Beyond What We Can Ask or Imagine…
Ephesians 3:20-21
June 8, 2008
NOTE: THE ME/WE/GOD/YOU/WE FORMAT USED IN MY MESSAGES IS BORROWED FROM ANDY STANLEY’S BOOK, "COMMUNICATING FOR A CHANGE."
We: We live in a world of imagination.
It takes imagination to dream up everything we have around us.
It took imagination to come up with the idea of cars. But I’ll bet that even Henry Ford didn’t imagine what the world would do with cars in the world today.
It took imagination to come up with computers. But I’ll bet that even those people didn’t imagine how intricately linked our lives would become to them.
It took imagination to come up with cameras. But I’ll bet that even the Eastman Kodak folks couldn’t imagine the world of digital photography and photoshop.
We’re in a world where we’re asked and expected to imagine all sorts of things.
And that’s good. Because the source of our imagination is God.
He made us and created us with an imagination and He expects us to use our imagination in ways that bring honor and glory to Him.
Now just like everything else, our imaginations can be used to corrupt and sinful purposes, and everyone in here is subject to use it that way.
But when we bring our imaginations under control and use them for God, something wonderful happens: we start believing that God is really all-mighty, not just saying He is.
We start believing that God is true to His Word and that He’s not a liar.
We start believing that God is able to move and act in our best interests.
Today after church we’re meeting to discuss what we think God can and will do through our Vacation Bible School this summer.
But my hope is that as we go through this message, you will find yourself daring to believe God for something that you think is impossible.
Or maybe you’ll find yourself resurrecting a long-gone hope that God would intervene in a situation on the life of someone you love but had given up hope for.
Or it could be that you simply need God to move in your life in a way that you never thought possible because you though the situation was too big, even for God.
Whatever your situation, I hope you’ll be encouraged today.
God: Our passage for today is Ephesians 3:20-21. Please read this aloud with me. –
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.
This is a bit of a re-hash of a message I gave about four and a half years ago.
But as I was reflecting on what we’re asking God to do through Vacation Bible School, and on the dream session we’re having today, I decided to look at this message and see if there was anything that I could use to encourage us to believe big thing from God.
Three facts about God that we can learn from this passage that should cause us to think about Him and what He can do in and through this church:
1. God is bigger than our boxes.
God is a big ol’ God. He’s not some wimpy God. He’s the real deal. He’s almighty, and He’s all-powerful.
Look at this passage:
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…
Think about some of the stuff we know God can do:
He can move mountains. He can set and remove kings and presidents.
You think I’m worried about this election coming up? Not at all!
Because no matter who’s in the White House, God is still on the throne and He’s still in control. You think God’s panicking about the election? Give me a break!
He can control the weather. He can give and take life. He can grant honor and He can bring people down.
He can grant wealth or bring poverty. He can bring feast or famine.
He created the heavens and the earth. And while Carl Sagan could only estimate the vastness of the heavens, God holds them in His Hand. And He can do with them as He pleases.
How’s that for big?
This passage says that God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine.
Now let me tell you, folks, I’ve got a pretty big imagination.
I can imagine seeing 10% of our area being impacted for Christ and living for Him because of God’s working in and through this church.
That’s about 3500 people just in Brown County.
I can imagine that all the evangelical churches in this area growing in their impact for Christ as God works in and through them.
And I pray for that just like I pray that He does that in us.
God is big.
The point here is that…
*He is able.
Now I don’t know about you, but that gives me encouragement. It gives me comfort. It gives me security. It gives me optimism that God can handle anything that comes up and that He’s in control.
It gives me hope for today and the guarantee of heaven when I die because I live on His promise, not anyone else’s.
He is powerful. Beyond our wildest imaginations.
Here’s the second fact we can glean from this passage:
2. God makes us usable.
I’ve said on numerous occasions that if you want to be used by God, then become usable - then God can and will you use you.
Verse 20 says that God is able to do His wonderful work according to His power that is at work within us.
For the purposes of all-powerful God to be accomplished, He has chosen to use weak vessels like you and me.
And without His working within us, it would be hopeless. Yet God has provided for our needs in equipping us to be His servants.
He provided not only His Word, but also His Holy Spirit so that His Word could have maximum impact in our lives first, enabling us to be wise in how we reach out to those around us.
He worked to bring us out from the punishment we deserve for our sins, and not only gave us a place in heaven, but made us new creations in Him so we could radiate the power of God to change lives.
The point here is that…
*He works in us so we can work for Him.
We can be filled with the same power and knowledge Paul wanted for the Ephesians.
There is no reason we cannot share in the same wonderful blessings given to these people.
And this allows us to partner with God in the work of the Great Commission to make disciples of Jesus in all nations.
