Seated with Christ

 

1. You Have Christ’s Authority

Elevated living is now your inheritance as citizens of heaven and ambassadors of heaven. You should expect to function out of that authority. Kingdom living should be easy, ascended living should be your life!

Whether you are having a good day or a bad day, this is who you are! Make decisions out of the power of the kingdom in you, not just the power of determination and your willpower. You have His mandate and His authority to stand on.

2. Humility

“Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” Mark 10:15

Through humility, we receive God’s Kingdom.

We grow in grace through cultivating character in our lives—humility is vital in our walk. When we maintain a humble heart before the Lord, we allow the Holy Spirit to use us as a vessel of His grace and mercy.

James 4:6 says, “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Pride promotes strife; pride limits grace and power. Humility releases God’s empowering grace.

3. Hunger & Desperation

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 5:3

Blessed suggests extremely blessed, happy. The poor in spirit are those who are needy, humble, and not arrogant or proud. This metaphor points to a poor beggar, desperate for help.

Spiritually speaking, in Christ, we are “rich” and not poor. We participate in His divine life now—we have an inheritance that is incorruptible and not fading away! Yet, those who maintain a “hunger” for God, who see themselves in “need,” keep pursuing God desperately—they are blessed—happy.

You are blessed when you can say, “God, I am not satisfied with the level of Your Presence in my life—in our church. I want more of you!” Happy are those who keep “leaning” into God for more. Not striving – that’s a performance orientation— but wholeheartedly pursuing.

A woman was there who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had spent her entire livelihood on doctors, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the hem of his clothes, and at once her bleeding stopped.

“Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When everyone denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing in on you!”

But Jesus said, “Someone touched me. I know that power has gone out from me.”

When the woman saw that she couldn’t escape notice, she came trembling and fell before Jesus. In front of everyone, she explained why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed.

 “Daughter, your faith has healed you,” Jesus said. “Go in peace.” Luke 8:43-48 CEB 

This woman received her miracle because she had faith and was desperate for a touch from the Lord. How desperate are we to have the rule of God’s Kingdom invade our life? Our world?

I remember several years ago, a team of us from Global Awakening had gone to Brazil to do some ministering. One of the ladies on our team had ministered over an older Brazilian woman with severe back pain, who could hardly stand up. This precious woman had walked an hour to get to the meeting! While she was considering going, her daughter was telling her, “You don’t want to go, it’s an hour away, and you’re not going to bet healed anyway!”  

Despite her daughter’s protests, the woman walked an hour and came to the meeting anyway. The woman from our team prayed for her twice, and this Brazilian woman was completely healed– no back or neck pain, she was able to bend over fully and do things she couldn’t do before. She received her healing because she was desperate for God!

How big of a reward is the Kingdom of God? To have His realm invade your life? How lowly would you be willing to become?

4. Purity of Heart

 “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” Matt. 5:8

The pure in heart understand God’s heart and revealed mysteries. God reveals His plans to friends, those who love and obey Him, who keep themselves separated from the snares of the enemy and of the world.

 “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face.” Psalm 24:3-6

5. Prioritize the Kingdom First

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matt 6:31-33 NLT

Worry suggests a preoccupation with material needs. Jesus states that as you seek God’s rule in your life, your priorities become focused and God’s grace operates without hindrance. Seek His face, not His hand.

“God is able to make all grace abound to you in order to have an abundance for every good deed.” 2 Cor. 9:8

6. Prayer 

 “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” Matt. 6:9-10

Kingdom Power Principle #6 is prayer. The poor, the truly desperate in spirit, will pray God’s kingdom to come. God’s will is for His domain to influence our world.

Jesus said that “His house would be a house of prayer.”  Can we say that about our homes and families? Our church?  Are you praying with expectation for God to reign?

For the rule of God’s kingdom to have greater influence in our lives, families, and cities, we have to pray His kingdom into our world. The level of His presence and power is a result of our faith, time spent with Him and radical obedience to His leading.

How desperate are you for His kingdom and will to have greater reign?

7. Persistence in Prayer and the Pursuit of God

 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matt. 7:7-8

Ask, seek and knock are in the present tense, suggesting continued petition.  Keep asking until your answer comes. The blind man Bartimaeus (read Mark 10:46-52) wouldn’t stop crying out until he was healed! Persistence in prayer and the pursuit of God!

