1.3.10 - Far More Abundantly

FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY

David VanAcker, Pastor of Discipleship

Grace Church, Sunday Worship

Ephesians 3:14-21

January 3rd, 20010

Ephesians 3:14-21 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ²⁰ 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, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

There are times when we feel we can only scrape by

Welcome to 2010.

We are all entering 2010 together, but we are all entering it a bit differently.

For some 2009 was a difficult year and the prospects in 2010 aren’t much better. I know that for the people in this room 2009 brought sickness, marital and family issues, ministry struggles, job loss and money problems, extreme busyness, loneliness, and stress, it even brought death and a whole host of other difficulties.

When we face times like these it can be difficult to think about anything more than keeping our heads above water. It’s easy to be controlled by what some have called the “tyranny of the urgent”. There are so many pressing things—urgent things—that we simply cannot look past them.

Times like these are typically very difficult and, if not handled well, can lead to a downward spiral. We can feel as if the glass is always half full, that nothing is right, and that things will never get better—that they will always be like this.

If this describes you, if you are one of the ones stumbling and staggering into 2010, know that you have a church full of people who love you and will do everything that we can to help you. We’re praying for you (or we’d like to be) and, though we do so imperfectly, we care deeply about you. Please let us know how we can help. Please take a moment to fill in the prayer request sheet in your bulletin. It might take a significant act of humility to ask for help, but the church, the body of Christ, exists to support and encourage one another. Know that you are not alone and that you don’t have to go through this (whatever this is) by yourself.

More than that though, for those in times of difficulty, know that you have a Father in heaven who loves you more and better than we ever could. When we (as a church) fail, He remains faithful. When we forget to call, He is speaking and listening. When we are selfish, He is working all things for your good. When we miss opportunities to bless you, He is lavish with His good gifts. When we add to your problems and burdens, He will carry them. If you are struggling right now, know that your Father will comfort you and strengthen you in this.

There are times when we can imagine great things

On the other hand, there are some of you who are leaping and bounding into 2010. I know that there are people in this room for whom the coming year will bring the birth of a child, marriage, new ministry ventures, job opportunities, faithful steps toward spiritual growth, relational reconciliation, and a whole host of other exciting prospects. 2010 for some represents hope and excitement and new beginnings and new adventures. It represents a time of imagining great things, a time of great visioning, and a time of great expectations.

If this describes you, if you are eager to launch into 2010, praise God! Please take a moment to thank and worship God, the giver of all good things. Declare His greatness to Him and bask in His love and goodness.

Please also think of the Church during this time of blessing. Declare God’s greatness to us as well. Testify to the marvelous works of God in your life. Perhaps your excitement and joy in the presence and works of God will be the means of grace that God uses to bring the distraught out of their struggles. Perhaps your zeal will be the means of grace by which God softens an unrepentant sinner’s heart. Perhaps your dancing will be the means of grace that God uses to spur a young Christian on to greater maturity or a mature believer away from a particular sin. Perhaps God will use your love for Him to bring about a mighty awakening among His people.

If God’s presence and love and work are obvious and satisfying to you right now, please don’t remain silent about it. Shout it from the rooftops!

I’d like to offer a quick pastoral word of caution here…if you are one of the ones struggling, please don’t resent those whom God has in a brighter season. Be patient with them. Thank God for the blessing that is theirs.

And if you’re one of the ones rejoicing, don’t ignore those who are suffering. Their pain is real and they need your love and prayers. Be extra careful how you speak and act around them so as not to minimize the reality of the difficulties that they are in.

many are somewhere in the middle

While it is true that some of you are struggling mightily and some of you are more joyful than you’ve ever been, most of you are probably somewhere in between. Wherever you are, however, I want to challenge you to think, to imagine, for a moment what God could do in 2010. I invite you to imagine with me what our infinitely glorious God could do in and through you and this church in the coming year.

God builds times more conducive to imagining into creation and providence

New Year’s is a good time to do this as God has built this means of grace into the rhythm of creation. That is, God has put in each of us an appreciation for the freshness of a new year. Now, perhaps more than any other time in the year, we are willing to look at ourselves and consider optimistically how we might be better. Please don’t miss this opportunity.

