Power to Lead Us Home

6 · The sermon's driving question is posed: Do you really know—not just intellectually affirm, but experientially grasp—the hope and power that will get you safely home through life's storms? The two-part structure is formally announced: the shore ahead (hope and inheritance) and the power that gets us there

So church, my question for you today is this: In the choppy waters of your life, when you feel overwhelmed by the storms of life, do you think you will make it home safely? And not just a, man, I know we have hope in Christ, that's great, but do you really know this hope and this power that will get us safely onto the shores. Today we're going to look at two points that I've been praying this week will encourage us on our path home to eternity with Christ. Number one, we're going to be looking at the shore ahead. That's our hope and our inheritance that Paul is praying we get. And then number two, we're going to be looking at the power that will sustain us until that is our reality one day.

7 · Exegetical transition explaining how Paul's thankfulness (verse 16) functions as the fuel for his prayer, and focusing attention on the first object of Paul's prayer—that believers would know the hope of their calling

So in the way that burning fuel helps propel a rocket into space, thankfulness at the start of this section is what propels Paul's prayer to pray for these saints. As I discussed, we saw in 3 through 14, Paul is just listing blessing after blessing of who you are in Christ. And then as we approach our section, he is just praying. I just hope and pray you know it. So our first section, the shore ahead, looking at our hope, looking at the second part of 16.

Paul says, as he is remembering you in his prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him. Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you.

8 · Extended historical illustration of Angola Prison—America's bloodiest maximum security prison where all inmates serve life sentences—demonstrates the nature of hopelessness (imprisonment, violence, waiting for death) and draws an analogy to humanity's pre-conversion state (imprisoned by sin, condemned to death, no hope beyond this life)

Angola Prison in Louisiana is one of the largest, most formidable maximum security prisons in all of the US. It has a reputation for being the bloodiest prison in America. Violence and drugs are a daily occurrence there, and all of these soldiers— or soldiers, sorry, all of these prisoners— if you think you're a prisoner as a soldier, we can talk about that another time— but all of these prisoners are serving life sentences. They have no hope for their future. It's dismal. It is hopeless. They're waiting for death to come knocking on their front door.

But believe it or not, you and I could relate with these prisoners. Before Christ, you and I had no hope. None. We were imprisoned by our sin, by our shame, our condemnation, right? And the Bible says that the wages of sin is death. You and I had an expiration date at the end of our lives. That was it. There's no hope in ourselves to carry us beyond that. We would live this life pursuing as much fun and memories as possible, maybe try and twist a Ah, here's my purpose in life, here and there. Then over time, after we died, we would just be forgotten.

And maybe your hopelessness— and if you could just join me for a second, just think about your hopelessness before Christ. Maybe yours looked like mine, trapped and controlled by your sinful desires, constantly feeling the weight of condemnation, shame, guilt, and accusation. Constantly crushed. I had no hope that God could ever love someone like me. Or maybe you lived a life in accordance with the world— partying, drinking, drugs— and you felt so out of control, wondering, is there anyone who is trustworthy of my life? You were unstable, about to fall apart, thinking God could never turn my life around. Or perhaps you were angry and defeated because of disappointment after disappointment in your life. Things hardly ever seemed to go your way. You couldn't see hope beyond your circumstances.

And we see the effects of hopelessness in our world when our assurance is not met for our future We can see this in many different ways if it's apart from Christ. We see paralyzing fear. We see anxiety beyond anxiety. We see self-managed greediness and control. We see people growing cold in their love for one another because their focus turns inward. It becomes survival of the fittest at this point. How can I get the most now because after this life, There's nothing.

