Immeasurably More (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Let me record and let me pin and we're pinning. There we go. All right. So, yes. So, uh Okay. So, we are I'm back in the office. Got back from uh FSU yesterday. Dropping off my daughter um who's on the call today. It's awesome. And hopefully she's going to drag a bunch of her uh dorm room mates, floor mates, whatever on the call kicking and stream screaming. All right. So, today today we are going to be in Ephesians. uh and we're going to be in Ephesians chapter 3 and uh we're going to be in verse 20 and 21. And this uh this ends the chapter um but it also ends a portion that Paul is praying for the church at Ephesus.

And so he's he's asking for uh in his prayer and he's asking for lots of great things for for this church. And so he ends this section of prayer with uh uh at the end of this prayer with these two verses. And I think they're well they are incredibly powerful. So let me just shut up and read it. And so it says, "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." Verse 21. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen. And so these are two very powerful verses.

And so so let's break it down. So now to him to him now to him. So we're talking about God, right? So this is who Paul is referencing who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. So this is the God who created the universe. And Paul chooses to use the words all that we ask or imagine. Asking would be what our prayer life is like. And so that would be we're operating on our faith and our imagination would be whatever we're unlimited to. And what Paul is saying is God's not capped by either of those two things. He's able to do immeasurably more than either of those two.

I measurably, that's a word we don't use today. Who uses the word immeasurably? How could we put the word immeasurably in any sentence today? Because no one in the world can do anything immeasurably, but God can. And so what he's saying is we should not be limited by what we ask or what we can think because he can do far more than that. Why would we put our God in a box when he makes the earth spin on its axis exactly 365 times in or around the the sun 365 times? He allows it to spin on its axis exactly 24 hours every day. I mean this is the God that we're talking about.

This is the God of the universe. And so Paul puts that or tries to put that in words which is very difficult to do. And so to him who is immeas who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or think according to his power not well he God's tapping into some reserve when you ask a big prayer. He's not going oh well hold on a minute let me see if I got a little extra in the tank. It's according to his power that's at work uh within us. So that power we read this correctly that created the heavens and the earth God is saying has he has put inside of each of us and we have that same ability.

So according to his power that is at work within us to him and I love this part to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus. And so where is he where is he getting this glory from? He's getting this glory from Christ, but he puts Christ second. He Paul puts the church first. Who's the church? All of us. We're the church. You and me. And so, he's honored and glorified by the fact that we are unlimited in what we can do. Not because of who we are, but because of who he is in us. And so, don't limit yourself. And this is tough to do. I'm like I'm like the guy who's the glasses always half full.

I'm the eternal optimist. My wife tells me all the time, you drastically underestimate the amount of time something takes to get done. That's just proof that I I absolutely believe we can get it done quicker and faster. Right? So I'm I'm the embodiment of that person. And yet I still don't even pray and think about all the things that I possibly could do for the kingdom because I'm still limited by my mind. I'm still I'm still praying small prayers. And what Paul is saying is that we don't have to live that way. If you want it and you want it big, ask for it.

We talked the other day about the fact that the results are not ours to have. Those are God's. But he doesn't want us to be limited by what we ask, what we think, because he is it. He is alive in us. And this text right here tells us that that power that he has, he has given to us. Christ said that before he left, you will do greater works than I. So we'll continue on. It says when throughout all generations forever and ever. So this isn't that he did this for them at the church of Ephesus. He didn't just do it for the early church. He just didn't do it for the apostles while they were walking with Christ.

He did this and he gave this power to every generation forever and ever. Amen. So that power is alive and is full strength. You don't have to buy any more tokens. It's there in you. All you have to do is pray and ask and think and our God can do immeasurably even more than that. All right. Thoughts, comments, suggestions? When we talk about immeasurable, we, you know, we got to remember that God is outside of space, matter, and time, right? We can't, we can't measure God at all. It's impossible. It is. Yeah. I use the example of, you know, the Earth spinning on its axis or spinning around the sun and and sometimes that gets lost on us because we we don't wake up in the morning and go, gosh, man, I wonder if we're going to have 24 hours today.

