Song Story: We Give You Glory
Ephesians 3:20–21
[20] Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (ESV)
As a church, we studied Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. Paul uses extraordinary language throughout his letter to communicate the glory of God and His intimate relationship to us as His sons and daughters in His Church. Check out this doozy of a prayer request to God from Paul on behalf of the Ephesians:
Ephesians 1:17–21 [17] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, [18] having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, [19] and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might [20] that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, [21] far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. (ESV)
“It is never a small thing to give glory to God. It is the biggest, weightiest, most important, eternal, and celestially noticed thing we could possibly do.”
Paul prays that we would receive the Spirit’s help in order to grant us a deep understanding and awareness of our hope from God, that we are a glorious inheritance to Him, and the power moving toward us who belong to him is unmatched and unmeasured. In fact, the only thing he can describe it is to attribute it to the power that raised Christ from the dead and set Him at the right hand of God. No big deal. No…HUGE DEAL! The very same power to do the most powerful thing in all of history—greater than creation, greater than suns being born, or atoms slamming into each other—that same power, is at work in us. Just stop. We have to stop and just think about that for a minute.
One of the questions that might come up as we ponder that preposterous revelation is: why? Why is that degree of power working in us? I suspect Paul gives us a clue in chapter 3:10 - “so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” (ESV) All of creation—seen and unseen—watches. We wrote the line in verse 2:
All the angels watch in wonder.
They stand in awe of the work of God.
His saints revealing
To the heavens that His glory never ends.
It is never a small thing to give glory to God. It is the biggest, weightiest, most important, eternal, and celestially noticed thing we could possibly do. We, God’s redeemed sons and daughters, His Church, has the opportunity to give glory to the risen and reigning King Jesus and it’s always on full display.
In Ephesians 3:20, Paul attributes glory to this with a crescendo of terms to a God who can do “far more abundantly”—or as we sing in the bridge, “more! more! more!” —than we could ask for or think. What do you think God can do? He can do more (x3)! He is able! And we give Him glory for what He’s done, what He’s doing, and what He will do! I pray that, as Paul prayed, that the eyes of our hearts would be open to this!
Verse 1
This is a fight and He’s in it.
The war rages though it is finished.
With scars to prove it;
The receipt for what was paid and what was won.
The power of God to raise a dead man,
Beats in our chest and works within us.
To future glory!
We’re on the road to who you’re making us to be.
Verse 2
It has begun: Creation’s healing.
When all that groans will be set right.
The One who saves,
Will bring His justice and His mercy down to reign.
All the angels watch in wonder.
They stand in awe of the work of God.
His saints revealing
To the heavens that His glory never ends.
Chorus
We give You glory! We give You praise!
We are Your church, God
We sing to Jesus who reigns!
Now and forever, for all to see,
We give You glory!
To our great God and king!Bridge
You can do more! More!
More than we can ask for.
God do more! More!
More than we can dream!