God's Overflowing Power Series

LIVING IN CHRIST – God’s Overflowing Power

 Ephesians 3:14-21 NIV

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

INTRODUCTION:

God wants us to be like the Energizer Bunny—to just keep going and going and going. When they make batteries they store power or energy within the cell or inner core of the battery. But it is not good enough for the power to be in the battery. The power needs to flow through the battery if it is to be of any good and do something. That’s why batteries have a positive and a negative end which must be aligned properly in order for the power to flow through the battery and thus make a flash light work when you turn it on.

You and I have been filled with the power of God through the Holy Spirit. But God does not just want to do a work IN you. God wants to flip the switch so that His power will flow THROUGH you, and that collectively as the church—God’s family we might be properly aligned in order that His power might be further displayed IN and THROUGH us as His children.

This is the focus of Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians, a prayer that God wants to likewise answer in our lives today. Let’s discover God’s Overflowing Power – a power at work IN US, a power working THROUGH US, and a power that OVERFLOWS US with glory to God.

I. God’s Power working IN US.

 Ephesians 3:16-17a NIV

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

1. God’s power is working in us according to “His glorious riches.”

a) God does not lack the ability and power to do this work. God does not need a stimulus package or need to tax us to do what He desires to do. GOD CAN because of his abundant riches! God will exceed your expectations because there is no limit to the riches of His mercy and grace. Can you begin to grasp the riches of God?

 Ephesians 1:7-8 NIV

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

 Ephesians 1:18 NIV

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.

 Ephesians 2:4-5, 7 NIV

4 . . . God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ . . . 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

 Ephesians 3:8 NIV

[Paul says that he was given grace]. . . to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.

b) God will not come up short handed; His pockets are not empty. The riches of God is abundant and more than enough to accomplish His work within your inner being.

2. Our inner being is strengthened through the Spirit.

a) God has invested of HIMSELF in you. God is at work within you by His Spirit. If the riches of God’s grace are at work in you through the power of His Spirit then nothing in this world can ever destroy you!

 2 Corinthians 4:16 MsgB

So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.

b) Yes outwardly it may appear that we are wasting away, but inwardly within our inner being, within our heart of hearts—inside the real you—inwardly we are being renewed day by day. That’s why Paul can say, “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Cor 4:17 NIV).