David [00:00:02]:
Hello, Toby. Let’s see. I believe we’re live and in person now. All right, man. Here we go. Our new set. You like this? So this is the message. All right, so I’m getting ready here.
David [00:00:21]:
Here we go. Five, four, three, re. All right, everyone, it’s time to get into the word. I’m excited about this message today and all the messages over the last few weeks and what’s coming. Like I said, this verse that we’ve been drilling down into and studying is my life verse. It’s the verse the Lord has used to challenge me, to call me forward and to call me up to greater faith. And I hope what I’m sharing with you is doing the same thing for you and inspiring you. So let’s get started today, four weeks ago, we started this series looking at how God has prepared us for more and more and more throughout eternity.
David [00:01:16]:
You were created for increase. Let me say that again. That has just come home to me this week in such a great way. We are all created for increase. We were created by the God of increase, the God who was always more than enough. And so you are created for greater things. You ought to get up every morning and tell yourself, I’m created for increase. I’m created for greater things.
David [00:01:47]:
I’m expecting more today. So today we’re going to continue to drill down into all that this verse means for each of us. And we’re going to see that God truly is more and he desires for us to be more. He wants to be more through us by the action of his power. And we will look at the meanings again of the words that we’re going to be focusing on today. And we’re looking at the last half of this verse. And as I said last week, I want to say this again. I want to reiterate it or reiterate it.
David [00:02:33]:
In the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul shares with us all that God has done for us. He chose us, he redeemed us, he placed us, he’s positioned us, he’s blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. He recreated us in Christ for good works, and he has given us his love, his fullness. All he is is ours. You know, after sharing all of this, Paul brings us to Ephesians 320. And he shares something there that I believe is mind boggling. And he says that it’s beyond what we can dare ask or think. That’s what God wants to do through us.
David [00:03:29]:
In fact, he says, this is super, abundantly far over and above, infinitely beyond our highest prayers desires, thoughts, hopes or dreams. Imagine that. Think about that. Think about your highest, your highest. Wow. We’re going to get into that next week. But can you imagine that, that God is able and willing to do more and go way beyond what we can even think or ask? So let’s look at this again today. Ephesians 320 in the amplified says now to him who by, in consequence of the action of his power that is at work within us, is able to carry out his purpose and do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams.
David [00:04:39]:
So, as we continue to explore Ephesians 320, I want to circle back to a phrase at the beginning of this verse. In consequence of the action of his power, there is a consequence to every action. We all know that. And it can be a negative consequence, or it can be a positive consequence. And what we see in this verse is the consequence of the action of his power. Working in us far exceeds what we can imagine. When God is working in us and through us and with us and for us, the outcome is always for our good, to our benefit. The other insight to remember here is God’s power is active.
David [00:05:38]:
It’s actively working in us. The Lord isn’t just here and there saying, hey, come on, let me do this for you. Let me work through you. But he is continually, every day working in us and through us and with us and for us. He is always working in our lives to develop our faith and our love. So we have the opportunity to experience his fullness. Our father God, our savior, Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit. They want us to experience the fullness of the Godhead.
David [00:06:21]:
Hallelujah. What a blessing. Now, there are two keys that equip us to experience all God has for us, and one is this. Know, see, imagine God working in you. We see through this throughout scripture. God says, no, I’m doing it. See that I’m doing it. Acknowledge it.
David [00:06:48]:
Acknowledge it. And then as you’re thinking about it, see it in your minds. I imagine it. Know that I am there working in you and through you, believe that. And then the second thing in walking in this is that yield to the Holy Spirit within you. A part of walking in faith with the Lord is yielding to the Holy Spirit within us. The clay yields itself to the hands of the master artisan who forms and fashions the clay into a useful vessel with purpose. God is forming and fashioning you every day for his purpose, transforming you into the vessel he intended you to be.
David [00:07:52]:
So as we discussed last week, he has created you for good works every day. Get up. Knowing that God has good works for you. Today. To do today, it may just be a smile given to someone. It may just be an encouraging word as you go through the drive through at one of the fast food restaurants and you encourage that person there at the window and tell them, thank you. It could be something as simple as, hey, I believe in you. Have a great day.
David [00:08:28]:
God has good works for you. So get up every day expecting them and looking for them. Remember Ephesians 210, let’s look at this. In the new King James version, it says this, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. God has already prepared good works for me to walk in today. I just need to get up and yield myself to the Holy Spirit. And said, holy Spirit, Lord Jesus, Father God, I am yielded to you. Whatever you have for me today, I am ready.