Jesus taught persistence in prayer, along with a sense of urgency and boldness.  Persistence is for our benefit, not for God’s! It’s not that God is reluctant, but we must be earnest and wholehearted. Persistence can be translated “overboldness” or “shamelessness.” God is willing and ready; remember, we are the Bride of Christ, and we can expect justice when we pray!

In Closing

The Sermon on the Mount shows that those who are desperate in Spirit, who will not let go, as they continue to ask, seek and knock, will see God’s kingdom invade their circumstances and the world. God’s kingdom rule and power come to those who:

1. Know their Authority in Christ
2. Walk in Humility
3. Are Poor (Desperate) in Spirit
4. Pure in heart
5. Prioritize the Kingdom First
6. Will Pray His world into ours, and
7. Persist until God comes!

Our commission is to invade this world with God’s kingdom. When His world invades ours – change occurs! We have only seen a glimpse of His kingdom – let us all step forth into more!

Leaders can choose to do good things before men or demonstrate the invisible kingdom with power from on high. The good things may bring recognition from men, but the foreordained works of the kingdom bring glory to the Father. “God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it” (Ephesians 2:10 TPT). Only those who choose to do the foreordained works to glorify the Father are kingdom leaders. Jesus prayed to the Father, “I glorified you on the earth, having accomplished the work which you have given me to do” (John 17:4). In this study, you will learn how to use the Spirit’s power to do the works of the kingdom.

Introducing Works of the Kingdom

Doing what the Holy Spirit says to do demonstrates the kingdom. Believers demonstrate the kingdom according to the power that works within them. “The kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). While authority is delegated by the Lord, power has to be activated. You are only able to demonstrate the kingdom according to the power that works within you. The Holy Spirit waits patiently until an individual has received his power and has activated it by faith and then he is able to use that person as a vessel for kingdom works.

Spiritual Fruit

In order to demonstrate the kingdom, a person must bring forth spiritual fruit. For the kingdom is not built on carnal things but on spiritual things. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). The world knows not his kingdom for it is spiritual. The fruit of the kingdom is “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). The kingdom is made up of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Righteousness is about the Father. The kingdom is demonstrated God’s way which is righteousness. Peace is about Jesus who is the Prince of Peace. In the midst of chaos, Jesus will bring peace. The Holy Spirit is the one who brings the joy to believers. Demonstrate righteousness, peace, and joy and you will be demonstrating the works of the kingdom.

God’s Ways

To demonstrate the kingdom, one must know the ways of God by the renewing of the mind. Renewing the mind means to come in line with God’s thinking. Study God’s word to renew the mind and then do what the word says. “Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22). When believers are demonstrating the kingdom, they are showing the acts of God. Your servants will speak of the glory of your kingdom and your power to make known your mighty acts (Psalm 145:11-12). “Be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1). Show forth his glory on the earth.

When believers are demonstrating the kingdom, they are doing what God is doing and speaking what he is speaking. Jesus demonstrated the kingdom because he did exactly what he saw the Father do. “Whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner” (John 5:19). Demonstrating the kingdom is not just doing good things for there are many doing good things, but not kingdom works.

Stephen knew how to demonstrate the kingdom. “Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). Even though they stoned him to death, they could not destroy the kingdom within him.

Jesus Demonstrated the Kingdom

Jesus did only the works God ordained for him to do. He followed three powerful concepts in doing these works. First, Jesus knew that he could do nothing by himself (John 5:19). Second, he only did what he saw the Father do (John 5:19). Third, he only spoke what he heard the Father say (John 8:26-28). For example, when Jesus told the lame man to rise up and walk, he had already seen the Father heal him and heard the Father say that he could walk. Jesus was acting on the healing being performed in the supernatural realm.

Jesus saw immediate changes in the lives of those he encountered. After Zacchaeus met Jesus, the tax collector was so changed that he gave half of his possessions to the poor (Luke 19:2-8). After meeting Jesus, a woman of ill repute spread revival fires among the men in her city (John 4:7-42). A man possessed by demons was delivered and restored to his right mind by Jesus, and he began evangelizing several cities (Mark 5:1-20). These are just a few of the people who were changed dramatically by encountering Jesus.

Applying these same concepts to your life will cause you to demonstrate the foreordained works of the kingdom. Jesus told his disciples that they could do nothing by themselves. He said, “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Once you realize that you can do nothing by yourself, you can begin to rely on the Christ within you. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20). By the Spirit of God, see what the Father is doing and do only what he has already accomplished in the supernatural realm. Also, hear the Father speak and speak only what you first heard him say. Then you will be able to lay hands on the sick and see them recover. You will be able to say to those who are lame to rise up and walk and they will walk away glorifying the Lord. Everything in your life will glorify your heavenly Father. Imagine the impact that you will have on the lives of others by allowing Christ to operate in you and through you.

