No More Used to Be’s
Ephesians 2:4–7, NKJ
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us...raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus”
Right now the time that we’re living in, I want you to know is the ages to come! And in a year from now, in a year from that and a year from that, will be an are all “The ages to come!”
Most people and that includes all of us, have a hard time getting past the used to be’s in life. You know what we all consider as the normals of life.
Even though normal was never to be intended the best, or the complete way things were wanted to be. At best they were an acceptable version of mediocre. Thing is, most people aren’t willing to let go and still hold tightly to them, because of the comfort they represented!
No matter how things may seem to appear, no matter what news reports we will ever hear, we must always remember, “there’s a better day a coming, for were not home yet!” Amen??
The bible records some of the most amazing miracles throughout history, thats a given fact! Everything from creation, to the Ark, to Jesus resurrection!
Absolutely we should always be willing to acknowledge what God has done in the past, because our faith builds upon what we have heard about and even more so what we have personally witnessed!
But at the same time, we also have to look forward to what God wants to do in our lives today. If all we held were memories of yesterday, what would we care if any, about tomorrow?
God is a progressive God, both in thinking and action! And at times in life it may not seem like we have been created in His image and characteristics! However, God both wanted and created us, to be the same way!
In our text, Paul was and is talking about and looking towards the future, not the past! He was saying don’t let your thinking get or become stagnant, because in doing so, you will never realize or experience the true abundant life God has always had planned for you!
TBS. (the Bible says) that “in the ages to come” God would do things that far supersede anything He’s ever done before.
That means tomorrow holds the opportunity, if you can believe and let your faith arise to the capabilities God holds, for Him to do over and above anything up to this point that He has done!
Paul, by God’s inspired and divine revelation, writes and is challenging us to have an expectancy of God going above and beyond, each and every day in our lives!
Far too many Of God’s people, are under the assumption that it is wrong to have an open expectancy of receiving, when they are believing for something they are wanting to come to pass!
Paul wants us to know and understand, if your expectant of Him, and are a follower of Him, you should count on Him to be a deliverer of what you ask, not just occasionally, but consistently and faithfully.
Let’s read our text again,
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us...
(notice here are two of the main components responsible for all of creation, “God’s mercy and love” This is the why part of Gods actions!)
raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
(this is not just some off-the-cuff glancing thought of maybe someday it would be a nice thing to do, this is God’s strongest desire! THIS IS THE INTENT OF GODS PLAN!)
that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus”
(Notice not just some of His riches of his grace and kindness towards us, but exceeding amounts of His riches of his grace and his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus! THIS IS THE REWARD OF FOLLOWING GODS INSTRUCTIONS!)
Always enough, never not enough, always and forever and ever more than enough to do in accomplish anything set before us!
Its true, this is part of our inheritance! TBS. He raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Psalms 23:1 NKJ
1. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
God doesn’t want us to want, He wants to meet our needs and to realize when we come to Him, we should always come boldly when we ask of Him!
Matt. 7:7-11MSG.
7-11. "Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn't a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing. You're at least decent to your own children. So don't you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?
When Jesus fed the five thousand, He didn’t take a head count! His disciples said even if we had a place we could go buy food for these people to feed them, we wouldn’t have enough money to pay the bill!
And I want you to know at that moment Jesus didn’t reach in his back pocket and check to see what he had in his wallet and He doesn’t want you to have to feel like you need to check your wallet either!
Jesus already knew and He wants us all to realize, God had equipped Him/us with everything needed at His/our disposal, to do and accomplish the impossible!
So what did Jesus do? He took the two fish and five loaves of bread and fed them! And everyone had their fill, so much so there was still an abundance of leftovers, 12 baskets and then some!
The apostle Paul and more importantly God wants us to realize, events like this we can still look forward to happening today!
And even more importantly, God wants us to know and realize we can be and should by all means expect to be part of the miracles, awaiting us to be realized and witnessed!
And some would say, that’s some awesome expectation you’re talking about there! And to that I would say, it is nothing out of the ability of the Awesome God I have been given the privilege to know and serve! Amen? Well, Amen??
Praise the Lord, God never does anything halfway,
*He’s always giving us His best,
*He’s always advancing us,
*He’s always doing new things for us,
*He’s constantly looking for new ways,
*even the slightest reason, to show His favor to us and bless the expectations of His Children!
TBS. in Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJ
22. The LORD’s mercies
Because His compassions fail not.
23. They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
God is constantly doing new and exciting things for all of us, we may not see it in the natural, but He is always constantly working behind the scenes on our behalf!
And the best news is, we are only limited as to what He wants to do for us, by our expectation of Him!
Imagine that, the only thing standing between us and the amazing things God wants to do for us, is our expectations!
Why would God be that generous and giving towards us??
We don’t have to figure out why He loves us so much, we just need to take it at face value and be thankful that He does! Amen??
TBS. in Jerm. 33:2-3
2-3."This is God's Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: 'Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.
Right now, even with the economy being as unpredictable as it is, even with inflation pressing through the roof! God wants to do wondrous things for us, far beyond what we have heard or seen, up to this point!
Don’t let report of the accuser and the medias repeated lies get you down, by telling you about all the negativity in the world!
John 10:10 NKJ.
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
God has greater levels of His favor and blessing in store for you. Levels you can’t even comprehend and no level that is not attainable!
Illus. by BH Grace
A story is told of a little girl that would not take a handful of cherries when the general store owner told her to take one.
After several times of saying no, the owner told her to hold out her hands and he filled them to overflowing, with the cherries she loved.
On the way home, her Momma asked her why should would not just take a handful. She sad, "He has bigger hands."
That’s exactly how God wants us to be with him each and everyday!
God wants us to realize and come expecting Him on a daily basis, to fill our expectations, with overflowing levels of prepared blessings He has has waiting for us our entire lives!
Psalms 68:19 NKJ
Blessed be the Lord,?Who daily loads us with benefits,?The God of our salvation! Selah
How much do you want from God? How much are you expecting from God?
Why not try lifting the bar of your expectation higher than yesterday’s provision! Dare to dream big! Dare to keep a God-sized vision in front of you!
If God be your partner, make your plans large, so large that there’s no way you could ever do them by yourself!
Then hold out your hands in faith like the little girl from the story and God will reward your expectation of faith and will fill your hands to overflowing!
