Village Church Annandale (Sydney) sermons

A prayer for spiritual insight | Ephesians 1:20-23 | Daily Bible Time | Dominic Steele | 21 October 2021

We see the incomparably great power of God to transform us (1) is like the power that raised Christ from the dead, (2) is seen in the exalting of the Christ, and (3) is for us, the church.

Ephesians 1:15 This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,[g] would give you the Spirit[h] of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. 20 He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens— 21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given,[i] not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he subjected everything under his feet[j] and appointed him[k] as head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

I remember accompanying the Religion Reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald to meet then Principal of Moore Theological College. And the reporter Peter Fray was writing an article on different views of God, the Catholic view, Anglican view, Muslim view, Bahai view. And Peter Fray kept asking about God. And Peter Jensen kept answering about Jesus.

Peter Fray finally got frustrated - and said, 'Don’t tell me about Jesus tell me about God.'

Peter Jensen replied, 'Well there’s my problem. If you want to see God, if you want to know God, you need to look at Jesus.'

Ephesians. 1:17   I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18   I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, 

Why pray? Who to pray for how? How to pray? Who to pray to?

Ephesians 1:15 This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.

Today we finish our journey through 2 Samuel with sacrifices being offered for sin to avert God's wrath. 

David purchases the property where his son Solomon will build the temple. 

And we reflect on how many sacrifices for sin will be offered on this property, and then how just a little distance from here the final sacrifice for sin will be offered by the Lord Jesus. 


2Samuel 24:18 Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up and set up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 David went up in obedience to Gad’s command, just as the Lord had commanded. 20 Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, so he went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground.

21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”

David replied, “To buy the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord, so the plague on the people may be halted.”

22 Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever he wants[g] and offer it. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23 Your Majesty, Araunah gives everything here to the king.” Then he said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.”

24 The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for twenty ounces[h] of silver. 25 He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord was receptive to prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel ended.