4 Ways to Demonstrate the Kingdom

God’s kingdom is built on the revelation of Jesus Christ and who he is. Demonstrating the kingdom is all about the Father’s work. At the age of 12, Jesus sat among the leaders doing what leaders do. He said, “I must be working for my Father” (Luke 2:49 VOICE). The following sections discuss some practical ways for kingdom leaders to do the works of the kingdom.

Sharing the Truth and Healing

Once believers have received the power of the Holy Spirit, they have the power to become effective witnesses for Jesus. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). Three dear friends, who are sisters in their 90s, have spent their lives sharing the truth and God’s love with others all over the world. They teach God’s word wherever doors are open to them, but they intercede for the people and love those who are not yet ready to hear the word. They carry the presence of God with them and call what they do presence evangelism. Many have seen a tall angel, called the Teacher, with them to protect them.

The kingdom exists wherever the truth reigns. Jesus proclaimed the kingdom and demonstrated the kingdom by healing all who were sick. “Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness” (Matthew 9:35). Healing is a powerful way to get people’s attention so they can be drawn to God.

The core of Jesus’ message on the kingdom is about how the Spirit empowered him to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom and demonstrate the kingdom. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19). He healed the sick, raised the dead, and performed works that no one else had ever done. The messages taught and preached by Jesus caused faith to arise in the people, and they expected God to heal them and set them free. Then God did what the people expected him to do.

Paul’s teaching and preaching were with the power of the Spirit. “My message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in a demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:4). Like Jesus, Paul performed miracles and raised the dead.

Kingdom leaders follow the examples set by Jesus and Paul to bring hope to the people that God will heal them and set them free. They can lay hands on the sick and see them recover. Also, they can operate in the power gifts of faith, healing, and miracles to bring healing and other miracles.

Praying and Interceding for the Kingdom

Do not think too small or pray for too little. “I exhort, therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men” (1 Timothy 2:1). If believers are praying only for their own families, then some families and some things the Father wants to be done are not being addressed by prayers. Kingdom prayers bring the Father’s will into all the earth. The Lord’s prayer is a kingdom prayer (Matthew 6:9-12). In that prayer, Jesus taught believers to pray for the Father’s kingdom to come and his will to be done on the earth. When believers are led by the Holy Spirit, they are praying for the Father’s kingdom to come and his will to be done.

Kingdom prayers and intercession are a part of the Father’s business. Who is taking care of the Father’s business? It is the role of kingdom leaders to bring the Father’s will into the earth in families, governments, and nations. Their prayers and intercession help accomplish his will.

Praying in the spirit releases a person’s control of the prayer to the Spirit, but the person still has control over when to pray. Praying without ceasing and praying in the Spirit completely releases the control of prayers to the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

Kingdom prayers and intercession promote the good of the kingdom. Intercession is the manifestation of Jesus being the head. When he is being lifted up as head of the body, there will be prayers going up from his body. Jesus ever lives to intercede (Hebrews 7:25). Without prayer, the kingdom will not increase.

Intercession, which comes straight out of the love of God, pours out his love on the body. Intercessors are like farmers who break up the fallow ground and get it ready to receive the seed. With prayers and intercession, they plow the ground and plant the seed of God’s word. God watches over his word. He waters it and brings it forth. The time will come to plant the seed and see it grow into maturity. God wants his word to grow in his people. Plow with your prayers, and plant the seed in those who are ready.

Intercessors stand in the gap for those who are being attacked by the devil and who feel alone. The wolves seek to separate out the sheep who are lost and wandering. They will kill them unless an intercessor stands between the wolf and its prey. Intercessory prayer will stop the attack and keep the believer safe. As an intercessor, one can speak the word of God into the situation and bring deliverance.

Prophetic intercession is a special endowment which includes the ability to pray and the gift of prophecy. As the intercessor is praying, the Spirit may begin to show what is happening in another person’s life and give the intercessor scriptures to speak out over the person and the situation. This type of intercession carries a weightier amount of power and glory than the prayers of others who are not being led by the Spirit.

