THE IMMEASURABLY MORE GOD

*Vision Month:**What to expect this month?

**we are going to be opening up the book of Jonah ***Vision Lead up to our Miracle Offering as a church end of the month: Lets begin to pray.

Ephesians 3 NIV

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 people 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 the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless 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 that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every 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 Lord’s holy people, 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.

“The Immeasurably MORE God”

Pray

Welcome to the ten year mark: what a miracle story: A vision we believe God gave us to plant a church with an amazing group of people: to them we say thank you (picture)

(thank you moment: the staff, key leaders, elders: special thank you to Jeremy and Katie)

THE VISION OF COLONIAL CHURCH: To build an exciting, vibrant Bible-Based church whos focus is JESUS and mission is to welcome people HOME.

That is still the vision: but what is God stirring now? after ten years,

What is the VISION. Its that word. Immeasurably MORE

Its what we have seen - but now in GREATER MEASURE.

The word for this Vision Sunday is MORE: Greater measure. Immeasurable MORE.

***i remember a leader, a mentor of mine once saying about things in life that in his estimation, opinion it really TAKES giving something TEN years to see it through, to really figure it out, to try something and see if you can make a go of it.

and in terms of life, a decade is a long time. Its a big part of ones life. I mean But what this guy was saying made alot of sense to me: after ten years of planting, starting, growing our church i have to agree at this ten year mark i think weve found out some things.

I began to write down some of the things that ive learned this past ten years: things such as Gods sovereignty, His grace, His power, His mercy, His salvation, His forgiveness, His patience with me, and the overall LOVE HE HAS FOR THE WORLD, THE CITY and the PEOPLE HERE

BUT IT MADE ME THINK ABOUT What now? What Next?

But what struck me the most in this time of reflection was simply this: How much more God is than he was to me. How much bigger, how much better. How much stronger, How much MORE he is.

And then returning to some critical and key verses that have if you like GOVERNED OUR CHURCH for these ten years, i returned to what Paul wrote to his beloved church in Ephesus

Ephesians 3:19–20 NIV

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,

Itr drew me back to some core things about the VISION of our church which i want to share with you all today, and which i hope we all as a church EMBODY and EMBRACE in the next ten years together:

1.GOD IS MORE.

Now this is fundamental, this is revisionary for some, but it may well be for some completely transformational in your VIEW and UNDERSTANDING about OUR GOD.

I want you to think about something: GOD IS MORE: this is Gods nature. He is MORE.

The multi-factet sides of God, the magnitude of Gods character expressed through many different ways shows us the way forward.

The New Bible Commentary 3:14–21 Paul’s Prayer-Report Completed and a Doxology

This doxology serves once again to remind the readers of God’s immense and gracious power at work in them (cf. 1:19–2:6)—not to encourage selfish requests, but to promote confident hope in his new creation, and petitions that correspond with God’s intent for the church in the present age. The doxology is strikingly unusual in bidding that glory be given to God through the church (21); but this is appropriate given the vision of the church in God’s cosmic plan that Paul has given us.

WHATEVER YOUR VIEW OF GOD IS TODAY: here is the WORD: MORE

and this is the point Paul makes over and over again: MORE (he is the more apostle)

Whatever GOD IS to you - the invitation today is to understand maybe on a whole NEW level how much more GOD IS

Luke 12:28 ESV

28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!

Matthew 7:11 ESV

11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

2 Corinthians 12:9 “9 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.”

2 Corinthians 4:15 “15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.”

The Holy Spirit (God in spirit)

2 Corinthians 3:7–8 ESV

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?

An even MORE GOD.

Even more than you think

Even More than you could ask

Even more than you could even imagine

(maybe this is the time at ten years God is calling all of us to take another look)

Re-shape our view of WHO GOD IS. What we tend to do (and what the enemy would want us to do) is minimize who God is, in light of ourselves. The enemy wants you to think God is on your level and just like you and me and is finite, imperfect, small.

But that is not what scripture says about God.

No God is Big

God is PERFECT

God is MORE.

More in what ways?

More in Love - We see that in the radical teachings of the one, the messiah, the son of God - Jesus. God is more in love than we could ever think: God loves you MORE than you could ever know?

Its expressed in Creation, Its expressed in His nature. Its who GOD IS. whatever your view or understanding is RIGHT NOW of God: He wants you to know: its MORE

Ephesians 3:18 “18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,”

Paul is using language that the Jewish mind would understand:

Job 11:5–9 “5 But oh, that God would speak and open his lips to you, 6 and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves. 7 “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? 8 It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? 9 Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.”

Romans 11:33–34 “33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?””

2.GOD DOES MORE

Luke 6:36–40 NLT

36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. 37 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” 39 Then Jesus gave the following illustration: “Can one blind person lead another? Won’t they both fall into a ditch? 40 Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher.

The writer of hebrews makes this point speaking about what God has done through his own son JESUS:

Hebrews 8:6 ESV

6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.

His vision for your life is this: more.

More of Him, and More of HIM IN and through YOU.

What kind of MORE?

for you? More than you could

Ask: whatever you want to ask God for today: just know, he wants to do more

think; whatever it is you think God has for you, Gow much God loves you, how much he forgives you - its MORE

imagine; Speaking of a dream, what can you imagine that God will do in your life, in the lives of the generations that go on after you.

For your faith: much more, immeasurabley

For our church? THERE WILL BE A NEXT TEN YEARS NOW TO PLAY OUT: But its beautfilly simple: were just going to keep doing what we started doing: faith in Jesus and in and through him: the immeasurably MORE

We are believing for the immeasurably more

thousands of Decisions will turn into tens of thousands of decisions for Christ

hundreds of baptisms will turn into thousands baptized into the body of CHruist

disciples now spread out from here into the very world around us & beyond.

leaders being raised up through a college that teaches the word of God

More than eve given and

the kids in our colonial kids will become teh leaders of the house. pastors, teachers, leaders, disciples

The best life possible exists with god in and through you.

3.HE WILL ALWAYS BE FAITHFUL WITH MORE

so you can trust him to believe for that….

The more you give to God, the more you expect from God, the more faithful you will see him work in your life.

We can rely on who God is

To do what God does

To see more in our life and the lives of those around us

The New Bible Commentary 3:14–21 Paul’s Prayer-Report Completed and a Doxology

Paul’s prayer is that Christ should dwell in us by or through faith; that is, that we should live our lives with fuller loving trust in him, being more and more deeply moulded by the Christ-event

Notes:

4,167 decisions for Jesus

452 Baptisms

Makensie Gammell3:03pmShow options…Also kinda cool (I just had Drew pull this for me) - but we have given away $682,415 in our lifetime. Outreach & care, benevolence, City Care, etc. 

1 Thessalonians 4:1 ESV

1 Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.