The Greatness and Power of God
A Sermon on Ephesians 3:20-21
Originally preached April 14, 1957
Scripture
20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Sermon Description
God’s power is both one of the clearest doctrines taught in the Bible, as well as one of the most comforting for the believer. In this sermon on Ephesians 3:20–21 titled “The Greatness and Power of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims not only that God is good, but that He is able to work in and through lives to bring about His purposes. One sees His power very clearly in the act of salvation and in His sovereign grace that He exercises in Christian lives. The Bible consistently emphasizes the truth that it is God who has acted in His Son Christ Jesus to bring about redemption and new life in Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones cautions Christians against thinking about God as a man with limitations and faults. The God of the Bible is able to do all He wills and desires. When the church loses sight of the power of God, it loses sight of its mission. God’s power is not an abstract doctrine, but it is at the heart of the life of the church and the individual Christian. This doctrine assures that Christ will bring the work of salvation to completion that He has begun in His people.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul offers a prayer for the Ephesians in Ephesians 3:14-21.
- Paul ends the prayer with a doxology praising God in Ephesians 3:20-21.
- Paul praises God for His power which is beyond human comprehension.
- Paul describes God's power with superlatives like "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think".
- Paul says God's power is working in believers. Believers have experienced God's power through salvation and sanctification.
- God's power is displayed through the church, as Jews and Gentiles have been reconciled into one body.
- God's power will be displayed through the church for all eternity.
- Believers should join Paul in praising God for His great power. If believers know God's power, they should not doubt what God can do through them.
- Believers often limit God by doubting what He can do, but God's power is unlimited. With God, nothing is impossible.
- Believers need to know the greatness of God's power to avoid staggering in unbelief. They need to look at God's power objectively, subjectively in their lives, and through the church.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.