Embracing the Fullness of God's Love

 

Summary

In our gathering tonight, we focused on the profound prayer found in Ephesians 3:19, which speaks of being "filled with all the fullness of God." This concept challenges us to move beyond a mere intellectual understanding of our faith and to seek a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. The idea of being filled with God's fullness is akin to a sponge completely saturated with water, where it becomes difficult to distinguish between the sponge and the water. This is the kind of relationship God desires with us—one where His presence permeates every aspect of our being.

We often settle for less in our spiritual lives, content with the knowledge of salvation or the removal of certain sins. However, the call is to pursue the totality of God’s presence in our lives. This pursuit is not about achieving spiritual milestones or checking off religious tasks but about knowing the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. It is this love that fills us with God's fullness, not our efforts or accomplishments.

Many of us may feel inadequate or unworthy of such a relationship, thinking it is reserved for the exceptionally pious. Yet, Jesus reminds us that with God, all things are possible. The journey to being filled with God's fullness is not about our ability but about His power at work within us. It is about understanding the vastness of Christ's love and allowing that love to transform us.

This journey is similar to a marriage, where the relationship deepens over time. Just as a couple grows closer through shared experiences and understanding, our relationship with God should be a continuous journey of growing closer to Him, understanding His love more deeply, and being transformed by it. This is not a static relationship but a dynamic, ever-deepening one that reflects the unity and love between Christ and the church.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Fullness of God: Being filled with all the fullness of God means allowing His presence to permeate every aspect of our lives, much like a sponge saturated with water. This is not about achieving spiritual milestones but about a deep, intimate relationship with God. [03:27]

2. Beyond Knowledge: The love of Christ surpasses mere intellectual understanding. It is through knowing this love that we are filled with God's fullness. This challenges us to move beyond head knowledge to a heart experience of God's love. [12:25]

3. Possibility in God: Many may feel unworthy of such a deep relationship with God, but Jesus assures us that with God, all things are possible. Our inadequacies do not limit God's ability to fill us with His fullness. [09:57]

4. A Journey, Not a Destination: Our relationship with God is a continuous journey, much like a marriage that deepens over time. It is about growing closer to Him, understanding His love more deeply, and being transformed by it. [17:18]

5. Unity in Christ: Our pursuit of God's fullness is not just personal but communal. As members of the body of Christ, we are called to maintain unity and love, reflecting the relationship between Christ and the church. [29:26]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:16] - Opening Prayer
- [01:29] - Introduction to the Theme
- [02:51] - Ephesians 3:19 Focus
- [03:27] - Understanding Fullness
- [04:59] - The Sponge Analogy
- [06:16] - Meditation and Silence
- [07:39] - Possibility of Fullness
- [09:26] - The Rich Young Ruler
- [10:16] - God's Abundant Ability
- [11:29] - Knowing Christ's Love
- [13:22] - Beyond Knowledge
- [14:18] - The Journey of Faith
- [17:18] - Marriage as a Metaphor
- [21:38] - Growing in Love
- [29:26] - Unity in the Church

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Ephesians 3:19 - "To know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Observation Questions:
1. What does the phrase "filled with all the fullness of God" mean in the context of Ephesians 3:19? How was this concept illustrated in the sermon? [03:27]
2. How does the analogy of a sponge help us understand the idea of being filled with God's fullness? [04:29]
3. What are some common misconceptions about who can be filled with the fullness of God, as discussed in the sermon? [08:17]
4. How does the sermon describe the journey of faith as similar to a marriage? [17:18]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does knowing the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge lead to being filled with the fullness of God? Why is this understanding crucial for our spiritual growth? [12:25]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that our inadequacies do not limit God's ability to fill us with His fullness? [09:57]
3. How does the sermon challenge the idea of achieving spiritual milestones as a measure of our relationship with God? [05:35]
4. What does the sermon imply about the communal aspect of pursuing God's fullness and maintaining unity in the church? [29:26]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current relationship with God. Do you feel like a sponge saturated with His presence, or is there room for more of His fullness? What steps can you take to deepen this relationship? [04:29]
2. The sermon emphasizes moving beyond intellectual understanding to a heart experience of God's love. How can you cultivate this heart experience in your daily life? [12:25]
3. Consider a time when you felt inadequate in your spiritual journey. How can the assurance that "with God, all things are possible" change your perspective and actions? [09:57]
4. How can you actively pursue a dynamic and ever-deepening relationship with God, similar to the growth seen in a healthy marriage? What practical steps can you take this week? [17:18]
5. In what ways can you contribute to the unity and love within your church community, reflecting the relationship between Christ and the church? [29:26]
6. Identify one area of your life where you have settled for less in your spiritual journey. What specific action can you take to pursue the totality of God's presence in that area? [05:35]
7. How can you remind yourself daily of the vastness of Christ's love and allow it to transform you? Consider setting a specific time each day for reflection or prayer. [13:22]

Devotional

Day 1: Saturated with God's Presence
Being filled with all the fullness of God is an invitation to allow His presence to permeate every aspect of our lives. This is not about achieving spiritual milestones but about cultivating a deep, intimate relationship with God. Imagine a sponge completely saturated with water; it becomes difficult to distinguish between the sponge and the water. Similarly, God desires a relationship with us where His presence is inseparable from our being. This fullness is not something we achieve through our efforts but is a gift of His love and grace. [03:27]

Ephesians 1:22-23 (ESV): "And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you feel God's presence is lacking? How can you invite Him to saturate those areas today?


