A Walk that is Worthy Part 10
Immeasurably More
Text Eph 3:20-21
Intro:
This morning once again we are looking at the book of Ephesians, and “A Walk that is Worthy” Specifically as we come to the end of chapter three we are looking at a message entitled “Immeasurably More!” Last week we looked at the rewards of walking a worthy walk.
Strengthen you with power
Root and Establish you in love
Fill you to the measure
I would like to continue this morning along those same lines. Our text says that our God is able to do immeasurably more than we could ask or think.
What an incredible thought
Illus
: A guy named Pete gets a job as a switchman with the railroad, and he had weeks of training. Finally the day came, and the supervisor takes him into the switch booth to test his readiness. The following conversation takes place:
Supervisor: "Imagine you were sitting here alone and you learned there was a train coming from the North on that track, and another coming from the South on the same track. What would you do?"
Pete: "I’d throw this switch right here and put one train on the other track."
Supervisor: And what if that switch didn’t work?"
Pete: "I’d go down to the track and throw that big switch lever there, putting one train on the other track."
Supervisor: "And what if that switch lever didn’t work?"
Pete: "Then I’d come back here and call the dispatcher to stop both trains."
Supervisor: "And what if the phone didn’t work?"
Pete: "Then I’d go to that gas station across the street and use their phone."
Supervisor: "And what if their phone didn’t work?"
Pete: "Then I’d go get Uncle Joe."
Supervisor: "Uncle Joe??? What would he do?"
Pete: "Nothing, but he ain’t never seen a train wreck."...
God can do and accomplish things in our lives that we cannot even imagine. We have within our hands a history of God’s incredible workings in the lives of
man.
Just a few examples
1) Transform Lives: Saul Acts 7:51-59
2) Healing: Woman with the issue of blood Matt 9:20-22
3) Provision: 1 Kings 17:8-16
4) Strength: IS 40:29-31 Romans 8:11
5) Power: John 14:11-14
Do you believe that our God is able to do immeasurably more? We could go on and on with stories of the Exodous, The Three Hebrew Children, People being healed and raised from the dead. In fact Acts 19 speaks of so many people being spiritually changed that it affected the locally
Wouldn’t it be incredible that if we saw that kind of dramatic change in the lives of Christians…let alone believers.
The paradox we face is between God’s ability…which we have just looked at, and what we see as reality.
Why don’t we see the promises of God as prevalent in our church, culture, and lives, and the Bible seems to speak towards?
I ran across a few interesting paradoxes in our lives that someone noticed.
Illus:
Only in America can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance.
Only in America do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, & a DIET coke.
Only in America are there handicap parking spaces in front of a skating drink.
Only in America do we buy hot dogs in packages of 10, & buns in packages of 8.
Only in America do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions, while healthy people can buy their cigarettes at the front.
Only in America do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway & put our junk in the garage. - Something to think about, isn’t it?
(Adapted from Steve Shepherd on SermonCentral)
The promises of God stands sure.
Jer 32:17-19, 27
So why don’t we see it?
Illus:
IT DEPENDS WHOSE HANDS IT’S IN
A basketball in my hands is worth about $19
A basketball in Shaquille O’Neal’s hands is worth about $19 million a year.
It depends whose hands it’s in
A baseball bat in my hands is worth about $12
A baseball bat in Jeff Bagwell’s hands is worth $17million a year.
It depends whose hands it’s in
A tennis racket is useless in my hands
A tennis racket in Anna Kournikova’s hands is fairly close to useless.
But a tennis racket in the hands of Venus Williams is a Wimbledon and U.S. Open Championship
It depends whose hands it’s in
A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal
A rod in Moses’ hands will part the mighty sea
It depends whose hands it’s in
A sling shot in my hands is a kid’s toy
A sling shot in David’s hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it’s in
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in the hands of Jesus will feed thousands
It depends whose hands it’s in
Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse
Nails in the hands of Jesus hands bring salvation for the entire world.
It depends whose hands it’s in
I would like to give you three challenges to narrow this gap between God’s ability and what we perceive as reality?
I was challenged with this as I was reading this week in a book entitled spiritual leadership by Henry Blackaby. These three points are taken from some challenges concerning leadership.
1)Be willing to move from where we are to where God wants us to be Jesus Prayed, “Not my will, but your will be done”
Peter in the boat…Matt 14:22-33
2)Be willing to be led by the Holy Spirit
Romans 8:12-17
Put ourselves in a place in which we must depend on Him.
3)Be willing to be accountable to God
Ps 26:2,3
Conclusion
As we begin to step out in faith, and put ourselves in a place of dependence upon Him, I believe that God will show himself faithful. Our biggest problem is our self sufficiency/pride.
We say,,,I can handle this.
God says, I want to handle it for you.
God can, and will do immeasurably more than we can ask or think if we are willing to allow Him to work it in His way.
