Well I'd like to say I'm clever enough to think to write this "ALLmost series of talks" conclusion in 2 parts like the final Harry Potter or Twilight movies but it was purely on accident....
In "Loving the Lord Your God with ALL your Strength" we began looking at Ephesians 3:14-21. In the 'introduction' we covered verses 14 & 15, today we conclude this thought and series.
Let’s keep going. Verse 16
16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
In "Loving the Lord with ALL your mind" we talked about the mind and we juxtaposed a little bit of neurology with a little bit of theology and I hope it helped you realize the importance of reading the Word of God. When you do, it recruits new nerve cells and it re-routes connections, and before you know it, in a physiological way, you begin to cultivate the mind of Christ.
So today let me go ‘SciFy Guy’ & juxtapose physics and theology for a moment. Remember w/ the mind, the battle is won or lost in the mind? And then this idea that every thing was once a thought. In a similar sense, try to wrap your mind around this if you can. At an atomic level, everything is 99.99% empty space. I am not a physicist nor the son of a physicist, but it is really an amazing thing, I don’t know if this is scientific or spiritual or what but the bottom line is this, when we look at something that appears to be solid, its not solid at all, because at an atomic level, what you have are these atoms that are really more empty space than anything else. When you break it down at that level, at a very microscopic level, the distance between the electron and nucleus and these little tiny atoms that make me up, that distance is as great as the distance from the sun to the earth. So, I know this sounds weird, but we are primarily empty space.
So the next time somebody says to you there’s a whole lot of empty space between your ears… you can respond with, “I know, at an atomic, microscopic level the gaps between the electrons and nucleus are enormous.” as they stare at you dumbfounded.
What’s the point in telling you this?
Quantum physicists have identified four forces. You know this from classes you’ve taken, electromagnetism, strong nuclear, weak nuclear and gravitation. But what’s really interesting is that there is a fifth force that really can’t quite be pinned down, this mysterious fifth force that eludes science. I would suggest that the fifth force is the Spirit of God.
You have to go all the way back to Genesis and it says God breathed into the dust. It was the Spirit of God that animated those molecules. Job 34:14 & 15 says that if God were to withdraw his breath, his breath that He breathed to animate creation in Genesis, if He withdrew his breath, all mankind would return to dust. We would implode because it is that Spirit of God, that fifth force that sustains us and energizes us and animates us.
In Acts 17:28, it says in Him we live and move and have our being. The Greek word for ‘move’ is where we get our word ‘kinetic’ as in kinetic energy. In other words, God is the one who animates and energizes us. So, part of the reason I want to bring that up is that, like, I’m reading this scripture in Ephesians and its so mysterious to me. “Strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” What? How does that work? I don’t understand that, but I know this – He is the One who spoke everything into existence and it is out of his omnipotence that we are even sustained on a physical level, but then beyond that, God wants to strengthen us and empower us. We are going to talk a little bit about how He does that.
Let me get painfully practical after getting so scientific. The word ‘strengthen’ in this passage is the same word that Jesus used in the Great Commandment, Love the Lord your God with all of your strength, and here in Ephesians it says I will strengthen you with power in your inner being.
What does it mean to love God with all of our strength?
Let me break it down. I think there is a parallel, in this respect, between the physical realm and the spiritual realm. How do you gain energy in the physical realm? I would suggest that you do it by expending energy. When you go work out, you are expending energy, nothing is more energizing than a good workout. The way you build up your body is you break it back down. That’s how you gain strength/muscle mass.
the same is true spiritually. The danger is this, if we come to church just to get fed, then you are just going to get fat. And here’s where I feel like I’m your spiritual coach, because I have coaches that push me beyond the norm. This is where I feel like I want to push us a little bit, because I think some of us feel like to be a part of a church means that that is where you go to get fed, and that is part of it, but I want to be very clear, just showing up to a church service doesnt cut it. In order to "Love the Lord Your God with ALL your Strength" it takes effort.
That takes lots of different forms. I tell you what, sometimes I think about the body of Christ, and I’m just overwhelmed by the collective potential that we have to make a difference. But that means each one of us stepping up, stepping in and doing it. So, there are lots of ways to do that and the bottom line is we must get plugged in and serve!
