A Powerful God

Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV

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.

introduction

I want to spend our time this morning here in these couple verses of scripture.

because they pack so much significance for our lives

Last week recap

Last week we talked about how big God is..

and we went back to creation and saw how we serve a God who exceeds the universe..

he dwells both in and outside of our universe..

and that he is big enough to do anything..

and bigger than anything..

Yet

Yet we also saw how our Big God makes himself personal with each of us..

so much so that he chooses to dwell within us..

and by sending Jesus, he made a way for us..

to have a everlasting relationship.

Perspective

we talked about the importance of keeping Gods size in perspective..

and continually magnifying God and making sure we are constantly reminded of how big he is..

and in doing so it would

Build our faith..

Encourage our worship..

and help us stay bold as we live this life..

This week

I want to build on this thought process of how big god is..

and turn to this passage in Ephesians 3 where Paul tells us how POWERFUL our god is..

and how he works within us for his glory..

Dead Car battery

Its getting to be that time of year..

where the days are getting colder and colder..

Have you ever gone out on a chilly northern ohio morning..

Got in your car to start it up and go where ever your going..

and when you go to start the car something strange happens?

the lights kinda flicker.. and then dim out..

the car say.. er er ere.. and then stalls..

and then you get the famous.. click of the starter?

What happened?

Most likely your battery just ran out of juice..

it ran out of power..

The cold zapped it of the remaining juice it had..

and now.. because its no longer strong enough to start the car..

your stranded.. until you find a new one..

Can I tell you this morning..

We serve a God who never runs out of power..

their never a situation that he shows up in and he is limited in power..

theirs never a day or time that his power is not enough..

Or that you go to him and he doesn't have it in him to help..

He will never leave you stranded or forsaken..

BUT HE IS A BIG AND POWERFUL GOD….

Unlimited in his supply and ability..

thats what Paul reminds us here..

that we serve a powerful god..

Passage Context

Ephesians 3:14-21 is a pastoral prayer that Paul is praying over the Ephesians while he writes too them

And Paul is praying for them to have strength,

to have wisdom,

and to experience continued spiritual growth..

Look what he says..

Ephesians 3:14–19 ESV

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Paul prays these beautiful words over the believers at Ephesus

And as he concludes his prayer

He turns his focus from their growth..

to the one who will facilitate their growth..

to god himself..

and look at the words he says about our god..

Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV

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.

Paul tells the Ephesians..

this is my prayer for you..

I want you to grow in strength, wisdom, and power..

and to know the Lord with fullness..

and THIS IS THE GOD WE SERVE..

THE ONE I WANT YOU TO KNOW..

THE ONE WHO IS ABLE..

TO DO FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY… ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK…

THIS IS THE GOD YOU NEED TO KNOW…

AND HE IS THE ONE WHO WILL FACILITATE THIS GROWTH IN YOU..

Verse

I want to spend a few moments this morning looking at these two verses

because understanding them can have a profound impact on how we understand God and how we live our lives…

Just like understanding how BIG god is can help us in our walk..

Understanding how POWERFUL god is can empower us to live our this walk for him..

MAKING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HIM..

So lets take a look these verse real quick..

Breakdown

To Him who is able

Look at verse 20 one more time..

Ephesians 3:20 ESV

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think…

To him who is what?

Able..

That word able in the greek is a version of the word for power..

Its dynamino .. from the word dunamis…

And in this context it means..

I AM POWERFUL.. or HAVE THE POWER.. OR To be able..

Its says that god, THE I AM.. has the power and ability..

but not just any power and ability..

DUnamis power is supernatural power..

Explosive power..

Its where we get the english word for dynamite..

Mountain moving power..

Paul is saying

God who have the supernatural power and ability

We serve a god who is able..

And what is he able to do?

What does he have the power to do?

Far more abundantly than all that we ask or think..

You and I can’t comprehend the breadth of Gods abilities..

We cannot concieve of and ask God to do the things he is able to do..

We can’t even conceive of the endless nature of what he is able..

Genesis 18:14 ESV

Is anything too hard for the Lord? …

Mark 10:27 ESV

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

1 Corinthians 2:9 ESV

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—

Matthew 19:26 ESV

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

If you have thought it..

its only the begining of what he is able to do..

If you have asked for it.. your request is limited in what he can really give..

why?

Because WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE..

He is able to do far more abundantly than we can ask or think..