Freeing the Oppressed

Kingdom leaders confront evil and its consequences to heal those who are broken by external calamities or by their own sinfulness. They do not bring condemnation for in Christ Jesus there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1). Let the power of God flow through you to present every person complete in Christ (Colossians 1:28-29). It is only by the power of God that you are able to bring forth redemption, restoration and reconciliation.

Redemption

Redemption means deliverance from sin and freedom from bondage. Redemption is made possible by the blood of Jesus which was shed for all mankind (Ephesians 1:7). Truth with love brings redemption. Do not compromise the truth but embrace it, speak it, and live it in God’s love. The men who brought the adulteress to Jesus for judgment used the truth to condemn but offered no love (John 8:2-11). They only brought judgment. On the other hand, love without the truth causes deception and compromise to creep in, but Jesus offered both truth and love. He offered redemption to the adulteress, as well as everyone else.

Many are in bondage to addiction, poverty, sickness, etc. Spiritual judgment brings forth the righteousness of God and deliverance. Those who are spiritual judge all things by the Spirit and the truth of God’s word. “The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments” (1 Corinthians 2:15 NIV). These judgments lead to victory (Matthew 12:20).

Restoration

Restoration means returning something to its original condition. Anything which has been destroyed by man or the devil can be restored by the Lord. He is the restorer of those things which are broken. The earth groans for his sons to show themselves (Romans 8:19-23). When his people are in their rightful position, they will have authority and power needed to bring restoration. He is placing his people in key positions to rule and restore that which is broken.

The Lord desires to bring restoration to each life. He will lead a person by the still waters and restore his/her soul (Psalm 23:1-2). Believe that the Lord will use you as a vessel to discern what is in the hearts of others to cleanse and restore righteousness. “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother” (Matthew 18:15). Even if he will not listen at first, God has a plan for reconciling that person to himself and to you (Matthew 18:16-17).

Those who are responsive to the guidance of the Spirit can restore those who have fallen. “If anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1). Provide the same gentle restoration that you would want to receive if you fell.

Reconciliation

Reconciliation is salvation or peace between man and God, as well as among men. If a person has been injured or hurt by the words or deeds of others, the Lord will heal him/her. Let the Lord use you to pour the anointing oil into his/her wounds and bind up the brokenness in order to bring reconciliation of relationships.

Reconciliation is the message and ministry of kingdom leaders. God covers the body of Christ with reconciliation. Jesus by his death and resurrection has reconciled each of us to the Father. God “reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). You have been given the ministry of reconciliation which enables God to move and pour out his blessings through you. Forgiveness is the first part of reconciliation and blessing the other person is the second part. Both forgiveness and blessings are important.

Empowering with All Power

Empowering other believers to do the work of the kingdom and to reach their destiny is a major responsibility of kingdom leaders. In this section, you will discover how God uses kingdom leaders to empower believers with all power. Paul prayed to God for the believers at Colossae that they would “be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9). With spiritual wisdom and understanding, a believer knows what to do to fulfill God’s will and when to do it. As a result of being filled with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, the believers would be “strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might” (Colossians 1:11). Literally, this phrase means empowered with infinite power.

Empowering others comes from teaching them the truth and how they can operate with God’s indwelling presence through the Holy Spirit. This continuous empowerment of the Spirit is essential for a victorious and fulfilling life. By operating in the empowering gifts, kingdom leaders can help others learn to follow the Spirit. For example, prophecy and words of knowledge and wisdom can be used to give people direction and let them know that they are hearing from the Spirit themselves. Do not let others become dependent on you for directions from God, but help them learn how to be led by the Spirit themselves.

Let the believers know that purity and humility must be in the heart of believers in order for them to fulfill destiny. Teaching others to believe what God says about them and to cast their cares over on the Lord will help them stay humble before him. Great power lies within the heart of a humble person. Paul prayed for the believers at Ephesus that they would know God’s “incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV).

Having a vision and goals will help empower believers to reach their destiny. God is able to do above what a believer envisions according to the power that works inside of him/her (Ephesians 3:20). Without a vision, God’s people wander astray (Proverbs 29:18). It is God that gives the vision and puts the desires into the believers’ heart and then helps them accomplish the goals. The goals for accomplishing the vision come through prayer and spiritual counsel. As a kingdom leader, you can help kindle the faith of believers and encourage them to complete their vision. 

Every time Paul thinks of the Ephesians and brings to mind their faith and love, he begins to thank God. He often prays for them that God will open their spiritual eyes to a full comprehension of all that God has for them. His prayer is three-fold, that they might know the ...