But then something amazing happened in Angola Prison. Here's the rest of the story. When hope broke into a hopeless and dismal place. This is exactly what Paul prays for us in verse 18, that our eyes are open to see this hope. So the prison hires a new warden. The warden, and the warden was a Christian. He's looking around, he's like, "Lord, what am I doing here? There is no hope in this place. Why am I here?" Shortly after, the Holy Spirit convicted him because he had just watched a man get executed, served his life sentence, and the Holy Spirit asked him, Do you know if that guy was a Christian or not? The Holy Spirit reminded him, hey, you just ushered that man into eternity.

So he felt that the Lord was wanting to spread hope in this prison. So what they started doing was a Bible study for all of the prisoners. And so what happens is, as this Bible study is being dispersed into the prison, Congregations start to form and prisoners start to serve as pastors. And it got to the point where they're like, wow, our drug use, our violence is dropping dramatically. What is going on? People started to notice this new hope that these prisoners had. So what ended up happening is some of these prisoners are like, I feel like I'm called to be on mission. To go and share the hope in Christ. So they started requesting, hey, I'll still be in a formidable maximum security prison, just can you send me there so I can share the gospel, share the hope with people? So they started requesting that and going to other prisons. Wardens were calling this warden and asking, can you send your guys our way? The guys who have received the hope of Christ, can you send them to us?

Just what Paul prayed, just what he is praying for the saints in Ephesus, what he's praying for you and I today, is that our eyes are opened to know, to see, and to feel the hope that we have in Christ. It happened in this hopeless place. While their circumstances on earth did not change, right? They were still serving a life sentence. Their status in heaven changed because of Christ. He opened their eyes to see the hope that was before them. There was hope beyond their short time on earth. They now had a purpose and an identity. They could see.

9 · Doctrinal exposition of Christian hope: comprehensive forgiveness of all sins, reconciliation with God, redemption from a broken world, adoption as God's children, eternal life, transformation from darkness to light, and the guarantee that God will complete His work in believers

Yes, Christian, you and I can relate with these prisoners on some level. We too were given a hope that is much beyond this short life that we see and live in. What is that hope that we, the prisoners at Angola Prison, and all Christians who place their faith in Christ— what is that hope?

Our sins are forgiven. Past, present, future. The major sins the minor sins, the little fibs, everything in between, forgiven, nailed to the cross, that wrath that you and I deserved absorbed by Christ. And I love what Neil said, we are now objects of God's peace.

We are not only forgiven, but we are reconciled to a holy God. Reconciled to a God who redeems this broken and fallen world, who calls the orphan his own, who offers eternal life beyond this world. We are called, as we just sang, from darkness into light. Those who put their faith in the eternal God who controls the cosmos will have a happy ending. Always, always. As Phil Robertson from Duck Dynasty would say, "Our ending will be happy, happy, happy." God will finish the work in you. That is the hope we have. We will be completed one day.

And I love how Chappell sums up the hope we have this way. He says, "The world is the Lord's, and we are his forever." The universe is not random, and we are never abandoned, Christian. That is our hope we get to look to. That is the shore we are trying to get to, that Paul is praying that we can see, because one day it'll be a reality.

10 · Eschatological expansion of Christian hope: believers will be presented to Christ as holy and blameless, will enjoy unbroken fellowship with Him forever, and will be liberated from all suffering, death, sickness, pain, sin, shame, and condemnation

But while life can be difficult on this earth, we need something to look forward to. We need Hope, because life is hard. One day that hope will manifest itself into our new reality. We will be presented to Christ himself without spot or wrinkle, presented as holy and blameless. We will one day forever be in his presence, enjoying eternal fellowship with our Savior. We will be free from this broken world. We'll be free from suffering. Death will be no more. Tears will never be shed again. No more sickness, no more broken bodies, no more pain. Completely and totally free from sin and shame and condemnation, forever with our Savior.

11 · Theological definition distinguishing Christian hope from worldly optimism: Christian hope is not wishful thinking but confident assurance grounded in God's promises

Guys, the Christian hope is different than the hope that our world talks about. Christian hope is not wishful thinking. Christian hope is when God has promised that something is going to happen and you put your trust in that promise. We just praised the Lord for being a promise keeper. He has made a way for this hope to come into our lives, for us to strive for hope.

