The State of Israel: Struggles and Challenges

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20–21)

Facing execution, Paul prays not for escape but for the church—and proclaims a God who does far more than we can ask or imagine.

A Detour and a Verse on a Napkin

After finishing Romans 8 and our series Victorious, I sensed the Lord wanted us to take a short detour this week—but I had no idea where. All week long staff members asked where we'd be on Sunday, and I kept answering, "I don't know." That's why there's no verse on the back of the bulletin; our receptionist had to print it without one.

Friday morning I prayed, "Lord, I don't know where You want us." I stopped at Starbucks, sat down with my notebook, and my phone buzzed. It was an email from a brother in our fellowship who often sends me Scripture. The verse he sent was Ephesians 3:20—a verse many of us have memorized and treasured. I wrote it at the top of my page and began to think it through. And the first question any student of Scripture asks is, What is the context? So I went back and read the whole third chapter.

Paul, the Prisoner of Christ Jesus

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— (Ephesians 3:1)

Paul wrote this around 62 or 63 A.D. as a prisoner of Rome, in chains not for any crime but for preaching the gospel. Yet notice: he does not call himself the prisoner of Rome or of Caesar. He calls himself the prisoner of Christ Jesus, for the sake of those God had called him to reach.

Paul understood suffering both theoretically and practically. When Saul of Tarsus became a follower of Jesus, one of the first things God revealed to him in Acts 9 was how much he must suffer for Christ's name. That's remarkable. In our day many evangelists declare all the benefits of following Jesus, yet God told Paul up front how much he would suffer. As we saw in Acts 20:24, Paul could say, "None of these things move me." He saw suffering as part of the walk and work of Christ, and so he could face it with a peace unknown to those who lack that recognition.

The Mystery Now Revealed

How that by revelation He made known to me the mystery... which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets. (Ephesians 3:3–5)

Paul understood he had been given a stewardship over a wonderful revelation. The risen Lord Jesus had personally revealed by His Spirit the great things of the gospel—things the prophets of old and the angelic hosts longed to look into (1 Peter 1:9–12). Because this mystery had been entrusted to him, Paul counted himself a debtor to carry it to all whom God would give him opportunity.

We must understand that a biblical "mystery" is not like our modern idea of something that cannot be known—"unsolved mysteries" about UFOs or Sasquatch. The best illustration is a Christmas gift. A gift is wrapped and concealed, but it is intended at an appointed time to be opened, so people can see and rejoice in it. Under the old covenant, the angels desired to look into the box; the prophets longed to know what was inside. They picked it up and shook it, as it were, wondering what God had wrapped. Now, Paul says, God has revealed in the gospel just what this mystery is.

That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel. (Ephesians 3:6)

Read "Gentiles" as unbelievers. The mystery is that unbelievers should be fellow heirs with the Jews who were children of God by faith—partakers of God's great promise, which I believe is ultimately the resurrection, available to all peoples in Christ and revealed through the gospel. This is why Paul says in Romans 10 that the gospel must be preached—for how shall they hear unless one preaches?

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ

Because of our sin nature, we like to think in exclusive terms, as though the gospel is only for us. Our flesh loves exclusivity, and so we can even skew the doctrine of election to make it seem the gospel is only for us. But God's aim has always been for all peoples, all nations. He gave us the gospel not to hoard it but to carry it forth.

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. (Ephesians 3:8)

Paul recognized there was nothing special about Saul of Tarsus. The things that were gain to him he counted loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ (Philippians 3). He said he was not worthy to be called an apostle because he had persecuted the church (1 Corinthians 15). The riches of God are beyond comprehension. Look back at Ephesians 2:7—"that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace." It will take all eternity for God to reveal to us the greatness of the riches we have in Christ.

God's Manifold Wisdom Displayed Through the Church

To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 3:10)

God is wiser than us. Take the combined mental power of all seven billion people on earth, add every computer, every terabyte and petabyte, link them into one giant supercomputer—and God's manifold wisdom is so infinitely greater that we don't even scratch the surface. And God desires to display that wisdom not only to humanity but to principalities and powers, the angelic hosts.

How will He display it? By the church. You and I are the canvas on which God paints His manifold wisdom. I don't know that we grasp the gravity of that. Honestly, when I think about it, I wonder if that's the best method—because I know me, and I'm a bonehead. As Paul says elsewhere, God has chosen the foolishness of preaching. Surely God could do impressive things to prove how wise He is, yet He has chosen the church—"according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord" (3:11).