1. Hope to which he has called them,
2. Inheritance which the saints possess, and
3. Power that is focused on believers.

It is "power in the church" that I want to examine in greater detail.

Unimaginable Power for Believers (1:19a)

The first part of verse 19 casts about for words to describe the infinite extent of this power:

"... His incomparably great power for us who believe."

The word Paul uses for "power" is the common Greek noun dunamis, "potential for functioning in some way, the ability to achieve, power, might, strength, force, capability."[1] Our words "dynamo" and "dynamic" come from this word. 

But "power" by itself isn't half the story. Paul includes two modifiers:

• "Incomparably" (NIV), "immeasurable" (NRSV), "exceeding" (KJV) is a participle of the Greek verb huperballo, "to attain a degree that extraordinarily exceeds a point on a scale of extent, go beyond, surpass, outdo."[2] 
• "Great" (NIV) or "greatness" (NRSV, KJV) is the Greek adjective megathos, "quality of exceeding a standard of excellence, greatness."[3]

This is not just "power," but extraordinarily humongous power. 

But where is the power directed? What is this huge power designed to do? The Greek isn't precisely clear -- at least in this passage. NIV and NRSV translate the proposition eis as "for us" and KJV renders it "us-ward. The Greek preposition eis is a very common word that "indicating motion into a thing or into its immediate vicinity or relation to something."[4] God's great power is extended toward us. We'll see in 3:20 later in this lesson that God's power is "toward" us and also works "within" us believers.

Resurrection Power (1:19b-20a)

Now Paul gives an example of the type or kind of power he's talking about:

"That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead." (1:19b-20a)

In this sentence Paul adds two additional words to our power vocabulary that are rendered "mighty strength" (NIV), "great power" (NRSV), or "mighty power" (KJV). The Greek noun kratos means "ability to exhibit or express resident strength, might," here referring to "intensity in might."[5] Kratos is combined with the Greek noun ischus, which means "capability to function effectively, strength, power, might."[6] Great power! Mighty strength!

In Paul's example, God has exerted just this kind of power in the resurrection of Christ from the dead.[7] Think about that for a moment. The immense, infinite, humongous power that God extends to believers is the same sort of power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead. In other words, the power at our disposal as the Church can do the most impossible feat, crush the most unconquerable foe. This immeasurably great power is for us -- you and me -- who believe. Paul prays for the Ephesians -- and for modern-day readers -- that our spiritual eyes will be able to see and our faith will be big enough to grasp this tremendous resource.

The Heavenly Realms (1:20b)

But let me continue. Paul is drawing our attention now to Jesus himself ...

"... When he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms..." (1:20b)

To understand this statement we need to define some terms. First, what does Paul mean by "heavenly realms" (NIV) or "heavenly places" (NRSV, KJV)?  These phrases translate the Greek noun epouranios. Though it can refer to the skies and astronomical phenomena, here it refers to a locale for transcendent things and beings,[8] "the spiritual sphere in which God, Christ, the powers of darkness and the believer exist together."[9]

Often we think of heaven as a place. Some people have been foolish enough to try map heaven as an astrophysical or geographical location. But physical space isn't the appropriate category. This is spiritual space, occupied by spirit beings. 

We humans exist in the physical realm where we are subject to physical laws of cause and effect, and have mastered them into a vast knowledge of physical and life science. But the "heavenly realms," as Paul speaks about them in Ephesians, refer to a spiritual realm where spirit beings -- God, angels, demons -- and we humans exist. We are strongly influenced by the spiritual realm whether we are aware of it or not (2:1-3). The noun epouranios could be translated "heavenlies," but I think the NIV's "heavenly realms" translates it best, since "realms" talks about the spiritual world as a dimension, whereas the KJV and NRSV's "heavenly places" lead us imagine physical locations -- the wrong mental construct.

As I'll explain in a moment, Paul is deliberately using with the term "heavenly realms" a word used by pagan religions of his time. He does this purposely in order to communicate to his Gentile readers that Christ is supreme over any kind of spirit being that their former mystery religions might point to.[10] 

The phrase "heavenly realms" is used four times in Ephesians to describe the arena in which spiritual power is exercised (Ephesians 1:20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12).

Seated at God's Right Hand (1:20b)

We've identified the arena -- the heavenly realms. Now let's see what it means to be seated there.