It's a confidence that something will come to pass because our faithful, promise-keeping God says it will. And I love this, it's faith in the future sense. That is our hope, Christian. That is the shore that you and I are headed towards. It will never, ever be taken from you.

12 · Direct application calling believers to pray Paul's prayer for themselves and others—that they would see, know, and experience Christian hope

So today, Christian, pray that we see, pray that we know, pray that we experience this living hope. Pray it for your fellow brothers and sisters in your community group. Pray it over your spouse. Pray it over your family, your kids, your neighbors, your co-workers. People need this hope. See the hope, know the hope, long for that hope.

13 · Exegetical transition to the second object of Paul's prayer—God's glorious inheritance in the saints

Another forward-looking promise we have that Paul prays we know is in the second part of verse 18. He continues his prayer, talks about the hope to which he has called you, and what are the riches of his, of his glorious inheritance in the saints. Paul is praying we get this. You may be asking, what is he talking about? What is that inheritance, church?

That inheritance is his bride. That inheritance is you and I. And Paul is praying that we see and know how valued we are.

14 · Direct pastoral address to those struggling to believe they are valued by God

He wants you to know it. You are valued. He sees us as so valuable that he considers us his inheritance. Do you see yourself as someone God loves, as someone who God values.

My heart this week has been for those of you who are in Christ who do not feel and know you are valued by God.

15 · Analogy from home renovation TV: house flippers who abandon a project when the damage proves too extensive contrasted with God who never gives up on His people

Amanda and I love watching home renovation shows We are big Chip and Joanna Gaines fans. If anyone else is out there, you're with us. We think it is so satisfying to see a complete disaster of a home be turned from its worst state to a masterpiece. Like, we just love watching that. And we were watching one show one time, and don't worry, it wasn't Fixer Upper. They could do no wrong. But in this show, these guys were like, hey, we're gonna buy this house We're not going to inspect it. We're going to just buy it. We flip homes. This is what we do. No big deal. It's ours. As they walked into the property, they saw the damage and the condition and they said, "We can't do anything with this home. It is too far gone," and they had to give up on the mess.

Now, if you are in Christ and you view yourself as a mess that God will eventually move on from, you are far from the truth that resides in the Savior's heart. It is not true. God never gives up on his people. He sees the masterpiece before you were even born. He values you. You are his inheritance. He knew all of the ins and outs of the brokenness of your life. He knew the risk he was taking, and he still completed the transaction on the cross. He still chose to dwell in you, to become roommates in a sense. You are valuable.

16 · Doctrinal exposition supported by two theological authorities establishing the nature of God's love for His people

Paul is praying that the saints at Ephesus, praying for us today, that we get that. If you are in Christ, you are holy, blameless, forgiven, chosen before the foundation of the world. You are valued.

F.F. Bruce has this to say. That God should set such high value on a community of sinners rescued from eternal punishment and still bearing too many traces of their former state might well seem unbelievable were it not made clear that he sees them in Christ. Christ.

Calvin takes it a step further and he says this: The love with which God loves is none other than that with which he loved his Son from the beginning, that we might be made partakers of the same love and might enjoy it forever.

Paul is praying that you get that God values his people, loves deeply his people. The way God loves his Son Jesus is the same love he has for you, Christian. You are his inheritance. He cannot wait to obtain you for all of eternity.

17 · Doctrinal assertion about the immutability of believers' status in God's eyes

And here's what blows my mind: there's nothing you and I could do to increase or decrease our value in God's eyes. When God sees us, he sees the risen Christ who has covered all of our sins and made us blameless and righteous before God.

18 · Application calling believers to let the doctrine of God's unchanging love encourage them as they navigate toward their future hope

Let this encourage your hearts, Christian, that God one day— as we are heading to the shores— one day that will be our reality, standing face to face in perfect, unending love, unlimited by anything.

