Draft 1

THE SUPERPERFORMING LIFE
12/5/04; TSL #1 – Ephesians 3:20-21; Gateway Sermon Notes

INTEREST

If you are like most people you enjoy celebrations, don’t you? A couple of weeks ago I had the happy experience of celebrating my 50th birthday. That would not normally be a happy experience for most folks, but my family celebrated it with me and that made it all worthwhile. We went out to a nice restaurant to eat and afterwards came home where they presented me with a chocolate, chocolate cake – my favorite. You know you are getting older when each candle on your cake represents a decade rather than a year! But it was a happy time and I opened up my presents as we celebrated together. I was thinking about that this week as I prepared for this first sermon in this new series of studies. Jesus said in John 10:10 that He came that we could have life and have it more abundantly – a life of richness, of blessedness, of celebration. But I find that a lot of Christian do not experience that at all, rather they have a life that is somber, defeated and filled with anxiety and conflict. (Illus: Sadness, General) One person told me long ago that it looked as if some Christian had been baptized in pickle juice. That was the sour look they had on life! (Illus: Sadness, General) Howard Hendricks told us the story of going to a man and asking how he was doing. He said, “Okay under the circumstance.” And Hendricks asked, “Well, what are you doing there!” Many Christians are living under the circumstances and experiencing defeat. The Lord, on the other hand intended for us to have a life of abundance. How do we achieve that? How do we get to the place where we experience all that God intended for us?

ORIENTATION

Today we begin a series of studies on how to live the victorious Christian life, or how to live the abundant life, or the Superperforming life (our title). But don’t be misled by the superlatives. This life that we describe is the normal life that God has prescribed for every Christian. We can call it a lot f fancy things but at the end of the day it is the life that God intends for every Christian and describes clearly in the Bible.

We begin our journey, our study by considering the power behind such a life. Out first question is how is such a life accomplished? What kind of power can pull off this type of life?

NEED

We find this life portrayed in general terms in Ephesians 3:20-21. And as we begin this series of studies on spiritual growth I want us to go there to find out what kind of life this is. We find this passage in the middle of the book of Ephesians. It is at the end of the first half and at the beginning of the second half. It serves as a doxology, or ascription of praise. It is a celebration! It is a formal praise address to God. What is it that has Paul so worked up? What could cause him to launch into such a paean of praise? What would make him reach down into the depths of his being to celebrate in such a way? I want us to understand the unbelievable life God intends for us.

The nature of the language here suggests enthusiasm and spontaneity. After describing all the riches of God toward believers he can’t help but burst forth in praise and adoration. And so he draws upon the most descriptive language he knows, and stretches the limits of human utterance to in some way do service to all that God has given Christians. And so Paul uses superlative after superlative after superlative. In this passage we find this life described in seven statements.

1. A POWER CONCEIVED BY GOD. “Now unto Him” 3:20a

Verse 20a. “Now” makes the transition from the main body of the second apostolic prayer to its closing doxology. The doxology will be a fitting close to the prayer, a fitting close to the first half of the book, and a fitting prologue to the last half of the epistle. As Paul ends this section of his book he wants to glorify God for what He has given us as Christians (chapters 1-3), and assure us of the great power that is ours to live it out on a daily basis (chapters 4-6). At this point there is nothing left to do but to praise. Notice the One who is in the driver seat: “Now unto Him …” God is the One who ultimately conceives of this life.

(Illus: Power, God’s) this is like this glove that I have here. It is basically useless as it sits here. It only takes on life and usefulness when I place my hand in it. And this is the same with us when it comes to our lives. Before the Lord cam into our lives with His power we were lifeless, powerless when it cam to spiritual things. But He came in and gave us an ability that we did not have before. We are not called by God to live a life under our own power. How can we live a supernatural life under natural power? We cannot. The life we are called to is supernatural in nature so it will take supernatural power to undertake and complete it!

WHAT SALVATION IS (chapters 1-3) ………………………………….. HOW SALVATION WORKS (chapters 4-6)

We need to know how the life Paul describes fits into God’s overall plan for our salvation. There Christian’s experience can be described in four phases. All of them can be explained with the word “salvation” as an all encompassing term for what God does for His own. Notice four phases of God’s plan. It is the third phase that we will center on in this series of studies on spiritual growth.

Five Phases …

#1 Preordained #2 Preparatory #3 Positional #4 Progressive #5 Perfected
Salvation Salvation Salvation Salvation Salvation
Ro. 8:30 Acts 10:1-17 2 Cor. 5:21 1 Peter 2:1-2 Jn. 14:1-6



Preordained – God choosing us in eternity past to become His children (anticipating the problem of sin).

Preparatory – God preparing us before we became Christians (overcoming the prevalence of sin).

Positional – God perfecting us before Himself at the moment of conversion (satisfying the penalty for sin).