I want you to imagine what God might do in 2010

So, again, in light of all this, let’s start at the beginning and imagine together for a few minutes what God might do in 2010.

I believe with deep conviction that the primary message of the New Testament is that because of the love of God, for the glory of God, in the cross of the Son of God, by grace through faith, sinners can follow Jesus from the cross to heaven.

Imagine coming to believe in the gloriousness of the cross for the first time or having your appreciation for it appropriately explode this year.

1. There is a God who is infinitely glorious (Nehemiah 9:5-6).

2. We were created by God for His glory (Isaiah 43:1-7).

3. Everyone has sinned and failed to live for the glory of God (Romans 3:10-18, 23).

4. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:20-23a).

5. In order to show His love, uphold His justice, forgive sinners, and display His glory, God sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the wages of sin with His death (1 John 4:9-10).

6. The forgiveness of sins and the everlasting life bought by Jesus’ death is a free gift of God for all who trust in Jesus. (Ephesians 2:1-9).

Imagine what your life would look like in 2010 if you came to believe these things for the first time or if you grew significantly in your belief in any one of them. That is, imagine believing for the first time that there is a God who is infinitely glorious or that by serving sin you have earned the wage of death. Or imagine growing in your understanding of your purpose in life (to glorify God) or the significance of the cross (that on it Jesus paid the wages of sin).

Just imagine what might happen if God were to grant that!

Follow Me – Part 1 (free at gracewyomingmedia.com).

Imagine your life if you were to grow more like Jesus on your way to heaven.

1. A worshiper/lover of God - One who is satisfied in God alone. To worship God is to express your satisfaction in God. To love God is to understand that He is the greatest thing for all things (Matthew 22:37-39).

Imagine loving God above everything else in your life.

Imagine being more aware of the marvelous works of God that go on continually all around us. This probably means slowing down our pace and being less technological in 2010.

Imagine not being caught up in what the people around you were thinking during the worship service. I bet there’d be more dancing and bad, loud singing and hand raising and amening.

Imagine family devotions where the rest of your family sees clearly your affection for God. This might mean starting, for the first time, the practice of family devotions. And it might mean taking a hard look at your own love for God.

Imagine times of personal devotion where you are truly overwhelmed by the presence and goodness of God. This means committing to regular devotions and expecting God to work.

Memorize Psalm 145

2. A debtor/lover of people – One who desires others to be satisfied in God alone. To be a debtor is to recognize that you owe the grace that you received. To be a lover of people is to truly want what is best for them – God (Matthew 22:39).

Imagine loving the people around you as you love yourself.

Imagine sacrificing some of your comforts to provide for the necessities of impoverished brothers and sisters around the world. Internet? Satellite? Name brand clothing? Kind of car? Vacation? Eating out?

Imagine joyfully and intentionally and regularly sharing the gospel with non-Christians in 2010. This might mean learning how to share the gospel better. It might mean overcoming fears. It might mean making a few non-Christian friends. It might mean spending less time in front of the TV. It might mean missing some church event.

Imagine supporting our missionaries in a new and significant way. Imagine praying for everyone of them every day with your family, asking God to meet their specific needs, and doing whatever you can to be the instrument by which He does. This will mean changing your budget. It might mean going on a mission trip for a family vacation this year to work along side of them and support them.

Share with and give Following Jesus gospel tract to someone.

3. One who sees God and His Word rightly - Understanding God rightly means knowing Him as He truly is and not as we (or others) have made Him to be. Understanding God’s Word rightly means knowing what it is, what it says, and what it calls us to do (2 Timothy 3:16).

Imagine reading the entire bible in 2010. This too might mean watching less TV. It will definitely mean intentionally setting aside time.

Imagine systematically memorizing significant portions of Scripture.

Imagine reading hard books. God has given His people a wealth of knowledge and wisdom and insight about Himself, in the writings of His people, that so many are too afraid or too lazy to mine. Guys especially, read good books in 2010. Not a reader? Start!