19 · Cross-reference to Zephaniah 3:17 depicting God rejoicing over His people with gladness, quieting them with His love, and exulting over them with loud singing

We will be with the God who in Zephaniah 3:17 says, 'Rejoices over you with gladness, quiets us with his love.' I think we will be speechless when we encounter God's love face to face. And it goes on, that same God will exalt over us with a loud Singing.

Paul prays that the eyes of our hearts are opened to experience, to feel, to see, and to know the value that God places on you.

20 · Personal analogy from family life: children's excitement when grandparents visit is rooted not just in permission to break rules, but in knowing they are deeply loved and wanting to be united with that love in person

Now, my little kids absolutely go crazy when we tell them, hey, your grandparents are coming to El Paso. They're going to come hang out for the weekend. And I think they get so excited because they know All right, we get to stay up late, we get to eat all the candy, we get whatever toys we want. But I think underneath that, my kids know my grandparents love me. They just love me so much, and I can't wait to be part of that love. I can't wait to be joined and united with that love in person.

And I think the same thing when we are in the presence of God one day, that love we will experience will be unlike anything. I think we will finally understand how amazing his love is when we stand face to face.

21 · Application calling believers to cultivate longing for God's presence—for the day when they will experience His perfect love face-to-face—and to let that future hope and present assurance of being valued motivate their present conduct

But Christian, don't you long for that day to be in the presence of the God who values you, who is infinite and unending and perfect love? Who can't wait for you to arrive on the shore so he can greet you.

Long for that, Christian. Long for that day. And let that love motivate how you live now.

Let it motivate your life now. You are his inheritance. You are valued by God.

22 · Structural hinge transitioning from the sermon's first major movement (the shore ahead: hope and inheritance) to the second major movement (the power that gets us there)

You know, we can, as we're going through Paul's prayer, we're talking about the hope and the inheritance, we can feel this forward lean with our hearts for what will be one day, right? And as Paul is praying for that, he is also praying that we can know that hope that will sustain us until that day happens, until it is our reality.

23 · Exegetical introduction to the third object of Paul's prayer—God's power toward believers

Join me in verse 19. Paul continues his prayer. He says, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might. This is the power that gets us to the shore.

Now, what do we notice about verse 19? One, we know that he wants us to know about God's Power. Two, we know that this power is immeasurably great. We cannot scale it. We cannot measure it. It is far too great to fathom. And third, we see that it has a target. It is toward us who believe, his people. So Paul is going to lay out how great this power is in the next 4 verses.

24 · Extended illustration beginning with a humorous personal story about a pet fish dying (establishing death's finality and humanity's inability to reverse it), transitioning to the universal human intuition that death is wrong (supported by Ecclesiastes 3:11), surveying humanity's futile attempts to cheat death (Fountain of Youth, supplements, cryogenics, DNA alteration), and culminating in the theological claim that while death's power seems absolute, God's resurrection power demonstrated in Christ is infinitely superior

So join me in 20. It says here that that power that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead. Now, we used to have a fish named Gill, and he or she was a purple betta fish, and we just totally got gypped at PetSmart. Amanda and I were like, okay, let's get the bowl, we'll fill it up with sink water, throw the fish in there. Our son will be happy after his shots. By the time we left, we had spent over $100 on Gill. I couldn't believe it. The lady just kept saying, no, you don't want a bowl, you want this tank with a filter. Like, okay, I guess so, we'll get that, it's only $20. And she's like, oh, but you need this food because this is good food for Gill, like he's going to love it. We're like, okay, we don't want to give him bad food. And by the end of the day, we had regretted how much we had spent on this dumb fish. And one day, we heard my son rustling in his room during nap time— he wasn't napping— and after nap time, we walked in, and we found all that food that we just paid for all over the dresser. And instead of seeing a nice, clear fish tank with all the neon rocks that we just bought, the little sculpture in there for Gill, Now we just saw a cloudy brown tank with a little betta fish at the bottom.