We might only have 23 hours and 57 minutes, but we don't ever wake up thinking that. But yet, magically, uh, that happens. I heard someone say something magically. Uh, it'll come to me. Uh, anyway, I I I tried to use that as the example, but you're he's outside of everything that we can think of. So, don't limit yourself and what you're asking God because when you do that, what do you really do? You diminish his capability or his power by asking for small. Ask for the big things. You want it, ask for it. If you you want to accomplish it, go for it.

I'm not talking about I'm not talking about asking God for a garage full of Porsches and Ferraris and Lamborghinis. If that's what you want, you can certainly ask for that. But we're talking about things that honor and glorify God. That's what we're talking about. Those are the things. Hey, listen. There's nothing wrong with having those things. Those are tools. That's that's there that's there that's there that's there that's there that's warehouse full of these cars and and you want to have a big sign on there that says all glory be to God this is how I got these and have tours every day to show God this was the power I prayed for this and and this is what God provided for me over there which provided for me over here that's that's what we're talking about then put that together and ask God how do I make that how do I accomplish that of course I'm a dude and I'm talking about Ferraris and Porsches and Lamborghinis but but but ladies whatever that mean or or the other guys who are car guys cars nothing to you.

Whatever that is, don't limit God. You you don't Let's not put him in a shoe box. He He is massive. Let's Let's pray and think that way. Anybody else? Our our past failures is what puts us to limit what God can do. Cuz if we get stuck in one area and let's suppose we apply for a job or we went for something and and we didn't get it, we start to think that we won't be able to get it and we start to limit God. So our past failures is what limited. Yeah. I don't know the condition of the heart of Colonel Sanders. We didn't we didn't have a good opportunity to have a chat while he was alive and walking the earth.

Uh, but he was rejected over a thousand times by investors to get Kentucky Fried Chicken off the ground. Over a thousand times. A thousand. That's a thousand nos. It's over a thousand nos. He He had so much belief that he that this is a good thing and should be a thing that he went over a thousand times. So again, I don't know that I don't know the condition of his heart, but our failure shouldn't stop. We should continue to pray. Word says to pray without ceasing. Good point, Jimmy. Anybody else? We got 30 seconds. I love the unfailing love passage.

That That's kind of my tiein with the um you know, more power than we can imagine or or immeasurably. There was the word. Yeah. So, immeasur it's immeasurable. You can't you can't put it in a container, a box, an arena. It's immeasurable. You just And that's just crazy. That's why I said we don't even use that word today. Why would we? Nothing we do is immeasurable. Only what God does is immeasurable in us. Okay. All right. Let's bow our heads. Let's pray out. Wayne, you already prayed and got your red Porsche. So, I don't know if you guys can see this or not.

Can you see this? I I made a joke on on uh on one of these morning meetings that I wanted a red Porsche. And I I had a I had a church member Tim who just brought it up who who brought it to me. So thank you Lord. This is a testimony to be spec be specific in your prayers or this is what you get what size you wanted it. There you go. I neglected to say one that runs on gas. Yes. All right. Let's bow our heads. Father, thank you so much for today and thank you for reminding us that you don't fit in a box. That you don't fit in a container, a stadium, a continent, even the universe.

Father, that you are you you are you are indescribable. Another great video series by another great pastor. Um, Lord, we're only limited by by you and you are unlimited. And so, Father, I just pray that each of us would would take that to heart. That we would that we would not limit ourselves, as Jimmy said, by our failures, but that we would recognize them for what they were as learning opportunities, as steps to get where you want us to be. And so, Father, I pray that we would take this verses, that we would we would really think about them today, that that we would really analyze what's our prayer life like, what's our imagination like?

What what does it look like? where are we at in what we want to do and accomplish for not our glory um Father, but for yours. And so, uh allow us to just really take that in and to think about it. Father, allow us to be able to pray like we are praying to a God who can do immeasurably more than we can than we can think or or or ask. Father, we just love who you are and what you do for us. We love the fact that we woke up today with a brand new clean slate. That it didn't matter that we lost it yesterday. that you're interested in our heart, that you're interested in our growth, and that you're interested in that church and and what we can accomplish uh with you, Father.

So, Father, we just thank you for what you're doing for each of us. We thank you for being in our lives. We thank you for waking us up. We thank you for the opportunity that we have to praise you today uh all day long. Father, we love you. We praise you. And in your son, Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. All right. See you guys tomorrow. See you tomorrow. Don't forget to go vote. Thank you. Have a good day.

Transcript generated from the recording and lightly edited for readability.