God is able
Ephesians chapter 3:14-20
Introduction-
The title of the sermon this morning is God is able. I purposely did not finish that sentence. I want you to finish it this morning.
God is able…to meet all my needs according to His riches in glory.
God is able… to change circumstances, to change so and so heart.
God is able… to make my dreams (and name it to yourself this morning) come to pass.
You are going to find out some things about yourself.
Do you believe God is able to meet your needs?
Do you believe that God can and wants to change circumstances and certain people’s heart.
Do you believe that God loves you enough to be active in your life?
Normal is what we do every day. That is why it is normal.
That is why normal is not the same for each one of us.
We do different things and we have different expectations of what should happen in our day.
For some of us- nothing happening is what we desire, and if that happens we are okay with that.
For others- if nothing would happen, we would be discouraged, because we want something to happen.
Life in a box is not where God works from. (Head in the sand)
Normal may be comfortable, but God does not usually work there. (Doing the same things and expecting a different outcome)
You cannot put God in a box and expect God to stay there.
You cannot live in a box and expect God to use you outside of your own created box.
The text this morning will cause you to go beyond your limits and your boundaries.
Some will have a breakthrough and some will remain in their boundaries.
You get to decide which one you want for your life.
Ephesians 3:14-3:20 Read from Bible
This is Paul praying for the Ephesian church.
I taught this text before, but I want you to see something new this morning.
God wants you out of your box! Period! (v10-12) tells us what God intends through his people.
“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realm, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Some of you are not dreaming big enough! Get God out of the box and you will see Him do tremendous things!
Some of you are just dreamers. You have and know what God wants to do, He has shown you. You are not willing to do it.
Some of you are content just waiting for the Jesus bus to come sweep you off to heaven and your sitting at the bus stop waiting.
There are three areas of your life that have to be given over to the Lord for you to be successful in your kingdom journey.
3 B’s if you will:
Believe
Belong
Become (repeat)
We are going to look at each one for a minute.
I. Believe (write it down)
Belief is a funny thing. You really don’t know if you have it until you exercise it.
Your faith get’s tested in your trials.
Your faith is strengthened or weakened by how you react.
I cannot give you faith.
Mark 8
1000’s of people were around Jesus, they haven’t eaten for days and Jesus is not willing to send them away as the disciples wanted to do.
Paraphrased (v5) what do you have? They answer 5 loaves and two fish. (a little boy’s lunch)
Jesus tells them to get the bag, have the crowd sit down, Jesus prayed over the meal and everyone was fed.
Do you believe that? Is your God that big? Seriously! Is your God that Big!
Luke 5
A man with leprosy falls on his face before Jesus yelling, ”Lord, if you are willing; you can make me clean.”
Do you have enough faith to fall at Jesus feet and wait for His answer of I am willing-be clean?
Is that your God?
God takes what we have and what you make available to Him and multiplies and blesses and uses it for His honor and glory.
Do you believe in God? Good. Did you know that God believes in you?
Illustration-
Hold your fingers up and make the okay sign. Do you believe that I can poke my head through that circle? Do you believe it? Move hand that fingers are placed okay near your forehead and with your other hand poke your forehead.
What seems impossible- God can find a way!
Apostle Paul prays here that :
We may be strengthened with power by the Holy Spirit
That we would grasp how deep the love of God is for each one of us.
That you and I would understand that God is God, and that He is able to do more than we ask or think according to His power that is at work in our lives.
He does that by the 3 B’s
Believe, belong, become
With God you always get more!
Object of faith is to take God at His Word. (explain)
II. Belong
Inside each one of us is a longing to belong to something or someone bigger than we are.
We know we have limits weather we admit them or not.
It is Paul’s prayer that we would know the depth of God’s love for us. (That we would belong to Him)
God is crazy about you and desires to build a relationship with you that goes beyond what you could ever imagine.
Whatever your fears of past relationships, He wants to get on the other side of them, that His love goes deeper than any human love can.
The church is a way of belonging.
You become a part of the body of Christ instead of just visiting once in a while.
The church is a way of staying connected. You disconnect from the church and you find that your relationship with the Lord has been disconnected also.
Church is more than a social club and a place to catch up on all the latest news around the church.
You need the church and I need the church to help us walk with the Lord.
It is where the sick find healing.
The unsaved find salvation.
It is where the saved lift up their voices in praise for what God has done and is doing in their lives.
It is where we become more like Christ.
Just like any family, it is not perfect, but it is where you can belong.
III. Become
Strengthened by the Spirit of God dwelling inside of you, Apostle Paul is telling us who we can become.
I am a sinner, corrupt and carnal, but God changes me inward through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Rev. 3:20
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come to him, and will dine with him, and he with me.”
Often we quote that as an evangelistic invitation, and yet Jesus said it to the Leodicea Church that was lukewarm and needed the power of God in their lives.
We are all on a journey in our walk with Christ. We all are at different levels of that walk, but all of us should be becoming more like Christ.
Old things should be passing away as every day we want more of Christ.
The truth with Christianity is that we start with faith, but then our faith grows as we follow Christ.
Let me wind this down,
God is able…
To strengthen us with power through the Spirit
To show us the love of God in our lives.
To fill us and empower us to live the lives He intended for us.
He does it by:
(1) Believing- By putting your trust in Him.
(2) Belonging- being a part of the church family. Not just visiting, but an active member.
(3) Becoming- God changing us from who we were to who He wants us to be.
Now let me read verse 20 again,
“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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever.” Amen!
God is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think- what are you praying for?
“I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives, and he who seeks, finds, and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.”
Is your dream to small?
Is God in a box?
Are you trusting the Lord fully in your life?
Are you ready for change? Hold on because the ride is going to step it up!
Altar Call! (You get to decide if your God is able!)