Progressive – God practically making us more like Christ in time (breaking the power of sin).

Perfected – God taking us into His presence after life is over (removed from the presence of sin).

2. A POWER BEYOND OUR DREAMS. “To do exceeding” 3:20b

Verse 20b. And not only did He conceive of it but He empowers it. And not only did He conceive and empower it, but includes us in a real way in it. He conceives it, and empowers it to happen, but He includes us to have a real part in the progressive phase of salvation.

Notice how Paul builds a literary pyramid in order to emphasize the immensity of the topic covered. He stacks up the descriptive words in an effort to describe the indescribable. Paul actually asks for things in his prayer in 3:14-19, but here he declares that what he has uttered can be infinitely exceeded by God! Paul realizes that what he has prayed (however bold) cannot fully measure the blessings that God intends for His chosen. Notice the words in the English “exceedingly abundantly.” They are in the Greek. E.K. Simpson says of this word, “an adverb of his own coinage, ‘vastly more than more.’” The word means: “superabundantly,” or “transcendently more,” or “far in excess.” Paul takes us to the limits of utterance to try to convey to us the unfathomable ability of God to bring about His work in our progressive salvation. Correlate this passage with others such as Romans 11:33-36, and 2 Timothy 4:18. As we consider what He has done for us we cannot help to find ourselves with Paul without words. Paul wants us to understand God’s ability in our lives and to share his enthusiasm

(Illus: C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy).
Eight “Layer” Reverse Pyramid

He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think
He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask
He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all
He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond
He is able to do exceeding abundantly
He is able to do exceeding
He is able to do
He is able

(Illus: Power: God’s)A power that protects against, not “ied”s (improvised explosion devices), but “wfd”s (world, flesh and the devil) as we see in 1 John. This is the unholy trinity that we face.

(Illus: Power: God’s) Many of think of God as a “power-pincher.” We think of Him barely able to spare what we need for the day. But He in no way is this. Rather, God gives us an excess of what we need!

(Illus: Power, God’s) It is like we go to God with our thimble of need. We approach God’s ocean of power and provison with our thimble of need. Is God able to supple and empower us? Is He able to give us what we need? Of course He is and this is exactly what Paul is trying to convey.

This power and its results in individuals and the church defied even the imagination of elect and evil and angels (Ephesians 3:10)!

3. A POWER ENERGIZED INTERNALLY – “That works within us” 3:20c

Verse 20c. But this is not all Paul desires to convey. He goes on to say that not only is God able to bless beyond our expectations but He blesses according to the standard of His power. “According to the power that works within us” is the phrase. This describes the power of God who is able to bless us beyond our expectations, and enables us to perform the will of God (chapters 4-6).

What is this power? In the immediate context it is the power to love those who we have been raised to dislike, even hate (2:11). In 1:19 it is the general power of God demonstrated in the resurrection and the session of Christ. Theologically it is the living, dynamic force to form our values and decisions in a Christ-centered way. It is the development of Christ-like character which is the fullness of God (1:23; 3:19). Sometimes God’s power changes circumstances, but it appears that God’s normative manifestation of power is in the leaving the circumstances as they are and changing us. If you see how “power” is used n the Pauline epistles (and 2 Corinthians 6:3-7) you will find that God has chosen to deploy His power and display His power in our changing and strengthening our will and increasing our ability to make decisions that are Word-based and Christ-centered. Notice that the nature of God’s blessing is spiritual (1:3), and that it takes place internally (3:16), and that it works “within us” (3:20). God’s fullness (3:16), God’s power (3:20), and the fruit of the Spirit (5:18; Galatians 5:20-22) carry similar connotations: Manifesting the life of Christ through us. See too, Philippians 4:8,13 and Ephesians 1:18. (Yet, God includes us by making the manifestation depend on our yieldness.)

We can better understand this by remembering the “three I’s” concerning the way God manifests His power in human affairs… Three “I”s …

- God works independently of us. God changes the circumstances unilaterally. Luke 17:14

- God works interdependently with us. God changes the circumstances in conjunction with our efforts. Mark 6:41-44

- God works internally within us. God doesn’t change the circumstances, He changes us. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

Thus, sometimes God moves the mountain; sometimes He moves the mountain through us with a bulldozer, and sometimes He doesn’t move the mountain at all – He moves in us, changing our character and moving in our wills to make the right decisions.