"... When he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms..." (1:20b)

"Seated" (NIV, NRSV) is the common Greek word kathizo, "to cause to sit down, seat, set."[11] Here it carries the idea of installing a person in a place of honor. Marcus Barth translates it "enthroned," which captures the idea of authority and power that come with this position. In relation to the person of highest authority in a room, the place of honor would be a his right hand. And that is where Christ is enthroned, at God's right hand. A number of times in the New Testament, we see the promise and statement of Jesus sitting at God's right hand, in fulfillment of a Messianic prophecy in Psalm 110:1 (Matthew 26:64 = Mark 14:62 = Luke 22:69; Mark 16:19; Acts 7:56; Romans 8:34; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; 10:12; 1 Peter 3:22). 

All Things Are Under His Feet (1:21-22a)

At God's right hand is a place of authority, just how great an authority can be seen by the next verse:

"... Far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet... "(1:21-22a)

"Far above" is the Greek adverb huperanowhich functions as a preposition, "(high) above," here used of rank and power.[12] This verse reminds us of a hymn of humiliation and exaltation in Philippians 2:

"Therefore God exalted (huperupsoo) him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name, 
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11)

Assyrian king conquers, puts foot on neck of defeated king.

In his Ephesian Letter, Paul uses both the ideas of "far above" and "under his feet" (1:22a). The phrase under his feet" is used for utter subjugation, both in the Old and New Testaments (1 Kings 5:3; Lamentations 3:34; 1 Corinthians 15:25-27; Hebrews 2:8). Jesus' exaltation echoes Psalm 8 which the Jews understood as referring to the conquering Messiah: "You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet" (Psalm 8:6).

Conquering kings would sometimes have the subjugated king kneel to the ground while the conqueror would put his foot on the defeated king's neck. At the fall of Baghdad in the Second Gulf War, ecstatic Iraqis pulled down the statue of Sadaam Hussein and then climbed on top of it. As the head of the statue was being pulled down the street various Iraqis would put their foot on it. Children would slap their sandals on it as a sign of utter contempt. So when we read the phrase in scripture, it has an important significance. To be under one's feet means to have complete power over one who has lesser power.

Principalities and Powers

Now let's look at those over whom Jesus has power and authority:

"... Far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet... "(1:21-22a)

The titles used here are the same words that are used to describe political officials and levels of government bureaucrats. In one place Paul reminds Titus using these same terms: "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good." (Titus 3:1). Here are definitions of the words found in 1:21:

• "Principalities" (KJV) or "rule" (NIV, NRSV) is the Greek noun arche, "an authority figure who initiates activity or process, ruler, authority."[13] 
• "Power" (KJV) or "authority" (NIV, RSV) is the Greek noun exousia, "bearer of ruling authority." When used of human rulers it means "authorities, officials, government." [14] 
• "Might" (KJV) or "power" (NIV, NRSV) is the Greek noun dunamis, that we encountered in verse 19. Here it refers to "an entity or being, whether human or transcendent, that functions in a remarkable manner."[15] 
• "Dominion" (KJV, NIV, NRSV) is the Greek noun kuriotes."[16]

However, it becomes pretty clear that Paul isn't talking here about human political leaders and authorities. When you see how these words are used in Paul's letters (and 1 Peter), you'll see what I mean. I've used the NRSV translation, since it gives a consistent translation of each of these words. 

NRSV translation	"heavenly places" epouranios	"rule" arche	"authority" exousia	"power" dunamis	"dominion" kuriotes	"head" kephale
Romans 8:38, "nor angels, nor rulers ... nor powers"		x		x
Ephesians 1:21 "far above all rule and authorityand powerand dominion"	x	x	x	x	x	x (vs. 22)
Ephesians 2:2 "... following the ruler(archon) of the power(exousia) of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient."		(x)	x
Ephesians 3:10 "the rulers and authoritiesin the heavenly places"	x	x	x
Ephesians 6:12 "against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers(kosmokrator) of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces(pneumatikos) of evil in the heavenly places."	x	x	x
Colossians 1:16 "for in him all things in heavenand on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones(thronos) or dominions or rulers or powers-- all things have been created through him and for him."		x	x		x	x (vs. 18)
Colossians 2:10 "fullness in him, who is the head(kephale) of every rulerand authority."		x	x			x
Colossians 2:15 "He disarmed the rulers and authoritiesand made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it [the cross]."		x	x
(1 Peter 3:22) "... Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powersmade subject to him."	(x)		x	x

 

The point is that Jesus Christ is now in a place of full authority and power over every other spiritual being in the universe, save God the Father himself. To sit at the right hand of God with all these spirit-beings under his feet gives him total authority. 

