Rooted and Grounded in Love
Pastor Tan Thai · May 5, 2019
Based on Ephesians 3:14-19, this sermon poses the central question: do believers truly know Christ, or merely know about Him in theory? The pastor emphasizes that God is love, so when Christ truly dwells within the heart, love will naturally overflow into daily life. The sermon calls every believer to be rooted and grounded in the love of Christ so as to be filled with all the fullness of God.
The sermon opens with a central question: when a believer says 'I know God,' what does that actually mean? The pastor uses vivid illustrations — such as the difference between someone who has only heard about the White House and someone who works there daily — to show the vast gap between intellectual knowledge and genuine personal experience. Paul's second prayer in Ephesians 3 does not ask for material blessings, but for the inner person of believers to be strengthened so that Christ may truly dwell in their hearts and transform their lives.
The second section establishes the theological foundation: God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), so wherever God truly dwells, love will be visibly expressed. The pastor draws on John 13 and 15, Matthew 22, Luke 7, 1 Corinthians 12–13, 2 Corinthians 5, and 1 John to demonstrate that love is not merely a commandment but the identifying mark of a true believer. The story of the sinful woman in Luke 7 powerfully illustrates that those who are forgiven much will love much, while those who know the law only in their minds — without letting forgiveness penetrate their hearts — will lack genuine love.
The third section applies the image of being 'rooted and grounded' from Ephesians 3:17–18 to practical Christian living. The pastor explains that both verbs — 'rooted' and 'established' — point to deep, secure anchorage, echoing Jesus' image of a house built on rock in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:24). Only when Christ truly transforms the inner person can believers comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth of His love, and only then can that love flow naturally into their relationships with others.
The sermon concludes with a call to action: every believer must honestly ask whether they truly desire these realities. The pastor emphasizes that desire and longing are the source of action and change. When the longing to truly know Christ is strong, believers will engage in concrete spiritual disciplines — reading and studying Scripture, prayer, worship, fellowship, and daily quiet time — all so that Christ may increasingly govern their lives and fill their hearts with His love to overflowing.