4. A POWER THAT GLORIFES GOD. “To Him be the glory” 3:21

Verse 21a. “To Him be the glory” We see this use of “glory” in 1:6, 1:12, 1:14, 1:17, 1:18, 3:16, and 3:21 (7 times). The word indicates the recognition of God’s attributes, abilities and actions. To give God glory is to recognize and adore all that God is and does. In response to the thoughts of chapters 1-3 in general, and 3:20 in particular Paul praises God for the power He displays through us in salvation. Paul indicates where this praise is to take place. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says to do all to the glory of God. The Superforming life does that! When we live the new life under divine power it glorifies the One who gave us the new life and furnished its power. Notice the word “the.” It is the article that points out the particular identity of the glory – it is the glory that is generated by the fact that God has empowered believers. Paul praises God for His ability to bless His children. He is beside himself with enthusiastic praise to God. Now he turns from the basis of the praise to the Recipient and place of the praise.

Verse 21b. “In the church and in Christ Jesus” expresses where this praise is to take place. The church is the place where the love miracle between the Jew and Gentiles took place. As God fills us with His power we in turn applaud His nature and acts. We are instruments of the glory of God. The location of the praise is the church and the Object of the praise is Christ as well as the means through which the power and ability come. And Jesus is the One who made such a miracle possible. Thus, the church and Jesus are the central points where glory to God emerges. We saw this in part in 1:10, 1:22-23, 2:7, 2:14, 2:21, and 3:10. Do you notice the footing upon which the church is set here? It is a remarkable parallel. What a calling! The church is set on the same footing as to where the praise is to take place for God’s unfathomable power and grace! To the degree that we utilize His power and develop Christ-like Word-based character, to that degree we honor and glorify the One who designed it all. We are collaborators with Christ in bringing glory to God – the reconciled and the Reconciler, the redeemed and the Redeemer, the body and the Head, bride and Groom.

Verse 21c. “To all generations forever and ever, Amen” finalizes the passage and speaks of the duration of the praise in the church that is directed in, through, and to Christ. What does this mean? Hendricksen says, “It refers to the flow of moments from past to present to future, continuing on and on without end” (page 176). Look at Revelation 21:1-6 and 21:23 and 21:5 for a glimpse of the way the glorification of God in the millennium and in eternity will be. Paul’s point is that the glorification of God for believers should begin in time and run uninterrupted into eternity. We shall praise Him in eternity, going from the peak of perfection and bliss to another, endlessly.

Notice the last word, “Amen.” The idea is “so be it” taken as a transliteration from Hebrew and into the Greek and eventually into the English. Paul ends this section (3:20-21) as he started it (1:13) with praise to God for all His immeasurable blessings to His chosen. Paul never got over the fact that he was saved. See 2 Chronicles 7:1,2 (and tabernacle Exodus 40:34) and Psalm 106:48.

(Q Amazing Grace, last verse).

GOD

Power Descends (20) Glory Ascends (21)


CHRISTIANS

CONCLUSION

Central Thought: God provides for us an empowered life beyond our hopes and dreams. It is a life that brings Him praise and glory.

(Illus: God, The Power of) Several years ago our family took the opportunity tour the NASA Space Center in Clear Lake. They took us through several buildings where we saw the inner workings of NASA. But the highlight for me was at the end of the tour when we were allowed to walk in an open area called “Rocket Park,” among the various rockets, launchers and boosters that NASA had used over the years. They were out on the grounds of the facility. There were the small vehicles from the earliest Mercury missions in the 1960s, and gradually they worked their way up to the Apollo flights that were borne aloft on a Saturn V launcher. I looked into the Saturn V and found out some astounding facts. It was a rocket the size and scope of which was never before designed by man. It was 363 feet long (the top of the Statue of Liberty reaches to 305 feet). At the base it was 33 feet in diameter. If it was laid down and hollowed out wwe could easily drive cars and trucks into it. Fully loaded the Saturn V weighed 6.2 million pounds. On the first stage it had five F-1 engines. In the first 2.5 minutes of the launch the engines burned 209,000 gallons of refined kerosene fuel (RP-1) and 334,500 gallons of liquid oxygen (LOX). Turbopumps, working together to pump the fuel into the five engines had the strength of 30 deisel locomotives (these are just the fuel pumps). In those first 2.5 minutes they forced almost 15 tons of fuel per second in the engines. They generated 7.5 million pounds of thrust and pushed the astronauts back inot their seats at 4 ½ times the force of gravity. Now that is a ride! Yet when that rocket sat on the launch pad before liftoff it was cold and lifeless. It sat there unable to move. Then the dramatic countdown came … 5,4,3,2,1 … ignition. And when that happened a fury was unleashed. There was an ear-shattering roar, a billowing cloud and the ground shook - and that big boy inched upward. And yet in all of its glory the Saturn V is nothing compared to the power that God has placed inside us due to our rebirth. It is nothing compared to the ability God gave us to live a Word-based, Christ-centered life. That is the booster power that burns within us! What about our ignition? It took place at Phase Three, and there was a rumble above and the very life and power of God were imputed to us! Now the question is, how do we navigate? How do we soar? That is what we will investigate in the coming weeks.