What is the biggest thing you can think of - the most marvelous and wonderful thing imaginable? What comes to mind - is it great riches so you don’t have to worry about the bills? Is it power so that people can’t hurt you any more? Perhaps its wisdom so that people will respect you and look up to you. Maybe its great beauty and self confidence. Or maybe its that there would be world peace or something even grander. Maybe its just that you will be healed of a sickness that’s plagued you or depression that’s haunted you.
Whatever you can think of - God can do more. Whatever you can ask for, God can do more. Our problem is that what we ask for never really satisfies. If God were to grant us riches or intellect or beauty we’d still be just the same - only emptier.
I listened to an interview with Meg Ryan recently - and she said something amazing. Meg, who is very famous and very rich said that it all was very empty and meant very little to her.
Today we’re going to talk about what really does mean something - what really does satisfy and fills you up - and that God wants to give you that - much much more than you can even imagine.
First Paul gives us his mission statement - that God told him "no more secrets."
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 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 realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul says: "My job was to make known something God kept secret - that everyone would be welcome into His kingdom through Jesus Christ. Now that job is passed on to you, the church."
Did you know that God withheld the mystery of the gospel even from the angels?
1 Peter 1:12 tells us that "even angels long to look into these things." We should feel special that God waited - He didn’t tell the prophets of the Old Testament period either - they spoke things about Jesus that they didn’t understand. It’s not until you look back at the OT that you see that it’s all about Jesus.
Paul considered himself "the least of all God’s people." In 1 Cor 8 Paul described himself as "one abnormally born." How do you think about yourself in the Kingdom of God - is God pretty lucky you decided to sign up? Or do you realize what you were and what God has done for you?
Verse 10 "rulers and authorities" probably means angels - so even though God kept quiet of His plan - now he wants to openly spread - everything is accomplished through Jesus Christ.
Just what was accomplished? Take a look at verse 12
12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
This is fantastic. Apart from Christ you cannot approach God.
Isaiah 59:1-2 "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."
But now through Christ - the way has been made into God’s presence - but only in Jesus - no other "way" exists - and the way through Christ is by faith in Him. You can’t invent a way to get to God - it would be like saying "I’m going to get to the other side of the mountain by walking through it instead of over it."
But look at how we approach: with freedom and confidence.
The word "freedom" means "freedom of speech." Because God accepts you - we have a special relationship with Him:
Romans 8:14-15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
Whereas before you came to Christ God could not hear you - He only hears the sinner’s pray - now He waits on your every word!
1 John 5:13-15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of him.
So say anything you want to the Lord - but its not only that. There is a confidence we have before Him.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
So you can speak - and also know that God hears you and answers your prayers according to His will. So when things go wrong - have they really gone wrong? That’s Paul’s point next:
13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
Paul suffered a great deal for the gospel being given to the Gentiles. He suffered from the Jews who were mad that the Gentiles were not forced into becoming Jews in order to come to Christ - and the Gentiles were mad because people were turning from worshipping false God’s in order to worship Jesus.
So why was it "for your glory?" Because of Paul’s suffering they heard the gospel and were saved. Suffering for God is never easy, but God always uses it for His purposes - AND for your benefit. Remember
Philippians 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings,
This next section is one of the most beautiful and powerful in all of Scripture.
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
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.
Let’s go back and look more closely at this wonderful prayer:
Verses 14 & 15 - "derives its name" means we get our character from the Father - just as names in the OT times were meant to speak to a person’s character - like Jacob, which means "supplanter" - later he was given the name Israel, which means "governed by God." Revelation 2:17 says that we will receive a new name from the Lord - perhaps giving some hint as to the character God was building in us.
16 through 21 is a prayer.
What are the verbs in this prayer: Strengthen, dwell, faith, rooted & established, love, power, grasp, know, be filled.
There are two requests and two results in this prayer.
The requests are that we would receive power and faith. This is not physical power - but power to be strong inside - in our faith in Christ. I don’t know about you, but I need that. We face temptations every day to live our lives selfishly and sinfully - I want Jesus to live strongly in my heart. I don’t want physical power, political power, monetary power, religious power, or popular power. I want Jesus power in here!
The results are 1) that we would know God’s love for us. We need that, don’t we? How many times have you been hurt, rejected, put down, slandered - abandoned? We really have no idea how great God’s love for us really is - it has no dimension that can be limited.
2) That we would be filled.
"The fullness of God" means that you are complete in Him. You don’t have to look anywhere else, you don’t need anything else - either here or in heaven. Don’t bother with searching for meaning through philosophy, or finding yourself through self help books or classes - to be filled comes from a Greek word that means "to cram a net full." God crams you full of everything you need - all the faith, the power, the love, the hope - you may not feel like you’ve got it all - but it is there for you - just call out to God and he’ll supply your needs.
Colossians 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: KJV
Now look at verses 20 and 21:
God can do "immeasurably" more than you can "imagine." Just think about that. We can imagine a lot - but God can do so much more that it can’t even be measured. That ought to change the way we pray, shouldn’t it? It also should change the way we think about answered prayers - if God chooses not to answer in a way we have asked then we ought to be thankful for that - not resentful.
And again - its not because He doesn’t love us.
20 - 21 all of this is for God’s glory
This is both in the church, the body - and in Jesus, the head. The word "glory" means the awe-inspiring presence of God Himself - it is the Greek word from which we get doxology, which is what these two verses are - a doxology.
God deserves the praise and worship for doing all of this - not us!
Conclusions
Does God’s love have limits for you?
You can do things to displease God - even grieve Him - but you can’t make Him stop loving you.
God wants to be known
We think of God as aloof and unknowable - and there are things we will spend eternity learning (the unsearchable riches of Christ) - but God can be known through His Son
The gospel is plain
People cannot say that the way to God is some hidden thing - it is to be proclaimed on the rooftops - and it is simple: faith in Jesus Christ. Decide to believe today!
Don’t limit God (how big is your God?). Only pray for His will.
For more Bible studies and an audio copy of this message, please visit:
www.CalvaryChapelNewberg.org.