Bold Access Through Faith

In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. (Ephesians 3:12)

In Christ we have boldness—free and fearless confidence. The word translated "access" is used only three times in the New Testament, and each time it refers to access to God, the King of kings. We have bold, confident access to come to God—not by our works, but through faith. Back in Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." We come not because we hold some key card, but because God has sealed us with His Spirit and called us His children. We cry out, "Abba, Father."

Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. (Ephesians 3:13)

The church at Ephesus—where Paul had spent nearly three years—knew their beloved apostle was now a prisoner facing execution, and their hearts were heavy. It is often easier to face difficulty ourselves than to watch someone we love suffer. Paul tells them not to lose heart on his account.

Paul's Prayer From Prison

If I were in Paul's situation, I might pray, "Father, get me out of this mess." Praying for ourselves isn't wrong—Jesus taught us to ask even for daily bread. But Paul, in the midst of suffering, doesn't pray for himself.

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ... that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14–19)

That word "might" is the same word used in Acts 1:8—"you shall receive power when the Spirit comes upon you." This is spiritual power; Paul isn't telling them to drum it up themselves. This is his prayer for a church, prayed by a man transferred from Caesarea to Rome, shipwrecked at Malta, bitten by a venomous snake he shook off into the fire, and now awaiting trial and execution. Instead of praying for relief, he prays that they would be strengthened, rooted in love, and filled with all the fullness of God.

Exceedingly Abundantly Above All We Ask

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20–21)

Having prayed those great things, Paul declares that the God he prays to is able to do far more than we can ask or imagine—because it is His power at work in us, not our own. If we did it in our own strength, we would fail every time. And why does He do it? Verse 21: "to Him be glory in the church." It's about His glory. He gets glory by working through us to do what we never could in our own strength.

I bring this up because I'm convinced God desires to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask, think, or imagine. I have a big imagination—it's gotten me in trouble my whole life. But the truth is that our prayers are often too little for God. We constrain Him by the limits of an imagination we vainly assume to be grand. God wants to do greater things than we can fathom, and I believe He wants to do great things through this church.

Know, Grow, and Go

The mission of our church is simple: know, grow, and go. Why do we exist as followers of Jesus here in North San Diego County? Because of the cross of Christ, we know we've been connected to God and one another in life-giving and satisfying communion—not by our own ingenuity. As the family of God, we grow together into His likeness through worship and the application of His Word. And as a community of faith, we go to labor together for the joy and justice of all peoples—that they would be saved, that they would inherit joy in God, locally and globally.

As I considered all God is doing through us, I wondered: how many of you are new to this gathering in the last three years? Look at that—God is doing a great thing. How many are serving Jesus in some capacity—men's, women's, children's, youth ministry, ushering, greeting, anything? Look at that. Ephesians 4 tells us to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, and many who are new are already serving.

An Honest Word and a Call to Prayer

I want you to understand I share this because you are the church that is Cross Connection Escondido. It takes just over a million dollars a year to fund the basic budget that fulfills the mission and vision God has given us. For six years we've watched God steadily increase the giving of our church, and the budget has grown as we fulfill that mission—evidence that God is doing more than we can ask or imagine.

As we began 2013, in line with previous trends, we conservatively increased our budget by about eight and a half percent. But I feel compelled to tell you that after the first twenty weeks of the year, our general fund giving has decreased by just under eight percent. So God is doing more through us, even as it has become more difficult. I'm not saying this to compel you to do anything other than pray—because God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think by His power at work in us.

At our board meeting yesterday, not one board member expressed concern—which is a blessing, because I get concerned over these things. Why no concern? Because we're going to pray and seek the Lord, and God has always provided. Of course, as good stewards we make wise adjustments. But you are the church, and so I bring this before you.

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14–15)

So here's my request: that you would agree in prayer with us, asking the God who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask, think, or imagine to provide, to guide us to do greater things in His name, and to receive all the glory.

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank You that You are our God. We look to You to lead, guide, direct, and provide in every way. We trust, God, that You desire to do great things through us, Your church, and we ask that You would increase our faith and boldness to follow hard after You. We know that within a small distance from this church there are hundreds and thousands of people who don't know You, who don't know the joy of Your Son. Would You enable us to declare the good news of the gospel more effectively to those in our community and beyond? Lord, continue to raise up from this body men and women with a passion to carry Your love and grace to those who don't know it yet. For we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.