HE IS LIMITLESS

Biblical Example

the bible tells us he’s the one who:

Created the earth

Gave an old abraham and barren sarah a son and then birthed a nation..

he delivered 2 million people from egypt and parted the red sea for them to walk across on dry ground..

he did miracle after miracle for them in the dessert to keep them..

For Joshua he made the son stand still

he enabled a shepherd buy named david to destroy a giant..

He brought down fire from heaven for elijah and consumed the sacrifice..

he saved daniel from a lions din

and for his friends God showed up in the fire..

In the new testament

God birthed his son through a virgin..

and he then turned water into win..

he healed the lame

Opened blind eyes

Opened deaf ears

Healed the sick

Raised the Dead

Ushered in a new kingdom by giving his life..

AND IN THE END

he is the one on the white horse called faithful and true..

he has eyes life fire…

He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood

and he is called the WORD OF GOD

From his mouth comes a sharp sword..

And on his robe the name KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF GOD..

And he rides in and defeats the enemy for enternity..

THIS IS THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE POWER OF THE GOD WE SERVE

HE CAN DO ANYTHING!

and here the crazy thing..

the beautiful mind blowing thing..

the bible says that GOD INVITES US TO PARTICIPATE WITH HIM IN EXERCISING THIS POWER..

he chooses to work this power through you and I

look what paul says..

According to the power at work in us

Ephesians 3:20 ESV

…according to the power at work within us…

Paul goes on to tell us..

that GOD..

WHo has this infinate power..

chooses to work this power within us..

And not only works it within you and through you..

but now dwells in you and I..

Romans 8:11 ESV

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you…

the bible tells us.. that..

Acts 2:1–4 ESV

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Peter later declared..

Acts 2:16–17 ESV

But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;

Jesus told his disicples..

Acts 1:8 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Do you know what word for power is uses in acts 1:8?

I bet you could guess..

Its a form of the same greek word.. dunamis..

The same power paul uses to describe god..

Jesus says..

Im giving you this power..

To dwell in you..

To work in and through you..

THIS POWER..

THIS DYNAMITE POWER..

THIS ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE POWER..

NOW DWELLS IN THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT..

THAT MEANS IN OUR LIVES.. ANYTHING IS STILL POSSIBLE..

God is still working today..

Theres a great heresy in our day..

and its the thought that if I cant understand it then it must not be legitament..

And so scholars and so called theologians will dig through scripture..

And they come to the conclusion that the outpouring of the spirit was only for the first church..

and that it died with the apostles..

But I’ve come to tell you..

THAT HE IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL TODAY..

HE IS STILL FILLING HIS PEOPLE AND DOING SIGNS AND WONDERS IN HIS CHURCH TODAY..

THAT THE IMPOSSIBLE DID NOT STOP WHEN JOHN DIED..

BUT THE SAME GOD WHO DID IMPOSSIBLE THINGS THEN DOES THEM NOW..

HE IS STILL ABLE..

AND HE IS STILL WORKING THROUGH HIS CHURCH!

Phils testimony..

I was telling someone yesterday phils testimony..

we took him and sadie to petros in july..

We took a scooter for him because he was having real back issues and couldnt walk..

and while we were there.. the second day..

He was praying the altar for someone else..

and The spirit came upon him and filled him..

and healed him in the same moment..

and now while god has not completely healed him in other ways he healed him that day..

BECAUSE WE SERVE A GOD WHO IS JUST AS POWERFUL TODAY AS HE WAS IN THE BOOK OF ACTS..

AND HE IS STILL EMPOWERING HIS PEOPLE…

Witness..

but the most important things the spirit still empowers us to do is not signs and wonders..

the most important this is that he empowers us to be his witness..

Acts 1:8 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Gods spirit empowers us to live a holy and pleasing life for god..

and to be the light to the we encounter..

WE SERVE A POWERFUL GOD.. AND HE EMPOWERS HIS PEOPLE..

(Music)

To him be the glory..

Why does god do mighty things through us?

Ultimately the mighty things God does are not for our glory..

but for his..

Paul ends with..

Ephesians 3:21 ESV

to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

John 5:36 ESV

But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.

Acts 2:22 KJV 1900

Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

when God uses us to do great things..

when we see the impossible happen in our lives..

its not to make us somebody..

its to reminds us of who he is..

and to point to him..

John 12:32 ESV

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Our Heart

Our heart should be..

You kingdom come..

Altar Call

God is able to do anything..

and he has empowered his church to see great things come to light..

what do you need God to do in your life today?