Listen folks, Get some sweat equity in the kingdom of God.
Let’s keep going.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Let me ask you a question, what is your relationship with God rooted in? For some folks, it is not rooted in love, which is described in this passage. It says rooted and established in love. I think for some of you, this is going to be a revelation that could totally change your relationship with God because, if you are honest, you would admit that your relationship with God is rooted in fear, and in legalism, and in knowledge, it is rooted in works, but listen, if your relationship with God is rooted in those things, then you are not going to experience spiritual growth in the way God intended it to happen. You’ve got make sure your relationship with God is rooted in love. Here’s some good news, God loves you unconditionally. There is nothing you can do to make God love you more or less. Why? Because He loves you perfectly, He loves you unconditionally.
Where are you rooted in God’s love for you?
Last verse, 20
20Now 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, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.
Isn’t that one of the most exciting verses in the Bible? That’s exciting. You want to know what I love about following Christ, about living a Spirit-filled, Spirit-led life? This, the best I can do is no longer the best I can do. The best I can do is the best God can do. He can do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine. How? According to his power that is at work within us. There is not a person here that would say, ‘I have fully exhausted my potential spiritually.’ I’m living at a level that you really wouldn’t believe. The things I do, my back is sore from patting it.
I need more in here (inside of me), I need more internal pressure from the Spirit of God filling me so that that is what’s coming out of me, and we want to do things that we can’t even ask or imagine. I just think this speaks to a deep, deep human longing. The way I thought about it this week, the longer I live, the more bored I am with things that I’m able to do in my own strength, the natural things, and the more I crave the supernatural. The more I want to see God move in my life in a way that there is no way I can take credit for that. I want to experience the miraculous, I want to experience the supernatural and that means the Spirit of God filling us and empowering us.
Now, spiritually speaking, I think what Paul is getting at here is that we need to keep pushing our boundaries. I think at some point, most of us just settle for where we are spiritually, for the level or knowledge or revelation that we have, for the level of experience or power that we have, and we become comfortable. This is where I am, this is my limit or boundary. What I’m suggesting is that God wants to continue to expand our spiritual horizons so that He begins to do things that are beyond what we can even ask or imagine. I believe that, and I believe that for each one of us.
How does it happen? Let’s go full circle. How does this passage begin? Kneeling before the Lord. I don’t have a formula for you today, it’s not that there aren’t things you can do and ways to prepare for it, there are steps we see in this passage of scripture which I will review but what I would suggest is that God wants to do it in you more than you want Him to do it. One way that we love God is with all of our strength, and with all of his strength working in us. The whole end of this passage v.21, the whole goal is that God would be glorified. How is God glorified? One way is, When you do things that are beyond your ability. When you allow God to work in your life in a way that is wow! That’s how we glorify God. That’s how we grow in our love for God.
So what steps have we seen: humbling ourselves before the Lord, expanding spiritual energy and getting involved in ministry vs. Sitting at the table just getting fed, pushing our limits getting out of the comfort zone so many people find themselves in spiritually and love God with ALL your strength and watch what He does in and through you - it will amaze you and others and thats vs. 20 happening in real life.
I think of my friends Jason and Denise Cummins as great examples of this passage and all those things I just listed I have watched happened in their lives and they are literally on the cusp of ‘amazing’ - its really cool.
Here's a link to their story: "Let Go of the Norm"
So, some folks have never flipped the switch. I really think it is that simple. Some of you have never flipped the switch and said, ‘God, empower me and fill me with your Spirit.’ Some of us have done it once or twice, then we stop doing it. Ephesians 5:18 says be filled with the Spirit. The verb tense is keep on being filled. If we keep on being filled with the Spirit of God, then is strength is at work within us and there is nothing that God can’t do in us and through us.
I want to pray for us and pray that God, as we humble ourselves, would do something in our inner being, some of you need strength from the Lord today, you need emotional strength, you need physical strength, you need spiritual strength. He wants to strengthen you in your inner being. Let’s ask Him for it.
Will you do that with me?
watch or listen online: ALLmost 4
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