Discipleship Reading Plan, ESV online memory program, and Berea.

4. Godly character – One who is becoming like Christ in his or her character. A disciple is marked by a pursuit of Christ’s character: holiness, love, faithfulness, obedience, etc (Matthew 5:48).

Imagine knowing who you truly are in Christ. As sinners, saved by grace, so many of us (probably all of us) lean too heavily on either side of the equation. That is, we are either paralyzed by our awareness of our own sin or over-liberated by our knowledge of grace. Imagine viciously fighting sin while resting in the fact that we are forgiven and free sons and daughters of God.

Imagine praying daily that the Spirit would bear an increasing amount of fruit in your life (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – Galatians 5:22-23)

Imagine having a heart and a mind that produce a life of action consistent with the person and nature of Jesus Christ.

Following Jesus Accountability Questions.

5. Part of the Body of Christ – One who recognizes his or her role as a believer in the body of Christ. A disciple recognizes the importance of finding and using gifts to benefit the body, understands Biblical Stewardship, and the need for unity (Romans 12:4-5).

Imagine truly seeing the people in this room as part of your body—indispensible and connected. Imagine thinking corporately (rather than individually) first.

Imagine walking into church and genuinely thinking of others and their hurts and needs and joys as your own.

Imagine knowing and using your spiritual gifts in a new way in 2010.

Imagine giving financially in such a way that it is clear that your love and trust are primarily in God.

Imagine praying regularly for everyone in the congregation.

Plug into the ministries of Grace to be served and to serve (especially worship service and discipleship groups).

6. Recognizes dependence on God – One who lives based on the knowledge that he or she relies on God for everything. As such, a disciple will commit himself or herself to expressing their dependence on God to God individually and corporately through desperate prayers (for God’s will, not theirs, to be known and done) and regular fasting (to arouse their awareness of their dependence) (John 15:5).

Imagine praying like you were completely dependant on God.

Imagine fasting like you truly longed for Jesus to return.

Prayer and Fasting Seminar (free at gracewyomingmedia.com) and Hunger for God by John Piper (free at desiringgod.org).

7. Suffering servant – One who recognizes Jesus call to serve and suffer. A disciple recognizes that Jesus’ offer of salvation does not include an offer to escape the trials of this life, that it does not include an offer to gain worldly peace and prosperity, and that it does not include an offer of earthly comfort and security. Instead, it is a call to serve others as if we were serving Jesus and to expect suffering (in the form of persecution and hardship) because of it (Matthew 20:25-28, John 15:20, John 13:1-17).

Imagine being persecuted for following Jesus in 2010.

Imagine living out, on a daily basis, the principle that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Imagine living in such a way that demonstrates Jesus’ teaching that “the greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matthew 23:11).

Imagine planning into your families weekly schedule opportunities to meet real needs in real people.

So as not to be unhelpfully overwhelmed or discouraged, consider choosing one or two areas to focus on.

Consider how you might grow in those areas personally and with and with another person. Consider who you can come alongside in 2010 in order to help them follow Jesus as you grow as a follower of Jesus.

Just imagine in prayer what 2010 would look like for you, your family, your neighborhood, Grace Church, and even the ends of the earth if we were to go after these things in the power of the Spirit for the glory of God in 2010.

Imagine what kind of kingdom impact we could have.

I want to wrap up with a final thought…

God can do far more abundantly than anything we could ask for or imagine

As spectacular as it would be imagine God doing any or all of that this year, Ephesians 5:20 says that He can do far more abundantly than anything we could ask for or imagine. “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.”

I'm going to close with five very brief observations from our text:

1. (v.14-15) It’s going to happen when we bow our knees before God—out of reverence and recognition of our dependence.

2. (v.16, 21) It’s going to happen for the glory of God.

3. (v.16-17, 19-20) It’s going to happen because God gives us strength and power and faith through the Spirit.

4. (v.17-19) It’s going to happen because of love—God’s love for us, our love for God, and our love for the people around us.

5. (v.21) It’s going to be done primarily through the Church because of the cross of Jesus.