Exceeding Expectations
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Introduction
Introduction
Paul wrote this letter to the Ephesians in Year AD 60 while he was in prison in Rome.
This letter doesn’t correct any error but exhorts the saints/believers in Christ to live in unity and purpose. Yet very practical for the Christian and how to live out our faith on earth.
Today
Today
I’m starting a series on Ephesians.
Ephesians was written by Paul
There will be a series of topical, exegetical, scriptural, expository
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
The language in these passages is high faluting, expressive, it has a sense of granduar
it takes us to the heavenly’s. its like its transcendant.
In the verses before we establish that God loves us, that we are in Christ,
And as we walk in his ways we will experience the hight, depth and width of his love.
Jewish Christians had an inclination to separate themselves from the Gentiles.
The author Paul addresses, encourages the believers to live in Unity.
He highlights the fact that they are all one family under God, they are children of Abraham because of their faith in the living God.
V 18 their power as a church lies in the fact that are in unity, Where there is Unity there is blessing there is love, and it is high, deep and wide and long.
This love is better than knowledge, it is higher than knowledge, it surpasses knowledge.
WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTATION?
The Doxology-
https://www.gotquestions.org/doxology.html
The word doxology comes from the Greek doxa, (“glory, splendor, grandeur”) and logos, (“word” or “speaking”). Most doxologies are short hymns of praise to .
These verses are like a hymn or a song of praise that lift us and is the closing exclamation of praise, that follows Paul’s prayer.
20 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, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Now to Him
Now to Him
NOW...
Him is God the father.
Now, makes us stop on our tracks are refocus on what Paul has written here.
Who is Able
There are so many things in our life that only God can do.
We know he is able
Stop the Red Sea
Walked on water
Water into Wine
Calmed the Storm
Rescued the Baby from the Nile and grew up as a prince and then became the deliverer of Israel.- Moses
Gave the barren women babies.
The Blind see
The Lame walked
Raised the dead
WHAT IS OUR EXPECTATION?
Why is God is able?
To Do immeasurably more
What does immeasurably more mean?
Immeasurable | Definition of immeasurable in English by Oxford ...
What does immeasurably more mean?
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/immeasurableDefinition of immeasurable - too large, extensive, or extreme to measure.
It can’t be measured, blows our expectations,
WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTATION?
....than we ask
this means you can ask for big things,
Impossible things
WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTATION?
…or imagine
Our imagination is one of containment, we don’t expect= we don’t receive
According to his power that is at work within Us
We are only limited by the degree of the power of Jesus that we allow to work in us.
Sometimes we are stubborn,
How is God the Holy Spirit working in you?
We know best
or there is a spiritual bondage that holds us back.
However the Holy Spirit works within us gently, guiding
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
2 Corinthians
Colossians 2:9
The Lords Power is at work within each one of us, to the degree we allow Him to work.
WHAT IS OUR EXPECTATION?
MESSAGE VERSION
20 God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
21 Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!
msg
to him be glory in the church and Christ Jesus
Everything that we do is to give glory to God in the highest,
exalt the name of Jesus,
what a beautiful name!
throughout all generations
It was important for the Ephesian church that they were setting up something that went beyond themselves, they were creating a legacy of unity and faith and expectation.
The legacy that we carry is for the generations to come after us.
As we position ourselves in Christ, we position others that come after us in Christ.
for ever and ever Amen
This is a proclamation of Praise, the Psalmist used this language forever and forever.
This proclamation
This is a year of breakthrough,
What are you believing God for?
Who are you believing God for?
Make sure that we give God all the glory-life up Jesus
Conclusion
Expectation is important
This section is a doxology of the prayer, its a song a declaration of Praise of the goodness and bigness of God our father who explodes our expectations in life.
Expectation is contagious so is speculation.
This is your year of breakthrough.
To live at a life at the low expectation, we live at the level of our disappointment.
are our prayers and our relationship with God about what he does or who he is?
He is an abundant God who has a plan for us and his presence to manifest of our lives.
John the baptist recognised Jesus not by what he was doing but by his essence and the spirit of God that was at work within him.
Gods going to do beyond our earthly
Area of expectation?
Area of judgement?
Disappointment
Bitterness
Regrets
There is no limit to the power of God, it is only the limitation of Human expectation that holds our understanding of the mighty greatness of God.
In this passage there is a sharp change of getting our attention Now to him which is God
he is the God who can do impossibilities.
therefore he deserves our praise so that the generations will hear of his goodness and the God that is the God of the great exceeding expectations.