Rabbi Schneider urges believers to move beyond the superficial attractions of the worldly realm and find strength within, a recurring theme emphasized in Paul’s letters. Discover how inner spiritual strength is vital for a closer connection with God. This episode encourages listeners to seek an authentic relationship with God that transcends the mere physicality of the world, nurturing the inner being for greater spiritual fulfillment.
00:00:02 Introduction and Overview of Paul’s Prayer
Welcome to Discovering the Jewish Jesus. I’m your host, Dustin Roberts. And for the next 25 minutes, Rabbi Schneider is going to share with us several key themes from the book of Ephesians to help us connect with God. I remember back in Bible college, sitting alone in my dorm room, looking through the Bible and reading my notes and all sorts of stuff and just wondering, really, what is the best way to pray? And today, Rabbi is going to take us through Paul’s prayer in Ephesians chapter 3. He’s going to show us a template for connecting with the Lord and going deeper with God. And if you’ve missed any of the previous messages in this special series, I want to encourage you to catch up online at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. Right now, here’s Rabbi Schneider to unpack a powerful prayer.
SPEAKER 02 :
We’re gonna be focusing today on the third chapter. We’re looking at Paul’s prayer that he prayed to the Father. And I love focusing on the prayers that the apostles prayed and the prayer that Jesus prayed in John 17, because it teaches me about what I should be praying about and how I should be praying. In other words, if I pray in sincerity and truth for the same things that the apostle Paul prayed for in the scripture, I know that God’s going to answer those prayers because the Bible teaches us that anything that you and I pray that’s according to His will He’s going to hear us and answer. So that when our longing, when our prayer life and the longings of our prayer life are in sync and in harmony with what God wants for us, when we’re asking him for what he wants to give us, those prayers are going to be answered. So let’s take a look at Paul’s prayer today. Ephesians chapter three, verse 14. Hear the word of God. For this reason, Paul said, I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and earth derives its name, that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man. Now, last time I focused on the words power and strengthen. I want to spend a minute today focusing on this word glory. that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory. I love that word glory. I mean, you think about what people are so drawn to today in the realm of sports, whether it be baseball, football, basketball, Formula One, whatever, golf, whatever it is. What are people drawn to? They’re drawn to winning. And when they experience the victory, what do they experience? The glory. I mean, glory, it’s like the ultimate high, right? It’s the ultimate manifestation in God’s perspective of His light, of His greatness, of all that He is, all the beauty, all the majesty, all the wisdom. Every one of His attributes is manifest to the ultimate degree with His glory. And so Paul says, I’m praying that from God’s glory, Get it, from the realm of glory, victory, that God would strengthen you with power by His Spirit in your inner man. I want you to focus with me as we get into some new material now with these two words, in the inner man. In the inner man. It’s so sad to me and I’m so grieved about the way God’s people are living, so connected to the world, so going after the world. You know, the apostle Paul told us earlier in the book of Ephesians chapter two, that before we were born again, we were being led by the course of the world, by the lust of our mind, the lust of the flesh, the things that we see, all the shines and glitters in the world, all the lies that the world is throwing at us, that these things will satisfy us. And it just is so unfortunate to me that so many of God’s people don’t even realize it, and they’re going after the world. But where God strengthens us, it’s not in the world. It’s not from the things from the world. It’s not something on the outside. It’s in the inner man. It’s in the inner