And yeah, he died on a happy stomach, on a full stomach, so he's okay. But as my son looked at this fish, he just couldn't believe that his life had ended. Braxton was blown away. He's like, Pull out the little fish defibrillators, let's get him back to life. Not gonna work, Braxton. He is gone. He's dead, right?

And at the heart of every person, there is a sense that death is not right. There is something off about death. The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:11, that God has put eternity into man's heart. All of mankind knows this cannot be the end.

So what does mankind do? They try and cheat death. I was looking up some of the ways that people are trying to defeat death. Some were very shocking, and some were, yeah, I've heard of that. First, We all know about the Fountain of Youth that they were trying to find, right? Wound it up in Florida. We know that people use supplements, injections to try and help them. This one is not a joke. People buy stones and crystals and just look at them, I think, and think it's gonna help. But we know that biologists are searching for immortalist propositions to avoid death. We know biochemists are trying to alter DNA to help us live forever. And the list goes on and on and on.

And even though our world is looking and trying to defeat death, it cannot of itself. Death's power is too great. But there's a power that puts death's power to shame, a power that renders death's power useless, ineffective. The greatness of God's power is shown in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And if you're a note-taker, jot this down. I love this sentence that I saw: if Jesus's death on the cross was the supreme demonstration of God's love for sinners— I'm gonna say that again— if Jesus's death on the cross was the supreme demonstration of God's love for sinners, the resurrection is the supreme demonstration of God's power.

25 · Theological claim establishing the superiority of God's resurrection power over death

The power of God is far superior than the power of death. Death had a pretty good track record over humanity for a long time. Death itself thought it could contain Christ, but not even death could keep Jesus in the grave. God's resurrecting power was far too great.

If you are in Christ, death can no longer have power over you. You belong to the God of life, and death bows at his feet. For the Christian, death just becomes the doorway into eternal fellowship with Christ.

26 · Doctrinal exposition connecting Christ's resurrection power to believers' present experience via Romans 8:11

Paul says that the power that put life back into Jesus's body, that put air back into his lungs, that power is toward us who believe.

Romans 8:11 says, if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Many Christians do not know this power, or they know it from an arm's length distance. But God wants the resurrection life to be real to us. He wants us to know that it is not only the hope that we will one day realize when we are resurrected with Christ again, But it is power for the here and now.

27 · Theological claim specifying what resurrection power means for present Christian living: power to walk in newness of life, day-by-day empowerment supplied by the same Spirit who will one day raise believers bodily

The power to walk in newness of life. The Spirit who supplied the hope of a future resurrection supplies power to live day by day. Christian, you have resurrection power in you, and Paul is praying that this power becomes real to you. Faith in Christ gives the Christian power for the here and now.

28 · Spurgeon quotation vividly illustrating the scope of resurrection power: it raises people from all forms of spiritual death—drunkenness, dishonesty, self-righteousness, unbelief

Spurgeon says, "The very same power which raised Christ is waiting to raise the drunkard from his drunkenness, to raise the thief from his dishonesty, to raise the Pharisee from his self-righteousness, and to raise the Sadducee from his unbelief."

It is the power for the here and now to say no to sin and yes to Christ. It is the power to endure suffering.

It is the power to live a holy life in a fallen and broken world.

29 · Cross-reference to 2 Peter 1:3 establishing that God's divine power has already granted believers everything necessary for life and godliness

2 Peter 1:3 says, His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.

It is the power supplied to us here and now until that future hope is ours, until it becomes real.

30 · Exegetical exposition of Ephesians 1:20b—the power that raised Christ also seated Him at God's right hand

Paul continues to explain how this power not only just raised Jesus from the dead— he could have put a period there, and you can go on and on about the power of God, but this power also seated Christ at the right hand in the heavenly places.