We Are Seated with Christ in the Heavenly Realms (2:6)

We're skipping ahead, for a moment, to Ephesians 2:6, because I want you to see a startling statement in conjunction with what we read about "heavenly realms."

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus...." (Ephesians 2:6)

If we are seated with Christ in the spiritual authority hierarchy, that means that we, too, are seated far above all spiritual powers. If demons and evil spirits are "under his feet" then they are under our feet, too. Do we deserve this position in Christ? By no means! "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God..." (2:8).

Do you understand? Does this stretch your categories? I hope so. Grasping your spiritual place and your spiritual authority are vital to both your Christian maturity and your spiritual warfare. For you battle against the spiritual forces of evil (6:12) not from a position of weakness, but of strength. Not from a place of inferiority, but of superiority. Yes, it is all by grace. But it is true and it is real. Believe it! Act on it!

Head Over Everything for the Church (1:22b)

Now, let's go back to our passage in Ephesians 1 and continue to follow Paul's thought. After he describes Christ's enthronement and power over spirit-beings who are under his feet, Paul continues:

" ... And [God] appointed him to be head over everything for the church" (1:22b)

This echoes an earlier sentence in this letter about God's purpose: "to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ" (1:10).

"Head" in these verses doesn't necessarily imply a head-body analogy. Rather, in Hebrew, the word "head" is often used of the leader of a people or tribe.[17] The Greek word kephale, "head," means in this instance "a being of high status, head."[18] Here Christ is head over all created things -- humans, angels, spirit beings, animals, the earth, the universe -- everything.

What is the purpose of this headship? Both the unity of God's creation and to fulfill God's plan. We see this phrase: "To be head over everything for the church" (1:22b). The phrase "for the church" uses the dative case rather than a preposition, probably to be understood as the dative of advantage.[19] If Christ is head for the Church, it means that he plans to use the Church in the exercise of his power and authority. Does the Church have power at its disposal? Oh, yes! -- to the extent that we are in tune with Christ's mission and purpose.

The Church -- God's Gathered Ones

We've used the word "church" many times in this lesson, but only in verse 23 does it appear for the first time in Ephesians. The Greek word is ekklesia, "a regularly summoned legislative body, assembly," and is a compound noun from ek, "out of," and kaleo, "to call." The word is used in secular Greek to denote a popular assembly (Acts 19:32, 39). The Greek Septuagint translation of the Old Testament uses ekklesiaoccasionally to refer to the assembly or congregation of the Israelites (e.g. Deuteronomy 4:10; 9:10; 18:16; 31:30; Judges 20:2; 1 Samuel 17:47; 1 Kings 8:14; Psalm 21:23; Acts 7:38; Hebrews 2:12 quoting Psalm 22:22).[20] Danker sees three primary ways the term is used of the Christian church:

1. "of a specific Christian group, 'assembly, gathering,' ordinarily involving worship and discussion of matters of concern to the community (for example, Acts 14:23, 27);
2. "'congregation' or 'church' as the totality of Christians living and meeting in a particular locality or later geographical area, but not necessarily limited to one meeting place (for example, Acts 8:3; 9:31); and
3. "the global community of Christians, '(universal) church" (for example, Ephesians 1:22).[21]

Various branches of the Christian movement have somewhat narrower -- and sometimes dogmatic -- definitions of the term, but these will get us started in our understanding. One important question is how the term "church" is used in Paul's Letter to the Ephesians. The actual word "church" is used Ephesians 9 times:

1:22	"God ... appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body."
3:10	"Through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms."
3:21	"To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus."
5:23	"For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body."
5:24	"... As the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands."
5:25	"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."
5:27	"...To present her to himself as a radiant church ... holy and blameless."
5:29	"No one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church."
5:32	"This is a profound mystery -- but I am talking about Christ and the church."

In each case Paul seems to be speaking of the church in a universal or spiritual sense. But we shouldn't assume that Paul doesn't care about the individual congregations in Ephesus. He does. The principles derived from the general, spiritual conception of the church are to be applied in each congregation where we find ourselves. More on this shortly.