man. It’s not out there anywhere. So many people are spending so much money to do things that they think are going to make them happy, to run over here, run over there. It’s not anywhere, but on the inside. Listen to what Paul said, that God would strengthen you through his power. Let me read it again. I’m going to read the whole verse. That he would grant according to the rich of his glory to be strengthened with power through his spirit. Now get it, in the inner man. Beloved church, it’s in the inner man that we need to be strengthened. You know, one of the things that we deal with in this world, I think all of us, maybe I’m wrong, but I know I do, I can struggle a lot when it comes to boredom. I mean, just like, you know, there’s sometimes just not a whole lot to do. And I could choose to watch endless hours on television, but I know that’s just bringing me not into my inner man, but it’s connecting me to what’s going on outside. So I do watch a little bit of television or a little bit of YouTube, but I discipline myself. A lot of times, rather than entertaining myself with the television screen, I’m just sitting before the Lord with no entertainment, even though it’s quote, forgive me for sounding blasphemous, even though it might feel a bit boring, to me it’s a spiritual discipline. It’s like, Lord, I don’t want to escape the boredom of just living in this world by watching endless hours of godless television. I mean, even if it’s not a show that is anti-God, it still takes you away from God because you’re connecting yourself, listen, to something out there, outside of yourself, watching even a drama. Somebody else’s storyline is entertaining your mind. It’s bringing you into a reality that isn’t reality. You might enjoy the story. You might enjoy the drama. And I’m not saying that it’s always bad to watch a drama or a story, but I’m saying if we’re giving ourselves to that all the time, rather than just sitting before the Lord in silence with a silent prayer saying, Lord, strengthen me by your spirit. in my inner man.” Because beloved, it’s only when we’re strengthened in our inner man that we’re going to get strong to be able to experience God’s glory, to be able to experience our own temple being the place of habitation for His Spirit. I don’t know why Christians run to these places of glitter in the world. It doesn’t take us closer to God. It brings us farther away from God. It’s just another trick of that same serpent that we read about at the beginning of the book of Genesis. It promised Adam and Eve all these things outside of God. But the answer, it’s not in knowledge. It’s not outside of God. It’s not some experience in the world. It’s in the inner man where the Spirit strengthens us. So listen again. Paul says, I pray that you’d be strengthened. Verse number 16, that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner man. In the inner man. Oh, church, will you love God enough to stop following the course of the world? To not run all over the place with your friends? to spend godless hours on social media chasing this around and going down this trail and going down that trail, being so interested in what’s going on in this person’s life. You know what happened when Peter asked Jesus about what was going to happen to another one of the apostles? Jesus said to him, what’s that to you? You follow me. Friends, I wish I could get this in all of us. So many, so many in the church, you’re so connected to the world. There’s nothing in the world. All that’s in the world, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the boastful pride of life, John told us in his writing, it’s not from the Father, it’s from the world.
SPEAKER 03 :
You can even follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Check out all these resources online today. When you give to Discovering the Jewish Jesus, it allows us to spend more time focusing on what really matters. And for us, that means getting God’s word out to as many people as possible. And right now, at this very moment, there is someone who needs to hear Rabbi’s practical biblical teaching. And your financial gift is what makes that possible. To donate, go online to discoveringthejewishjesus.com. Now to conclude today’s message, here’s Rabbi Schneider.