Don't think of this so much as a spatial thing. Think of the significance of what this is saying. Jesus is seated at the highest possible place you can imagine. This is a place of honor, all things subjected to him now. The right hand symbolizes strength, authority, and blessing.

So not only does this power give us new life in Christ and raise— it raises us up with him in the heavenly places. His authority, dominion, and strength are exercised to bend earth to fulfill the purposes of God. The universe bends as God wills it for our good.

31 · Exegetical exposition of Ephesians 1:21—Christ is exalted far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that can be named in this age or the age to come

Not only does this power reside in us that raised Christ from the dead and sat him at the highest place of honor, it cements him as far above all rule and authority and and power and dominion, in verse 21, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but in the one to come. Jesus is over every spiritual and human being you can think of, and it's not even close.

32 · Personal testimony contrasting perceived power (mobsters who appear to do whatever they want) with true power (God's transformation of the preacher's sinful heart)

Now church, don't judge me or my parents, but as a young kid I'll say teenager just so it's not as bad. I used to love watching the mobster movies. I loved watching Goodfellas. I loved the Godfather trilogy. I loved Scarface. But don't worry, I watched it on TV so the language wasn't as bad. But yeah, I'm not too scarred from it. I don't think so.

But I used to think, and these guys have That's power. I'm like, wow, they can do whatever they want. And then when I became a Christian and I saw what the Lord did in my selfish, rebellious, lust-craving heart, I said, that is power. That is power nobody on this earth can attain.

33 · Application of Christ's supremacy through vivid enumeration of powerful human figures—presidents, dictators, historical tyrants, organized crime bosses, and even a fictional mob character—all of whom are infinitely beneath Christ's authority

And it goes on to say, Paul is hoping that helping them try to understand this power. He says it is above all names. It is above every name, every power. No president, no dictator, no mobster, no cartel boss, no gangster, no Nero, no Hitler, no Mussolini, no Putin, no Hussein, no Don Corleone comes close to the power and rule and authority of Christ. He is miles above them, and it's not even close.

34 · Exegetical exposition of Ephesians 1:22-23 with careful distinction between Christ's forceful subjugation of all things under His feet and His loving, organic union with the church

Jump into verse 22, Paul continues describing this power. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church. Verse 23, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Now I want to highlight a certain thing in verse 20 through that 22, that phrase, "He puts things under his feet."

Now as soon as I open the door to get home every single day, my son Braxton is sprinting down the hallway saying, "Daddy, daddy, daddy, I want to wrestle you on the bed now." So we go and we wrestle, and there's a bit of force that's exerted from my son and from me, right? We're being playful. He is grabbing my face, my eyelids, my ears, jumping on my back. I am making him do a bunch of flips onto the bed. We're jawing at each other. We're being playful, but there's a sort of force exerted in that playfulness.

And what we see when Christ puts all things under his feet, there is a source of force. There is a sense of force. Allows that to happen. He declares victory over sin and death. That's why all things can be placed under his feet.

And notice there's a relationship with the church at the end of verse 22.

Unlike all the things that Jesus has puts under his feet, over— when he has authority over everything, he is connected to his church. But notice, there is not a sense of force towards his church. Force does not come into her at all. Over her, he exercises the supremacy of sanctification and love.

He and his body, the church are one. Wherever the head goes, the body goes with it. We share a common life with Christ. We commune with him daily. If the head is not there, the source of life is not there, the body is no longer living.

Gaebelein has this to say: the church is not an institution, but an organism. It exists and functions only by reason of its vital relationship with the risen Lord, who is its head.

35 · Theological and applicatory synthesis connecting Christ's resurrection power to the corporate life of the church

It's the power that raised Christ from the dead, seated him at the right hand in the heavenly places, who declared everything is under his feet, who— his name and power is greater and afar above everything. That power is connected to his church. There is a corporate aspect here. We are much stronger together than as individuals. Amen.