Man, this gives me hope. The fact that He can use me, and that He actually chooses to use me is something I don’t think I’ll ever really comprehend. But He does, to my amazement, and to the amazement of my in-laws.
William Carey said, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.”
When I think about what I believe God wants to accomplish things through this body of believers, I get excited! I lose sleep over this stuff.
I have told you time and time again that I am convinced God wants to use Aberdeen Wesleyan Church to reach multitudes of people for Christ.
I believe that God has allowed this church to survive in one form or another for over 120 years for a reason.
And it’s not to just be able to say that we have a Wesleyan church in Aberdeen.
I believe that God has something HUGE in store for us, both within our body and out there as we seek to make disciples here and around the world.
His power in us will make it possible.
The third fact I want to show this morning is that…
3. God is glorified by our partnership with Him.
Verse 21 says…
…to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
God is glorified as His power is displayed in our partnership. As He works in us, He can work through us, and that brings Him the honor He deserves.
God is glorified in three different ways according to this verse:
* In the church.
He is honored in our worship and our service, as individuals and as a body, as well as when we work with others in the body of Christ.
He is honored as individual believers fall more in love with Him, and seek to serve Him no matter who they are, where they are, or what they do for a living.
He is honored when we come together for corporate worship, seeking to invite Him to change our hearts and to make us a living organism for service.
And He’s honored when churches come together and work to build the kingdom of God, praying for each other, helping each other, and rejoicing with each other when God blesses.
He is honored in the church. Next, the Father is honored…
* In His Son.
Jesus, in His prayer in John 17 says that He brought glory to the Father by completing the work given Him by the Father.
And one day, when Jesus is declared to be King and all creation bows down, the Father will be glorified, through His Son.
Parents know that when your child is honored, it brings honor to you, doesn’t it?
It’ll be that and immeasurably more for the Father when Jesus is crowned as King over all creation.
So how does Christ honoring the Father involve us?
We bring glory to the Father by being Christlike in all we say and do. By showing that Jesus is more than someone we just talk about on Sunday mornings.
We bring glory to the Father by taking on the task of Christ restoring relationships with God through Him.
The Father is honored in His Son, especially as we honor the Son by our obedience to Him.
* In all generations.
Christianity has survived, if not thrived, for 20 centuries, and it is because previous generations have been faithful to pass on the importance of living for Christ, since He died for us.
And it is up to us to continue passing it on.
I know that one of my greatest joys will be when my grandchildren start coming to Christ.
I pray that I will be the kind of parent that gives an accurate portrayal of love and devotion to Him that will not bring embarrassment to Christ or my family.
This will go a long way to helping my children desire to pass on their own love for Christ.
Yet even if I fail, and none of my heirs and descendants serve Him, He will still be glorified, because there are plenty of people who will love Him, regardless of my involvement.
But as I have said before, I want to be involved, so I need to make sure I honor Christ in all my generations.
But what I want you to think about for just a minute is this: will this church have a legacy for Christ in this area?
Will generations down the road be able to look back and say that God used this church and this congregation to make a difference for Christ?
My hope is that generations from now, people will look back and wonder how the cause of Christ ever survived without AWC.
God is glorified by our partnership with Him.
You: So what can you do with this information?
Well, here’s what I’d suggest:
Ask God to do the impossible!
Folks, we could invite every child in Aberdeen to come to Vacation Bible School, but unless God moves in the hearts of those families, we’ll never get 50. It would be impossible, I believe.
But with God, all things are possible.
It’s impossible to reach 3500 people for Christ. But with God, all things are possible.
Luke 1:37 –
“For nothing is impossible with God."
Is there someone you know who doesn’t live for Christ? God can do something in their heart – because nothing is impossible with God.
Is there something going on in your life that looks impossible? With God, you can face it – because nothing is impossible for God.
That’s not to say He’s going to make all your problems go away. He does do that sometimes. But usually He comes alongside us to help us get through those situations.
Ask Him. Ask Him for the impossible.
We: I have to admit, the first time I heard Jolene say she was believing God for 50 children and 5 families through Vacation Bible School, my heart skipped a bit.
“I don’t know…that seems like a lot for this church.”
Then I was reminded in my heart that God is the God of the impossible, so now when I think of 50 children and 5 families through VBS, I think, “Why not?”
I mentioned my desire to see 10% of our area reached for Christ. And I look out at a county of 35,000 people and I ask, “Why not?” “In spite of my weaknesses, Lord, why not? Nothing is impossible through You.”
I think of how individuals and families can be impacted through the ministries of this church – you and me, and I think, “Why not?”
When you think on these things, do you think, “No way,” or do you think, “Why not?”
Will you join me in believing God to be true to His Word and to use this Church and the people in it to do big thing in and through us?
To God be the glory in this church for all time!