SPEAKER 02 :
Let’s continue on. So that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith and that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge that you may be filled up with the fullness of God. So the only way for us to come into this deeper experience of fellowship with God is to be strengthened by the Spirit in our inner man, but this doesn’t happen by accident. It doesn’t happen by chance. It doesn’t just randomly fall on you. No, beloved, He’s a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened. Ask and you shall receive. Father, fill us with your glory. Strengthen us with that same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Father, we repent right now from looking to the world to entertain ourselves. Father, we ask you to forgive us from looking to the world to try to fill our bored souls up. Father, help us to turn to you and wait on you, even if it seems like nothing is happening, knowing that you’re a rewarder of those that diligently seek you, that you reward those that go into their prayer closet to seek your face. God, strengthen us with the power that raised Jesus from the dead. God, that we would know you, that we’d be able to connect with you through the power of our spirit, that work us through faith, and that we would know the love of God that surpasses knowledge. Father, fill us up, I pray, with the fullness of your Son. Oh, God, we call out to you today. Father, we’re desperate. We’re hungry. Father, we come to you now. Save us, God. You said that we would call his name Yeshua, Jesus, and that he would save us from our sin. Father, Lord Jesus, we ask you to save us from our sin. We repent today from running after the world, trying to satisfy ourselves with things that don’t satisfy. Father, forgive us for not looking to you and not waiting on you and not having the patience and the perseverance to just wait on you. Knowing that as we do, Father, you see and you’re going to respond. You said those that wait on the Lord will rise up like eagles with wings, with new strength. Father, give us new strength, new strength. Fill our hearts with divine courage, oh God. Oh, I’m asking some of you right now just really need to repent. God wants to give you a new life. I’m asking you to get on your knees right now. I’m asking you to get on yours. Call out to Jesus with all your heart. Tell him that you’re sorry, that you’re no longer going to chase after the world and that you’re making up in your mind through his grace right now to stop. and that you’re gonna start turning to run after him alone, even if it means you don’t go out with your friends on Saturday night and you’re home alone with him, that it might not be as exciting. You see, the wages of sin are pleasurable for a season, but the end result is death. It’s the tortoise that wins the race. You just go slow and steady, but one foot in front of the other, seeking after Jesus. staying in the Word, calling out to Him, just sitting before Him, listening to worship music, being with Christian brothers and sisters. Oh God. Let’s look at this again. Paul’s prayer is that being strengthened in our inner man would lead to us being able to access God through faith. You see, faith here is something that is resonating from a grip of our spirit with His spirit. So get this. that you’d be strengthened with power through his spirit in the inner man so that Christ might dwell in your hearts through faith so that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge that you might be filled up with all the fullness of God. So I want you to understand this. I like to say this is a scientific spiritual reality. In other words, to me, this is not just a doctrine. This is a scientific reality that inside us, we have a spirit. We have a soul and a spirit. We can’t see it. It’s there though, it’s real. We have an inner man. The Bible calls that our inner man. And that it’s through our inner man that we connect with God. You see, we connect with the world through our outer man. We connect with God through the inner man. Let me say it again. You connect with the world through your outer man. You can smell the spices on the food through your outer man. You can see the lust of the flesh through your outer man, through your eyes, right? You can move things in the world. You can pick up a chair and move it from one place to the other with the arms and hands of the outer man. We connect with the world through the outer man. But we can’t connect with God through the outer man. I can’t see God with my physical eyes. I can’t smell God with my physical nose. That has to come from a different place, from the inner man. So when we’re strengthened with power by the Spirit on the inside, Our spirit becomes strong enough that we can take a grip of God by faith. It’s a scientific spiritual principle. We get strong enough on the inside that we can take a grip of God. He’s not just some thing out in a cloud somewhere. No, our inner man is strong enough. We’ve got a grip of him. We’ve apprehended him. He’s close to us. He’s near to us. He’s real to us. He’s part of our reality. He’s not just a thought anymore. He’s real and we know it. This happens when our inner man is strengthened by the spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. And as we cooperate with God by saying, Father, I love you. I want to put you first. I’m going to say no to the flesh and yes to you. Jesus said… If any man wishes to come after me, if any man wants to enter into these realities that I’m declaring right now, the love, the power, the faith, knowing God, Jesus said, if any man wishes to come after me, he must, say must with me, he must. I hate when