Day 2: Experiencing Christ's Love Beyond Knowledge
The love of Christ surpasses mere intellectual understanding. It is through knowing this love that we are filled with God's fullness. This challenges us to move beyond head knowledge to a heart experience of God's love. Intellectual understanding alone cannot capture the depth and breadth of Christ's love. It is a love that transforms and fills us, not through our accomplishments, but through His grace. To truly know Christ's love is to experience it in a way that changes us from the inside out. [12:25]

Ephesians 3:17-18 (ESV): "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth."

Reflection: How can you move from knowing about Christ's love to experiencing it in your daily life? What practical steps can you take to open your heart to this transformative love?


Day 3: Embracing God's Possibilities
Many may feel unworthy of such a deep relationship with God, but Jesus assures us that with God, all things are possible. Our inadequacies do not limit God's ability to fill us with His fullness. It is not about our ability but about His power at work within us. This truth invites us to let go of our self-doubt and embrace the possibilities that God offers. When we understand the vastness of Christ's love, we allow that love to transform us, trusting that God can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. [09:57]

2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV): "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Reflection: What feelings of inadequacy are holding you back from experiencing the fullness of God? How can you surrender these to God and trust in His power today?


Day 4: The Journey of Deepening Relationship
Our relationship with God is a continuous journey, much like a marriage that deepens over time. It is about growing closer to Him, understanding His love more deeply, and being transformed by it. This journey is not static but dynamic, reflecting the unity and love between Christ and the church. As we share experiences and understanding with God, our relationship with Him becomes richer and more profound. This ongoing journey invites us to continually seek Him and be open to the transformation He brings. [17:18]

Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV): "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."

Reflection: In what ways can you intentionally deepen your relationship with God this week? What new practices or habits can you incorporate to grow closer to Him?


Day 5: Unity in the Body of Christ
Our pursuit of God's fullness is not just personal but communal. As members of the body of Christ, we are called to maintain unity and love, reflecting the relationship between Christ and the church. This unity is a testament to the world of God's love and power. It is through our collective pursuit of God's presence that we demonstrate the fullness of His love. As we grow in unity, we reflect the love and grace of Christ, becoming a living testimony of His transformative power. [29:26]

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (ESV): "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit."

Reflection: How can you contribute to the unity and love within your church community? What steps can you take to foster a spirit of togetherness and support among your fellow believers?

Quotes


I want you to look in that phrase and think about yourself and has this been your prayer this week God I want to be filled with all the fullness of you that that word fullness means the totality like everything that God is I want in me I want to be filled with all the fullness. [00:03:39]

The idea of being filled with his fullness is when this happens and now like you can't really separate God from yourself it it's it's like well what's me and what's God I mean it's it's I'm in him he's in me you know I I pull this this sponge out and him I pulling God out. [00:04:18]

We've got to stop being satisfied with just knowing that we're safe from our sins I mean that is a great thing or knowing oh I got rid of that major sin in my life I'm satisfied with that but to go no God I want to be filled with all the fullness of you I want to be like that sponge. [00:05:30]

Have you guys seen this as a possibility in your life I mean do you when you read a passage like this or you begin to understand a concept like this is it something where you personally just go this is POS possible and I want this and I can have this cuz this is God's desire for you. [00:07:44]

I think there is people who who maybe look at this as oh this is for these extreme you know religious Pious sacrificial Saints like they you there may be a few people on your earth that could be filled with all the fullness of God maybe maybe it's some Monk in some Monastery. [00:08:06]

Jesus says Hey with man it's not possible but With God all things are possible we have to believe that about being filled with all the fullness of God what I love about that phrase is the context of it because after he says filled with all the fullness of God in the very next verse. [00:09:57]

According to this passage we become filled with all the fullness of God by knowing his love for us that's that's so like counterintuitive for me I want to do something to get filled with all the fullness of God God can't I go do something can't I go read something can't I just study. [00:12:11]

You got to know how extreme his love is you have to know this love that surpasses knowledge and and that that phrase it could mean that it's just something you can't teach someone it's not just head knowledge you can pass on and that that verse can also mean that phrase can also mean. [00:13:17]

I did not understand that being filled with all the fullness of God is a direct result of knowing how wide and long and high and deep and to know the love of Christ that's beyond knowing God's been revealing that and some of you may be like me where I'm a problem fixer. [00:14:04]

I didn't look at my life as this constant pursuit of him and growing closer and closer and closer to him being more and more filled with his fullness understanding his love more deeply to the point where when I finally see him it's really not going to be that different. [00:17:08]

I want this relationship to last to that point is that your desire is that what you've been praying for do you look at your relationship as a journey with him where ultimately you are filled with all the fullness of God because your heart keeps getting more and more opened up. [00:24:59]

I just don't think for many years I looked at God that way as this this journey journey into his fullness journey into knowing just how deep his love is for me well here's what I'd like to do I I want um now I'd love for you to read we've preached Ephesians 1 through3. [00:26:38]

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Transcript
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