Imagine coming to the table for a meal. The whole family is waiting and the announcement begins: “There’s no food. The cupboard is bare.” Last week (date of this teaching was August 5, 2012) there was a real announcement that in the United States over half (3/4) of the counties are in drought. In Oklahoma, for instance, there have been over 18 days of 100 plus degrees, with around 18 fires raging. Their neighboring states are fighting brush fires, as well, so they’ve been having trouble getting outside assistance. It is time for mankind to look to the Father of this table, The One who sits at its head, for truthfully; He is really the only one who can offer fire insurance – both physically and eternally.
We are so used to providing for ourselves in this life, that we can forget who is the real provider of our lives. George Mueller was a great man of God, who worked in the orphanages and saw miracles occur. One time he sat down at the table and looked around. He knew there was no food there, but he also knew someone higher than him had that provision. Not too much later, a knock came at the door. There, someone brought groceries, without any foreknowledge of the need of this house. Jesus is the door; when God knocks Jesus answers and brings forth his bounty. As a family of believers, let us be grateful for what He does and how He does it.
Ephesians is the letter written by the Apostle Paul to a church steeped in sacrifice, dead religion. Paul spent three years there, which was the longest tenure of his ministry life, so he really dug deep into God for the word that came forth; it was the garden of power, with the seed of truth sown. This portion cites some vital points for our relationship in God’s family: note that the word “family” in the Greek is “patria”, meaning “a family, tribe, lineage, ancestry”. It includes both heaven and earth, indicating that the two are connected, for eventually the saved of the earth will join the table of heaven. The word “heaven” is the Greek “ouranus”, which can mean “starry heaven”, “atmosphere”, or “the place of God’s abode”, which is the meaning here. 1) We receive our name/identity from the Father – vs. 15. It is our common link. Actually, all born were given that identity as the “highest creation”, but most think it will get them back to heaven, like a return ticket or something. Untrue. The table of heaven is not complete yet; people are missing from their chair/place.; 2) we’ve been given all the graces of the table – riches that will strengthen us. The word “riches” is the Greek word “ploutos” – pronounced plootos, and it means “abundance”. It comes from the word “pleo” meaning “to flow, abound.” the riches of God first fill him, and then overflow to those who are filled up with him. That’s the riches of his table; 3) “With power of God in the inner man”. The word “power” is the Greek word “dynamei”, from “dunamis”, meaning “power”. It is the same root of our word dynamite, and it can only operate when the plug is in – when we allow the Holy Spirit to do his work within, then He dispatches the power to break up old foundations and repair the broken places. The riches of God’s abundance flow into us and overflow to others. The table takes on an exquisite quality of divine glory. 4) The purpose is that we are rooted and founded in love (agape) in our hearts, but it only flows out of a life of faith in Christ (vs. 17). To “be rooted” is the Greek word “rhizoo”, meaning “cause to take root, plant, firmly establish”. (Colossians 2:7) and “founded” means “themelioo”, or “founded, foundation”. Love is the basis of our family/root system. It contrasts with much of the root system of our earthly family structure, which can be fear, shame, and accusation. We can be in heights of earthly achievement, yet can easily fall back into historical family dynamics, which is why we can revert to our child behavior. 5) In Ephesians 3:18 the word “comprehend” is the Greek word “katalambano”, meaning “to seize, lay hold”. It means we have a part in receiving it; it is not passive. We claim what God named: to lay hold of the breadth (Platos), the length (makos), the height (hysos), and the depth (bathos) of the agape of God. Actually, to go to the heights, for instance, is like being on an airplane. One is flying above normalcy and with bumps in the atmosphere, we need to pull down the oxygen of breathe from the Holy Spirit. Often we are timid in asking for or responding to love. Here we are to grab it in all its measures. We are hindered in going deeper in the Lord when we do not grasp his love. Why? Because everything comes out of agape -the self sacrificing love of God in Christ. We are all created to want love, so God gave us the best kind. The purpose here is that we may know the Lord. “Know” is the Greek word “ginosko” and means intimate knowledge, not just intellectual information. His love exceeds any human knowledge, and in so doing, fills us with the fullness of God – which, in turn, flows out of us. In our family, we have been unable to find our mother’s birth certificate, which is odd, since she was the youngest. We have potential new information to explain it. Her name and year of birth was misspelled or transposed wrong. Without correct information, one cannot comprehend their true identity. We’ll never find our family identity through this world system or our achievement. We find it in fullness at the table of the sacrifice of the lamb, through the truth in the word of God. When we are given the truth, we can see the certificate of life – new birth. Then, as a family of believers, we are fed with Him, and thus will avoid the famine of the hearing of the word of God, which is upon us. People hear the words, but don’t listen for the voice of the almighty. Let’s be a family that is never in famine.