preachers do that in church. Everybody say must. I never do that. I hate it when people, but I’m just saying, I want to accent the word, must. He must, Jesus said, pick up his cross Deny himself and follow me. What does it mean to pick up the cross? Does it mean that you’re going to go outside and build a cross and you’re going to pick it up and walk around your backyard? No, it means that you’re going to deny your own will. See, when it was time for Jesus to go to the cross, he said, Father, if it’s possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not my will, he said, but thine be done. So picking up the cross is denying our own will. Not my will, Jesus said, but thine be done. So what that means is God is saying to you right now, even as you’re sitting on your couch or chair, if you want to enter into these realities that Rabbi Schneider is proclaiming from the word, you’ve got to every day pick up your cross. You’ve got to say no to the flesh. You’ve got to say no to your own human and earthly agenda. You’ve got to put that aside. You’ve got to say yes to me. You’ve got to deny yourself and follow me. Jesus said he must pick up his cross, deny himself and follow me. Any man that tries to save his life shall lose it. But he, Yeshua said, that loses his life for my sake shall find it. Maybe you’re listening right now and the Word of God has gotten through to your soul in a way that it never has before, and you suddenly realize you need to give your life to Jesus for the first time. Let’s just say this together. Father God, forgive me. I heard the word from your scripture today and I believe it. Father, I am asking you right now to save me in Jesus name. Father, I’m turning to you today to follow you. I want to put my old life behind me. Father, I want to turn away from sin. I want to follow Jesus. I ask you to wash me of my sin in Jesus’ name and fill me with your Holy Spirit. Father, I give my life to you right now. Thank you for coming to this earth to save me in the person of your Son. Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross for my sins. I receive you now to make you my Lord. and Savior. If you just prayed that prayer, go to discoveringthejewishjesus.com and hit the Find Jesus link. We want to get some literature into your hand. Father God, we look to you today. Thank you for your love for us. Continue, Lord, to do exceedingly more for us than we’re even asking or thinking right now for your glory in Jesus’ name. I know in my heart that when I’m able to sacrifice something to the Lord, whether it’s an act of obedience, whether it’s denying my flesh, whether it’s in my finances, I know that when I choose to sacrifice myself to Him, it brings me into a sense of feeling connected. What’s really interesting is that the Hebrew word that is translated sacrifice in English, the Hebrew is korban. And not only does korban mean sacrifice, but the literal root of it means to draw near. So what’s the point? When we make a sacrifice to the Lord, when we sacrifice our lives to Him, what happens is we are brought near, we draw near to Him. And as a result, He draws near to us. I want to encourage you. Be faithful to the Lord with your finances. Make a sacrifice to Him. And when you do, beloved ones, out of love and with right motives, the result will be is that you will be brought near to Him and experience His blessing on your life.
SPEAKER 03 :
Amen. Thank you, Rabbi Schneider. And friends, if God is calling you to support Discovering the Jewish Jesus with the gift of any amount, would you please give us a call today? Call us at 800-777-7835 or you can also give online by visiting our website. You’ll find us at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And if you’d like, you can also send a financial donation in the mail instead. Our address is Discovering the Jewish Jesus, P.O. Box 777, Blissfield, Michigan 49228. And if you’d like to go deeper in your spiritual understanding this year, then I want to encourage you today, join our growing community on Roku TV. Rabbis Transformative Messages, they’re streaming and they’re on demand in a dynamic and authentic way right from your living room. I encourage you, let this be a year of discovery where you really dive in to Rabbi’s profound biblical insights. All of his messages are there available. This is a great resource and tool for you. You can find out more at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. Or if you’ve got a Roku device, just pull it up and search for the Discovering the Jewish Jesus app, or you can even search for Rabbi Schneider. And one more time today, I want to remind you, if you want to support us this year, just type the keyword Rabbi to the phone number 45777. Thanks so much for your support. It really makes a difference. We couldn’t do this without you. And we look forward to hearing from you soon. And now here’s Rabbi to share God’s special blessing with us before we head into the weekend. Rabbi?
SPEAKER 02 :
The words from the Aaronic Blessing in the book of Numbers, chapter 6, verses 22 through 27, helps us to realize how good God is to you and I personally. So receive his blessing into your life. And then, beloved one, go bless somebody else in Jesus’ name today.
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift you up with His countenance. And the Lord give you, beloved one, His peace. God bless you and shalom.
SPEAKER 03 :
This program is produced and sponsored by Discovering the Jewish Jesus. And I’m Dustin Roberts. Make sure to come back next week when Rabbi Schneider explains why Paul said Jew and Gentile are alike. That’s coming up Monday on Discovering the Jewish Jesus.
