Fresh Vision

Living with God-sized expectations

Unlikely relationships = Youtube dog and elephant

Elephant could easily crush dog – but chose to have a special relationship with Him

Not an exact picture but captures our relationship with God – Might and powerful wants to enter our lives.

2009 capture a fresh vision of our God-sized Lord – See Him at work doing God-sized stuff in our lives.

I.       Fresh Vision for God to do something God-sized

A.     Expecting a God-sized intervention in your life

(NKJV) Ephesians 3 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

1.      Asking the one who is able – in His direction

2.      Able to go beyond our expectations

a)      Exceedingly Infinitely beyond anything we expect or ask – highest level of comparison

b)      All – beyond everything we ask or expect

c)      Beyond our wildest expectations

3.      Active power – capable power  

a)      In us – the Holy Spirit

B.     Based in submissive prayer to a God-sized Father

(NKJV) Ephesians 3 14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

1.      Bow knees toward

a)      ‘Bow’ Submission

b)      ‘to’ – in the direction of / before ‘relationship’ Based on relationship

c)      The one who named all families – ‘depicting source – ownership’

C.     Focusing on giving Him God-sized glory

(NKJV) Ephesians 3 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

D.    Founded in God-sized plans for the church

(NKJV) Ephesians 3 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

E.     Requiring personal God-sized transformation

 (NKJV) Ephesians 3 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,

1.      Transformation in keeping with His glory

a)      According to – not ‘out of’ – doesn’t deplete his riches but in the same manner – i.e., abundantly overflowing

b)      Of His glory – ‘essence of His being’ – unfathomable

c)      Give in keeping with the essence of His essential being – in a God-like manner

2.      Given strength to act

a)       strength ‘capacity to act’ “active power’

b)      Passive might ‘God’s acting in power’

3.      Changed Inside out

a)      The innermost man – outer may fail / but not the inner man

4.      So Christ might be at home in your heart

(NKJV) Ephesians 3 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;

a)      Permanent dwelling as opposed to temporary

b)      At the very center or a person – deeply rooted in one’s life – heart

(1)   Source of the will / motivation / understanding

F.     Driven by an understanding of a God-sized love

(NKJV) Ephesians 3 17 … that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;

1.      God-sized Love seeking the highest good

a)      for the object of love

2.      Deeply Rooted in God-sized love

a)      – ‘to cause to root’ - deeply entrenched – penetrating the soil – can’t be uprooted – drive deep for nourishment

3.      Firmly Grounded in God-sized love

a)      – building metaphor – ‘to lay a foundation’

4.      Understand vastness of God-sized love

a)      To be able to - Strength to be able to do something

b)      Comprehend - ‘to seize – to take hold of’

c)       With all the saints – occurs in association with all the other saints (not just some) – the church

d)      Vastness of the love of Christ – roots never fathom the depths – building never reach to its heights

5.      Experience the incomprehensible God-sized love

a)      Know ‘experiential knowledge’

b)      Beyond human comprehension the wonders of God’s love

G.    Movement toward God-sized  Christ-likeness

(NKJV) Ephesians 3 19 … that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

1.      Completed

2.      With ‘ eis – movement toward a goal’

3.      Experientially realize what is already true judicially

4.      Be like Christ – in walk

II.    Fresh vision for prayer

®  Getting serious about prayer

®  Seeing God work in a God-sized way through prayer

®  Claiming others for Christ in prayer

III. Fresh vision for Marriage

®  Taking a new start to your marriage

®  Reflecting a God-sized love for your spouse

®  Growing in oneness and intimacy

IV. Fresh vision for Missions

®  Recognizing God’s heart for people

®  Catching a God-sized comprehensive view  of the mission

®  Personally embracing the mission

V.    Fresh vision for Personal ministry

®  Recognizing God’s previous design work in you

®  Embracing the need for personal engagement

®  Discovering God’s desire for your personal ministry