(Capital Stewardship Day)
The Greatness Of God Ephesians 1:15-20AMP
Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
Paul is so filled with Christ; so overflowing with the Holy Spirit in power and love, that he can’t even say ‘hello’ without bursting into a virtual song of wonder and praise.
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ”... and off he goes!
I recently ran across a statistic compiled by a German scholar. He determined that in Paul’s 13 epistles, he uses the term “In Christ” or some form of it ~ “in Him”, “in the Lord” ~ no less than 164 times!
Paul loved to talk about Jesus!
Paul tells the body of Christ that he’s heard of their faith in the Lord, and their love for all the saints. Paul proceeds to say that he gives thanks for the body of Christ in his prayers.
And then suddenly, Paul turns all his faith and hope to the body of Christ onto the Lord Jesus Christ. He say’s, “I pray that the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.”
CECC, your faith and love is being heard! Can you say, Amen.
And then Ephesians 1:18-19TM Paul say’s…your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is He is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life He has for His followers, oh, the utter extravagance of His work in us who trust Him—endless energy, boundless strength!
Say that with me, “Endless energy and boundless strength.
Question: Do you realize that everything pertaining to this life has been given to you? You have the ability to walk in Jesus’ purpose and plan; you have the anointing for all the vision you’ll ever need!
I John 2:20NKJB But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
John 14:26NKJB But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
I want to give you just a few things that God is great in doing and being.
1. God is great in might, power and strength.
Isaiah 40:26NKJB Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; Not one is missing.
Key thought: God is knowledgeable of every “one” wherever he or she may be.
Testimony: God can do anything, He’s not limited by our thoughts and our ways. I’ve seen Him open financial doors, I’ve seen Him heal the sick, I’ve seen Him perform the supernatural time and time again!
2. God is great in lovingkindness.
Numbers 14:19NKJB "Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”
God lovingly forgives time and time again.
3. God is great in covenant.
Nehemiah 1:5NKJB And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments,
Leighton Farrell was the minister of Highland Park Church in Dallas for many years. He tells of a man in the church who once made a covenant with a former pastor to tithe ten percent of their income every year. They were both young and neither of them had much money. But things changed. The layman tithed one thousand dollars the year he earned ten thousand, ten thousand dollars the year he earned one-hundred thousand, and one- hundred thousand dollars the year he earned one million. But the year he earned six million dollars he just could not bring himself to write out that check for six-hundred thousand dollars to the Church.
He telephoned the minister, long since having moved to another church, and asked to see him. Walking into the pastor’s office the man begged to be let out of the covenant, saying, "This tithing business has to stop. It was fine when my tithe was one thousand dollars, but I just cannot afford six-hundred thousand dollars. You’ve got to do something, Reverend!" The pastor knelt on the floor and prayed silently for a long time. Eventually the man said, "What are you doing? Are you praying that God will let me out of the covenant to tithe?" "No," said the minister. "I am praying for God to reduce your income back to the level where one thousand dollars will be your tithe!”
4. God is great in name.
Jeremiah 10:6NKJB Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord (You are great, and Your name is great in might),
1 Samuel 12:22NKJB "For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.
Remember this, “Demons fled, sickness left and the dead were raised at the name of Jesus!”
5. God is great in us.
Ephesians 3:20NKJB Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
A little old lady went to the bus station everyday. One day her dog followed her to the station. She spoke to her dog, “Go home now.” The dog didn’t respond, She spoke to him again, “Go home right now.” The dog just looked at her. The third time she scared at the dog and spoke up, “Now you get home right now!” (The dog put his tail between his legs with his ears back and ran home).
Acts 1:8NKJB But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
“It’s time for you to use the authority that Jesus Christ gave you.” P.H.
6. God is great in our youth and children!
Testimony: Share the card I received from our church children.
Pledges~
Benedition.