No one wants to turn on the TV and watch just Dak Prescott run on the field. Dak Prescott needs the rest of the other 10 offensive guys. We cannot do this life alone. Dak needs his players. We need each other.

And as messy as she is, the church is God's instrument for bringing hope, salvation, and redemption to fallen sinners in a hopeless world. And it is God who supplies her with immeasurable power.

So love the church, grow with the church, believe and know and feel the power of Christ, the power that he gives his body. Not even hell can stop her. The fullness of God resides with his church, and out of that fullness, his church is constantly being supplied with hope and resurrection power.

36 · Pastoral address to those who intellectually affirm the doctrine of God's power but do not experientially feel it

But what about those days where you do not feel this power? What about the moments when you don't think you will make it to that shore?

What then?

37 · Personal testimony of the preacher's son in the NICU—the most difficult month of his life—when faith felt almost nonexistent, when medical uncertainty and constant monitor alarms told them they would not make it

When Amanda and I endured the most difficult month of our life while our son was in the NICU, the doctors were not sure what's going on with his little body. There were moments where we did not think we're gonna make it. We're not gonna make it. It was difficult. There were moments where our faith was hardly a faith at all, almost nonexistent. The doubts, the anger, the frustration, the numbers on the monitors that continued to beep and annoy us every time we visited were telling us, "You will not see that shore."

And we felt that in our humanness, in ourselves, we were hopeless and powerless. But in Christ, his power helped us to cling to the hope that we have in Christ. His graciousness and his kindness and his power comforted us. He showed us by opening our eyes, like in verse 18, that Paul is praying your eyes are open to see this, to know it in our moment of weakness. The Lord opened our eyes. We saw that power that helped us get through the suffering. We saw— God showed us and comforted our hearts that his will was much better than our will for our son. It brought us so much peace. There was so much power in that peace.

When we felt our weakest, his power became real to us.

38 · Direct pastoral address to those currently experiencing the very doubt and weakness the preacher has just testified to

Now, as we come to a close, I just want to say, maybe your son or your child is not in the NICU, but you are there and you are just like, I do not feel this power that Paul is praying. I do not think I am going to make it to the shore. I cannot get through this life.

I need help.

39 · The sermon's opening illustration returns as the closing frame

I want to wrap by finishing the story that I shared in the beginning at Lake Mojave. As a kid, death grip on the rails of the boat, we're smacking the water, it's crazy windy, rain everywhere, emergency boats all over the place. Trying to help people get to shore.

Even though I was scared, there was a confidence deep within, within me, down deep, that we would make it to that shore. Why? Because I knew my dad is driving the boat. My dad knows how to navigate these waters. My dad wants us to get to the shore.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus is driving the boat.

He wants you to know and feel and see the hope and inheritance that he has for you, waiting for you. And he's gonna give us the power to get there.

40 · Final synthesis restating the sermon's core claims in second-person address: believers have value, hope, love, union with Christ, and exalted status—and Paul prays they would truly know it

You have value. You have hope. You are loved. You are united with Christ. You are exalted in the heavenly places. That's who you are. And Paul is praying that you get it, that you know it.

Church, I pray, look to the shores ahead. Long for the hope that will one day be our reality when we are in the presence of of a perfectly loving Father. Long for that day when you are with Him, when He can tell you face to face how much He values you, and you can join us and stand speechless, not knowing what to say. He will surely get you to the shores of hope with His mighty power.

41 · Closing prayer expressing gratitude for the three objects of Paul's prayer: hope given to hopeless sinners, God's valuation of the unworthy, and the power that sustains believers until they are safely home with God

Church, pray with me. Lord, we thank you. We thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord, for giving hope to us hopeless sinners. Lord, we thank you that you value us. Lord, when we feel unlovely, unworthy, you value us. Thank you that you've joined us together with you, that you empower our lives until we are safely home with you forever. In Jesus' name, amen.