He is Able

Good morning, welcome to NHCC. Please open your Bibles to Ephesians 3.

The Layout of Ephesians- Begins with three chapters of deep theology.

Consider all that we have been through so far.

Doxology- A word of praise- Why are the Father, Son and Spirit worthy of all of our praise? What have they accomplished on our behalf from before time began to eternity future?

Soteriology- The doctrine of salvation- How has salvation been accomplished in the lives of sinners?

Anthropology- The doctrine of man- What is the nature of man both prior to salvation and after having received salvation?

Hamartiology- The doctrine of sin- Just how sinful is mankind prior to knowing and loving Jesus?

Ecclesiology- What is the Church and how are people to relate to one another in the body of Christ?

Second half of the book with turn to the implications of such theology.

If all of what Paul has written thus far is true, then how should those who are IN CHRIST live as a result?

This is the way of life for every believer.

What we believe drives the way that we live.

John 14:12- “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”

This should make sense. Faith and trust, or belief, in Jesus leads us to see life differently. And we live differently as a result.

This is our expectation in raising children.

This morning we close out the first three chapters before moving next week into chapter 4.

Paul has been describing his prayers for the Ephesian Christians. This morning, he closes his prayer with a great word of praise to God.

Read Ephesians 3:20–21- “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Pray.

Remember what Paul has just prayed- Ephesians would know more of the inexhaustible and unfathomable love that Jesus has for them, and He prays that they would be filled with the fullness of God.

These are impossible prayers. Not difficult, impossible. How can Paul possibly pray for such things? This is rather lofty language from Paul.

The only way that Paul can pray these prayers, without them being hyperbolic, is if he believes and trusts in the bigness of God.

The closing of Paul’s prayers for the Ephesians shows what Paul believes of God, the recipient of his prayers.

Three truths about God that are found in our text.

1. God is able.

Dunamai- able, can, having the power to do something.

Paul makes the statement that God is able, is powerful enough, to accomplish what Paul has asked of Him.

But he takes this thought further. God can do more than we ask, more than we are able to ask, and even more than we can imagine to ask.

Note this progression one step at a time:

More than we ask.

Our asking is limited- We don’t ask God to the extent that we should.

James 4:2–3- “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

Constantly commanded in Scripture- Pray, ask, come into my presence, speak, draw near, communicate, open your heart.

How rarely do we take seriously what God asks of us.

Aletheia asking me for something that she thinks I will say no to.

Is this the way we approach God? Does such an approach match with what we read in Scripture?

More than we are able to ask.

Because we are not God, we are finite.

We are finite in our existence, but we are also finite in our knowledge.

As a result, we are not capable of asking for everything that we should ask for, had our knowledge extended to the point of God’s.

Klyne Snodgrass- “God does not fit the limitations of our expectations.”

Perhaps this is why we struggle so much with prayers not being answered the way that we would like.

2 Corinthians 12:8–9- “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

In the same way as Paul, we pray for our desires and rest completely on the measureless knowledge and wisdom of God.

More than we can imagine to ask.

This is the cherry on top.

Not only more than we ask, and more than we can even imagine to ask.

Let your imagination roam freely, how could God work in this world to bring about knowledge of HIs Kingdom?

In your family, your church, your community, your country, your world?

As much as you can muster, God can and will do more.

John Newton- Come, My Soul, Thy Suit Prepare- “Thou art coming to a King, Large petitions with thee bring, For His grace and power are such, None can ever ask too much.”

Dad, can you do this? Dads are delighted to say yes, I can.

But even with these promises being made, Paul continues to baffle us with what he says next.

2. God’s power is at work within us.

God is able to do more than we can ask, according to the power that is at work within us.

God works in creation to bring about His incredible ends through the Church.

God does not expect that we would pray to Him and then sit back to watch Him work.

Instead, God’s vehicle for bringing about change, reversing the effects of the fall, ushering in His Kingdom, is His people throughout time and space.

Azariah- son who is of short stature.

Doesn’t ask for help often from us, but on occasion, there is something that he cannot reach and he needs help.

Two possible ways of helping Azariah.

Get whatever item it is that is needed for him and hand it to him.

Pick him up and put him in a place where he can reach on his own.

I wonder if God sometimes does what is necessary in order that by way of His power, we can do what we have asked of Him.

Perhaps God doesn’t only give what is asked, but instead provides the opportunity for Christians to be and do what we have always been called to be and do.

Requires an entire restructuring of life- Shouldn’t be surprising, new life in Christ.

Becoming an answer to our own prayers.

Consider just one example. Prayers for someone who is receiving test results soon.

Perhaps we have no power over what the results will say.

Isn’t it true that our receiving of bad news is about so much more than the news itself?

While this is true, we absolutely have the ability to make sure that the results are received in an environment of love, care and concern.

Isn’t this the picture that we get of the NT church? Communicated in the NT to us as a family.

We can imagine a family gathered together receiving difficult news in each others embrace.

The church is to be no different- Mourn with those who mourn.

We should pray big, and then understand that God’s method for answering the biggest of prayers is His power in the church.

What should be the aim of our prayers, and as a result, our lives?

3. God’s glory is in the church.

God’s glory- the greatness, the awesomeness of God. The reality of who God is. God’s glory

The glory of God is to be the focus of the church.

This seems self-explanatory- we gather to worship God.

But I suppose we often need to be reminded of this simple truth. We gather to sing about God, to preach about God, to commune with God, to pray to God, and to give God as much praise as possible.

Seinfeld- I thought we were talking about me.

Perhaps the attitude of many of us when we gather with the church body- What is it that will make me the happiest? We put ourselves at the center of the time.

We find ourselves at the peaks and valleys of the emotional experience- from feeling elation at a line in a song and the way it was sung- to being frustrated and annoyed by the cry of a baby.

Instead, God’s praise and glory is to be our focus.

No matter what is happening around us, we find the opportunity to make much of God in our own hearts and minds.

The glory of God is to be shown in the church.

Jesus was the representation of the glory of God.

Hebrews 1:3a- “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

Ephesians 1:22–23- “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

Jesus has ascended to the Father and the Church is the body of Christ.

We carry on the character and ministry of Jesus.

We live as Jesus lived. Love and Jesus loved. Serve as Jesus served.

In this way, we become a mirror of sorts- We reflect the glory of Jesus as Jesus reveals the glory of the Father.

The glory of God is made known in the character and ministry of the Church.

This should not be surprising given everything else that has been said about God’s power being at work within us.

We do not seek out our own personality for our church family, but instead we are shaped completely by the character of God.

Does this change the way you think about prayer? Everything in these first three chapters lead up to how we are called to approach God.

This is the God that cares for you, who has called you from before time began, who has sealed you for eternity future, who has raised you up, who has brought you from death to life, who has brought you from far off to quite near, who has made you a part of His people, His family, His church.

Doesn’t all of this beckon you into a different sort of relationship with Him? One in which you ask big requests and then watch how God equips you to be a part of His answering.

Just wait until you see what comes in the rest of Ephesians 4-6. You will find that living the way God has designed you to live will always bring you back into His presence asking for mercy, power and strength.