. Think about the way you are so prone to pray at times. And aren't we all guilty of this? God bless this person, that person, and the other person. God bless my children and my grandchildren. God bless my siblings and my parents. We hardly know how to get specific when it comes to praying for our spiritual needs. But we have no trouble being very specific when it comes to other needs, do we? When it comes to your health needs or when it comes to temporal needs. We have no trouble at all being very specific in these areas. But when it comes to our spiritual needs and wants, we hardly know how to express ourselves to God beyond a vague and general, God bless this person, that person, the other person. Lord help my mother, she's suffering from a cold. Help her to get better. And I'm not casting aspersions on that kind of praying. In fact, I solicited that very kind of specific prayer. I had such a bad cold and flu the week leading up to this conference that I sent a prayer request to Ernie. Ernie, pray that I'll get better. Pray that I can do this. Thank you for your prayers, brother. The Lord has answered prayer. So I'm not, you know, poo-pooing that kind of praying. But what I am suggesting is that when it comes to praying for ourselves, praying for our families, praying for our church, praying for children, You make Paul's prayer your own prayer. O Lord, grant that I and my wife and my children may be strengthened with might in the inner man by your Spirit. I'm so weak, Lord, I feel my weakness, I feel my dullness. Please grant that I'll know the reality of Christ dwelling in my heart by faith. Save me, Lord, from the mere formalities of religion. I confess to my shame that I'm too familiar with them. Grant that instead I'll be rooted and grounded in love, so that I'll know in fuller measure the breadth and length and depth and height of the love of Christ. O Lord, You're able to do this. Yea, Lord, You're able to do much more than this. Fill me, Lord. Fill my heart to overflowing with Thy love and grace and peace and joy. For then, Lord, will I not only be delivered from fainting, but in that power I'll be enabled, in the words of the psalmist, to run through a troop and leap over a wall." Oh, Lord, give me that strength. Give my church that strength. Give the people of God that kind of strength and that kind of experience. And wouldn't you agree with me? that this is a prayer that you can utilize with confidence? If the Spirit of the Lord moved Paul to pray this way for the saints at Ephesus, and then moved him to record this prayer and oversaw the way Paul wrote this prayer so as to inspire and preserve this prayer for succeeding generations, then must we not conclude that by utilizing this prayer and making it my own, I am beyond all doubt praying in the will of God. We make that such a hit or miss proposition, don't we, when it comes to the matter of praying in the will of God? We go to the Lord in prayer. We express our desires to God. If our prayer is answered, great, I must have prayed in his will. If they're not answered, well, I'll try again. I guess I didn't pray in his will. And we make praying in the will of God such a hit or miss proposition. Here's a way to know without any doubt at all that you're praying in the will of God. Make this prayer your own. Make this the prayer for you and your children and your family. This is God's will for your life and for mine. God's will is for you to be strengthened with might in the inner man. God's will is for you to be rooted and grounded in love. God's will is for you to know in increasing measure the greatness of his love and grace and peace and joy. It's there for the asking. But you must, to use James' word in James chapter 1, you must ask in faith, nothing wavering, and you must keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking, and don't settle for anything less than God hearing and answering in such a way that you are filled with all the fullness of God. He is the rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. He won't answer such a half-hearted prayer. But if you'll devote yourselves to making this your prayer, and seeking Him fervently, and seeking Him without ceasing, then oh, what potential for you to be built up in the faith, for edification to be your portion. This is the edifying use of prayer. This is praying that brings about the true building up of your souls. May God lead us into such praying that we may indeed be edified in all that true edification encompasses. Amen.