The Church is Christ's Body on Earth (1:23a)

"And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body..." (1:22-23)

We'll look at the concept of the church as body of Christ in lesson 4. In other places Paul uses the concept to express the ideas of organic unity, mutual dependence, and multiplicity of functions. But what does this mean to us as congregations? As individuals? Jesus' own physical human body is no longer on earth. Now we are his body. My congregation and yours are Christ's hands reaching out to help the poor, the needy, and the lost. We are Christ's feet visiting and bringing a healing and freeing word. We represent Christ in our community in a visible and tangible way. And since we are Christ's visible extension to our world, we can operate with all his own power and authority.

The Church Is Christ's Fullness on Earth (1:23b)

But Paul goes father. The church is not only metaphorically Christ's body, but also expresses his fullness:

"[...The Church] which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." (1:23)

"Fullness" is the Greek noun pleroma, "that which is full of something."[22] A century after Paul wrote Ephesians, pleroma acquires the nature of a technical term in the vocabulary of Gnostic writers to describe the mysteries of the cosmos, the soul, and redemption. But it is a mistake to think that Paul's writings were influenced by some kind of incipient Gnosticism. More likely, Paul is deliberately using words familiar to his readers familiar with mystery religions and employing them to demonstrate to these new Gentile Christians the completeness of Christ.[23] 

The Church has power and authority because we are full of Christ! We are designed to be the full expression of Christ on earth.

Now we can be presumptuous and assume that everything we say is authoritative. But dogmatism isn't the idea at all. Rather, it is very humbling that think that Christ fills, and seeks to fill, his Church with his full presence. If your congregation seems pretty dry, then this is a call for repentance and seeking that Christ might fill his churches -- your church -- with his fullness once again! Fullness of Christ is part of our vision for the church. 

My mental image of the fullness of Christ and his Spirit is like compressed air. Yes, he "fills everything in every way," his presence is everywhere. But his presence is especially to be in the church. Like tires, we can leak and become flat. We need to check the pressure often and, when necessary, go to the pump and get filled to proper operating pressure. We seek to be filled with more than hot air, but with Christ and his Spirit in fullness!

The Power at Work within Us (3:20)

I want to conclude this study of "power in the Church" with two verses which form a doxology, a praise-saying, at the conclusion of the first half of the Ephesian Letter:

"Now to him who is able (dunamai) to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power (dunamis) that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (3:20-21)

We are considering these two verses out of their immediate context, but as a doxology (literally "glory-saying"), they stands as a summary of our praise to God as we have become aware of all Paul has taught us about Christ and his Church thus far.

The phrase "immeasurably more" (NIV), "exceedingly abundantly" (KJV), or "abundantly far more" translates the Greek adverb huperekperissou, which means "quite beyond measure," the highest form of comparison imaginable,[24] a compound word from hyper, "over, above, beyond" + ek, "out of" + perisseuo, "to exceed, to be abundant." When you say someone is "hyper" (or "hyperactive") you mean they are way above the normal activity level. "Super abundant" is the idea of this word.

So Paul reminds us that God is able to work "super abundantly" more than we can even imagine in our wildest prayers. We are usually too full of unbelief to pray such bold and "over the top" prayers that put into words what God is able to do.

But see the locus of this power -- "according to his power (dunamis) that is at work within us." God's super abundant, miraculous answers to prayer many times come as a result of God's power that is resident in and working in his Church. The phrase "at work" is the Greek verb erergeo, "work, be at work, be active, operate, be effective,"[25] from which we get our word "energy."

Miracles? Why not? What is to keep gifted members of the Church from exercising power gifts to see miracles, healings, great works of salvation and wholeness. Dear friends, the Church in history has seen great things, but those times are not over. Not by any means! As we believe God's promises, we have just begun to see his greatness evidenced in our midst.

God's super abundant power is designed to energize and activate his church with power to accomplish his plan here on earth. Pray for this power. Imagine this power working in your congregation. Envision it. Begin to expect it day and night. And as you do, as your faith rises, you will begin to see Christ's power in your church to a greater degree than you ever believed possible. That is what I get out of this passage!

We conclude this week's lesson with the remainder of the doxology:

"To him be glory (doxa) in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (3:21)

Yes! Glory, "honor as enhancement or recognition of status or performance, fame recognition, renown, honor, prestige."[26] Not just in the first generation, the generation of the apostles, of St. Patrick, of St. Francis, and John Wesley. But in our generation also. Let great glory be to God and to his Christ as we believe in and exercise God's exceedingly great power given for the Church, to be displayed in and through his Church. Now and forever. Amen.