31 Jul 8/2/20 Ephesians 3:14-21 “You Can Have Power Beyond Belief!”
8/2/20 Ephesians 3:14-21 “You Can Have Power Beyond Belief!”
When I was growing up, we had very few things that ran on batteries. The things that did would only run for little while as the batteries weren’t that good. Transistors were just becoming popular so then we could listen to the radio just about anywhere. However, there were only AM stations and that was it. There was nothing else. We had one TV station that we could get at our house and the reception was poor at best. Anyway, what I’m trying to get to here is this. Have you ever been rolling along with your phone or computer or whatever, and you run out of battery? This is quite a dilemma for many as they do most of their business or pleasure on some electronic device. Some cars are the same way. What do you do? Well, there really isn’t much you can do except to charge your batteries, for now anyway. I know that there is technology where you won’t even have to plug in your batteries but that is another topic for another time. Today we are going to look at a prayer that Paul prays for the Ephesians. This is a classic prayer so let’s see if we can adopt some of this into our lives.
I would like to begin with a story of a preacher who stood on the street corner preaching to anyone who would listen. A man approached him who looked like he had lived on the street forever. “Can I help you” asked the preacher. “I think you can” said the bum. “Would you like me to tell you about Jesus?” “No.” “Would you like me to pray for you?” “No.” “If you don’t want me to tell you about Jesus, and you don’t want me to pray with you, then how can I help you?” “You can give me your Bible.” “Why would you want my Bible if you have no interest in knowing more about Jesus?” “I noticed that the pages of your Bible are very thin; I can use the pages to wrap a cigarette (or a joint).” Wisdom came suddenly to the preacher, who said, “I’ll give you the Bible, if you will agree to read a page (of the Bible) before you smoke it.” The bum agreed, took his new Bible, and left. The preacher thought he had seen the last of the bum, and he could get another Bible. Several months passed, and the preacher was on the street corner once again. A man came up to him dressed in a three-piece suit. “You don’t know me, do you?” said the man. “No. I’ve never seen you in my life.” “Yes, you have. I’m the man you gave a Bible to (about four months ago).” The preacher couldn’t believe his eyes and ears. “What happened? Tell me what happened.” “Well, I smoked Matthew, and then I smoked Mark, and then I smoked Luke–and then John smoked me.” I love this story because that is just how Jesus works.
So how does Jesus work in your life especially when you think that your spiritual batteries need a recharge? First, I would like to say that many people if not most people in this country do not enjoy God. We have a growing number of people who don’t believe in God. This is sad and it also points out that we aren’t doing our job. Then we have many so-called Christians who only believe in God as they define who God is. This is also wrong as God is the only one who can define who He is. It is up to us to figure this out and help others figure it out. This is also part of clergy not doing their job.
Some of the things we can do to help us do our job are as follows. We can start preaching from the Bible and quit preaching our worldly social justice which is not justice at all. By preaching from the Bible, you will hear plenty about justice and it will be justice from God. Also, we can quit saying that no matter what you do, it is ok with God. NO! We need to talk about sin and how bad it is. It will keep you from heaven. It will keep you from enjoying God. There are many people who don’t really know God who are doing things for the church that they don’t enjoy. Find out where you are gifted and go to work there. There are many things to be done that don’t really employ gifts. These should be done in some sort of team concept or another way so that we can enjoy them better. If you are doing church just so that it functions, then find a way to enjoy it instead.
Probably the main reason that we cannot enjoy God is that our focus is on ourselves. We live in a world that teaches us to be ‘me’ first. Take a look at the riots happening around the country. They are all focused on this “Me” aspect. Their slogan should be “Only Me Matters!” I want this, I want this and I want this. If you listen to the people in Washington, that is all you hear. And if you want proof, take a look at the pictures and clips of any of these people talking or rioting. You will not find a smile on any of them unless it’s the snide smile of the devil.
We are at a time when we have let the devil run this country and we will pay for this dearly. It is getting so it is hard to find anything that is not evil. Our entertainment industry is a fine example. Many years ago, there was wholesome entertainment. Very gradually this has evolved into a pornographic and diabolical industry. How many TV shows can you say are good? It’s the same way with everything. If someone thinks a sinful behavior is good, then it’s ok to do it. So, then we just blindly do it! Gosh, even churches have lost the way. I’m not going to go into it because I really don’t have the time here. But just read your Bible a little and you will know that we are far down the slippery slope of sin. It’s no wonder that we cannot enjoy God when we have Satan bouncing on our shoulders pointing us in the wrong direction.
So how can we enjoy God? Well, open your eyes. Remember that you are not part of this world but part of the next world. You don’t live here; you are only passing through. Therefore, quit acting like the world. Turn off that news show. Quit watching and listening to the talk shows. Go out with your friends or make new friends to go out and help others in your community. Go and get busy so you keep your mind off of all the terrible things that Satan wants you to think about. It’s hard for us to see this but it’s the truth. Satan is making us dance around like we are puppets, blind ugly puppets. Look instead to Jesus! Read your Bible every day. Get into the habit of prayer. Try to worship with others or invite someone over to worship with you during this broadcast. In other words, get moving for Jesus. You will find yourself forgetting all the rotten stuff surrounding us and concentrating instead on the things that Jesus wants you to do. And that will help you to enjoy God to the fullest. That is all He has ever wanted for you.
