TIME OUT with Pastor Ben Talley - Eph 3:20-21

Good morning family and friends.

My name is Pastor Ben.

I am the associate pastor at Wooden Memorial Baptist Church

and this is another time out from your day.

This is a wonderful day, a beautiful day,

another day to be alive in Jesus, another day to bless the Lord,

rejoice in the Lord.

So the scripture for today is from Ephesians

3 20 through 21.

So I'm gonna read 14 through

21 because I want to get the whole gist of Paul's prayer.

It's really kind of kind of hard to, it's not hard, but it's I want you to get the context

and in Ephesians it's it's kind of hard to get the context without reading

a couple of chapters ahead because he always says for this reason, for this reason, therefore,

and and every time you see that word therefore you always got to read ahead just find out what it's therefore and

whenever he says for this reason you know you got to read ahead to find out what he

said before so that you know the reason he's talking about and in the beginning of chapter

2 he's talking about you know why

we are all sinners you know we're all are as Christians.

We were once separated before we knew Christ we were once separated

from God we were once alienated and separated from the covenant of

God from the relationship from a relationship with God.

And so he goes over how we as Gentiles were separated from the

covenant with God that the Jews had and and so he goes

over how later he is now a in an

apostle to the Gentiles.

And so then he further goes on in chapter 3

and shares about how not only is he an apostle to the Gentiles

but he shares how there then he shares about the mystery of the gospel

how the gospel is the the truth the good

news that the Gentiles are accepted

into the the covenant through Christ and how

how Christ is the the Messiah and how he

is the mystery from long ago.

So then he comes to verse 14 in chapter 3

and he says in verse 14 he says after saying he's an

he's an apostle he prays and he is a minister.

He says for this very reason I bow my knees before the

Father for 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 inward being so that Christ

may dwell in your hearts through faith.

That you being rooted and grounded in love may have strengthened or may strengthen you

may strength may have.

You 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.

Then we come to the text in that I want to focus on in verses 20

and 21 he says now to him who is able to do far more

abundantly.

What's up Richard.

Far more abundantly sub Josiah.

Far more abundantly than all that we could 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.

So there's two things I want you to kind of focus on.

Okay this is kind of to the the church to the believers out there.

It says now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we could ask

or think according to the power at work within us now.

A lot of times when we struggle with things and we go through different trials or

situations we tend to want to pray that God will bring us out of the

situations by by changing the the the situations.

Oh God remove this person or Oh God please don't let this happen.

Well I want you to think about this.

It says now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we can ask or think

according to the power at work within us.

Now God is working within us.

So think about this.

God might not be changing those outward circumstances but he is

changing your heart.

He is working within you.

So God is God is working in you to change your

attitude your motives your

outlook your perspective you know

all these other things within you.

God is changing everything within you already.

So God is more focused changing inside of

you than just your outward circumstances.

Okay God is more concerned about your spiritual growth

and your inward focus than your outward circumstances.

So a lot of the times we pray for a new car or them not

to have this person working next to me or this person is really

annoying.

Please take him out.

You know please don't put me in the situation.

I really don't want to work with that person or I don't want this to happen.

You know God please don't let this happen.

When God is most likely more focused on helping you

operate have the right perspective have the right attitude have the right

moral attitude and focus than just those circumstances.

I'm hoping this makes sense.

So God is more work in that area than just changing your outward

circumstances.

And and so he says he says this too but he says he is he is able

to do far more abundantly than we then all that we could ask or think according to the power that is work

within us.

So we can ask and think all these things.

But God is it worked within us and he can do abundantly more than what we could ever ask

or think.

We can't put God in a box.

We can't.

We can't say God can only do this.

So don't think that he can just change our inward circumstances our

outward circumstances.

God can do anything.

Okay but I'm just saying don't focus on just those outward circumstances changing.

God is more concerned about your inward growth than anything else.

So I hope that makes sense.

So it says to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout

all generations forever and ever.

God is about bringing glory to himself through the church and in

Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever.

Throughout all generations God is about bringing glory to himself.

He wants to bring glory through the church and through Christ.

In John it says that we beheld his glory.

We beheld his glory and the word became flesh and we beheld his glory the only begotten of the

Father full of grace and truth.

So he's about bringing glory to himself through the church and through Christ.

Now to sum up God can do more than we

can more than we are able to even comprehend or ask or think.

Okay so he can do out.

He can focus on our change and inward change.

But don't don't try to focus in on on you know what

what God can do I own like removing a person from a situation or are giving you

more money or things like that.

God is God is more concerned about what your your inward change and your

your inward growth than anything else not outward circumstances.

So let that be an encouragement to you.

God is about growing you and developing you as a person as his child.

And and what we need to do is to dig into the word daily and obey it.

Obey what you read whether that's a verse or a phrase from Scripture

you know whether that is a or chapter

a book whatever.

Write down things that you're reading.

Write down things you want to study and obey them.

Obey them.

That's the key.

We can't look into Scripture and just walk away unchanged or not.

Not willing to obey what we read.

We have to open it up read it and be willing to obey or change.

What we see needs to be changed and pray

about it.

What's up Lisa.

What's up Adam.

What's up Elena.

So being encouraged God is willing to do more than you.

Then we are able to ask or think.

And he was willing he wants to bring glory to the church and through

Christ.

So glorify Christ today.

You know 2nd Corinthians 5 9 says whether you're

at home or out and about seek and let your ambition be

to please Christ.

And with that comes a I've learned seek

to obey Christ to to please Christ more than

you want to breathe.

Seek to please Christ.

Let your ambition be to please Christ more than you want to breathe.

Let that be your ambition.

Let that be your focus.

And he will be more than willing to do more than you are

more than you are able to ask or think

and he will bring glory to himself through your life.

So guys let me pray for you God.

I thank you for today.

I pray that you help us just remember the truth of Ephesians

20 through 21.

God help us just obey your word and realize that you are willing to do more

than we are more than abundantly what we are.

Able to ask or think and you want to bring glory to your church.

I mean glory to your name through your church and and through Christ in Jesus name.

Amen.