What we really need to preach and pray about is that God’s resources are unlimited. There is no end to God. We are very finite beings but not so God. When you have a problem, why not go to the person who knows everything. Quit trying to rely on yourself. Remember last week when I asked you why you don’t go to God with anything and everything? Once again, do you think you’re are better or greater or even equal to the very maker of the universe and everything in it? I don’t think so!
Good grief, people! You have to get to know who is in charge of everything because He is in charge of all the resources of the universe and then some! If you have a money problem, Jesus made money. When you have a family problem, Jesus made families for us. When you have work problems, He has work for us. When you have physical problems or health problems, Jesus made us in the beginning. When you have mental problems or you just can’t think right, Jesus made our brains and emotions. There is nothing that He didn’t make and as the very maker of everything, Jesus is also the very fixer of everything. You will never, never stump Jesus. He will always have an answer for you when you come to Him in prayer.
One of the biggest problems that I think we have with Jesus is our inability to be able to hear what Jesus says. For this you need a prayer life. You need to take time every day so that you can get to know Jesus. Then you will be able to hear Him. Sometimes you may have to quiet your mind like I have to do. Just try to concentrate of keeping a quiet mind and when it starts to wander, come back to the quietness again. It will take some training to do this but, in the end, you will be able to hear Jesus and that is the important part. You need to hear Jesus when He tells you his answer in His still, quiet voice.
One of the great things about God is that His love for you is unlimited. We cannot even begin to understand this concept. We really don’t understand anything that is limitless. How can we understand God’s love and His resources? The answer is that we can’t. I would like you to think of a time in your life when you have felt really loved. Just about all of us have felt something like this at some time. Now multiply that by a million or a billion or a trillion. Then you get close to where Jesus loves you. It’s just an unthinkable emotion. And the best part of this is that you cannot do anything to lessen God’s love for you. No matter what you do, Jesus is always there with His arms open to welcome you back. You will never know gentleness until you know Jesus. You will never know patience, kindness, joy or hope without Jesus. This God of ours is waiting to give it all to you.
And even though we have this God who shows us His gentleness every day, it’s our job just to reap the benefits that come from knowing such an awesome power. So along with resources and love, Jesus is in command of all the power in the universe. Think about some of the readings in the Bible where God calmed the storm, He came in an earthquake or He parted the Red Sea with a wave of the hand. People, God has more power than we can come to terms with. He makes the biggest nuclear weapon seem like a little firecracker. He made this world we live in. Go back and reread the 1st chapter of Genesis. He’s got all this power and still He can hold a little butterfly in His hands. He can wrap His arms around you when things aren’t going to good. He can comfort you when you think than no one can.
Jesus Christ is more, does more than we can ever ask or imagine. He does this by living in our hearts. God has made a place for himself in every heart in the world. He tells us this. So, there should be no one who doesn’t know Him. It’s my belief that everyone does know Him, but they just don’t acknowledge it. Many times, it isn’t that hard for new people to get to know Jesus because they are only reacquainting themselves to Him. We don’t need guns to bring people to Jesus like many of the other religions of the world. We just need to show the love of Jesus to all. He is the master and inventor of love so this becomes almost like old home week. I’ve said this earlier but look at the faces of all these people who are rioting today because of one lame reason or another and you will not find a smile. They are doing this out of hate and that never works. If they could love others, it would go a lot better for them.
Jesus sets this all up when you come to faith in Him. When that faith grasps onto God’s great love for us, then you really have something. You see, you can have faith in money, in power, in a relationship or many other things. Then you might think that these things are kind of good and they are. But when you have faith in Jesus and His great love for you and for everything, then you are at the beginning of a wonderful life. This is when you will see things really begin to hop in your prayer life. You will be getting answers when you didn’t even know there was a question. Many times, I have been up preaching and suddenly I wonder where those words came from. Of course, I know that Jesus has just spoken. When you hear a person of faith speak and you feel goose bumps, then you know that the Spirit has been speaking to you.
And when you have the Holy Spirit behind you, then you have the power of the universe. Think of it like this. Just imagine the water the flows over Niagara Falls in a day or an hour or a minute. There is such a tremendous volume of water there that it’s really hard for us to imagine. Then think of all the electricity this will produce. The amount is staggering but the real deal is that this never stops. It goes day and night. It will always be there until the earth dries up. This is the beginning, just the beginning of what the power of the Holy Spirit is. We cannot imagine it. And it will never stop no matter what. It will always be there with its power beyond our imagination. Then think of all this power and awesomeness that is always there working for you. You have more power at your fingertips than all the water at Niagara Falls and that doesn’t even begin to cover it. So why don’t you use this power to lead a constructive life. He is waiting for you. And if you don’t know Him yet, then confess you sin to Him and invite Him to live in your heart. You will never regret this decision. He loves you and loves you and only wants to help you.
Today we have looked at a prayer of Paul for the Ephesians. This shouldn’t be any different than any prayer you have. Jesus was waiting to answer the Ephesians and He is waiting to answer any and all of your prayers. You can always trust Jesus and rely on Him so go to Him today in prayer and every day. You will never regret it. Thank you, Jesus, for first loving us. Let’s pray.
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