David [00:09:12]:
What’s the good work for today? Ephesians 210 in the amplified, I love this. Let’s look at it as the amplified always uses all the definitions and expounds on things, and I just appreciate that. It says, for we are God’s own handiwork, his handiwork, his workmanship recreated in Christ Jesus born anew, that we may do those good works which God predestined and planned beforehand for us, taking paths which he prepared ahead of time, that we should walk in them, living the good life which he prearranged and made ready for us to live. Friend, I don’t care where you’ve been, what you’ve done, how you feel, like you may have let people down or failed or whatever. When you come to Christ, you’re created. You’re born anew. And God redeems the time. God redeems your life and says, come on, let’s go do all those good works I have for you to do.
David [00:10:27]:
God is ready for you to wake up every morning and go, here I am, Lord. Whatever you have, let’s go do it together. God is our master craftsman, our creator, who has created us for good works and a good life. I get up every day thanking God for the good life. I get up every day thanking Jesus Christ. He said in John 1010 that he came to give us life and life more abundantly to the full till it overflows. And so I thank Jesus every day for that overflowing life he came to give me, and I expect to live it every day. Does that mean I’m not going to have challenges.
David [00:11:16]:
No, I have challenges. Every day there’s something that comes along, but we can still live the good life because Jesus says, hey, I’ve overcome the world. Trust me, lean on me, believe in me, yield to me and I will see you through. I will show you the way. The reason I wanted to revisit all of this today is just to remind you of who you are. We’ve been into this study several weeks now and I want to remind you that God has more for you in every way, in every area of your life. All that we are discovering here is available to you as you seek the Lord every day. Every day.
David [00:12:04]:
Don’t let the enemy rob you of what God has so liberally and freely given. So let’s continue our journey of discovery today. Last week I shared what the meaning of the word dare is. We started to delve into what dare meant. And so I want to go further with that word today and go a little deeper. The phrase there from Ephesians 320 is he is able to do super abundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think. And again, that word dare means this. It means to rouse oneself, to awaken, to wake up, to stir up, to be bold, to bear oneself boldly, to deal boldly extreme conduct, to be courageous, not to dread or shun through fear.
David [00:13:08]:
That’s what the Hebrew and the Greek says about the word dare. And so it reminds me of Hebrews 416 in the amplified that says this. Let us then fearlessly, confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace. The throne of God’s unmerited favor to us that we may receive mercy for our failures and find grace to help in good time for every need, appropriate help and well timed help coming just when we need it. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, thank you. Thank you for your goodness, your mercy and your help.
David [00:13:57]:
Webster’s dictionary from 1928 defines deer in this way. To have courage for any purpose, to have strength of mind, to undertake anything, to venture, to be adventurous, to not be afraid. As you hear this, I want to ask you what stirred up in you, what dream is awakened in you again? You know, what I found is faith is an adventure. And God wants to be on this adventure and faith with you every day. I remember my dad used to tell my brothers and I, life is an adventure. Get up every day and go find yours. Get up every day and go find your adventured faith with your father, God. I believe God is challenging us to ask and think boldly for things that look impossible.
David [00:15:05]:
He wants us to have the courage to venture out in adventurous faith. He wants us to see how he can go infinitely beyond our highest prayers, thoughts, desires, our dreams, our imagination. If I will dare think or ask anything, God can go beyond it, infinitely beyond it. And as I said last week, beyond, beyond. He just keeps going. It is never ending. Let me ask you this. What do you need to rouse yourself to pursue for his glory, for his kingdom? What should you be asking for? Ask means this.
David [00:15:56]:
It’s a request of the will, a calling for a craving, a desire, something required. Above all, I request by choice, all I call for, all that I crave, desire or require, he will do more and go far beyond that. Not only is he able to do this, he desires to do this for you. It’s one thing to be able to do something, but it’s another thing to be able and desire to do it. Looking for the opportunity God is always looking for the opportunity to do more in you, through you, with you and for you. Another definition of ask is to obtain by words. Four Philippians four six tells us we must make our request known. Let me read that to you.
David [00:17:03]:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your request be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus. Hallelujah. What a promise. That’d be good just to read every day. Read that verse. Philippians four, six and seven. Those two verses, they’re so true.
David [00:17:39]:
But here’s the key. We have to make it known. We have to speak it. We have to say it, then we can expect it, then we can claim it. If we don’t ask, we won’t receive. Jesus said to the disciples in Matthew seven, seven and eight, ask and it will be given. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be open to you.
David [00:18:09]:
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds. And to him who knocks, it will be opened. One of the definitions of ask was something that is required. I said that just a moment ago. The idea that what we ask for is required speaks to the fact that it is physically necessary, like oxygen. The psalmist wrote about this concept in psalm 27. Psalm 27 eight. This is from the amplified.
David [00:18:48]:
You have said, seek my face. Inquire for and require my presence as your vital need. My heart says to you, your face, your presence, Lord, will I seek, require or inquire for and require of necessity and on the authority of your word, God is calling out to us saying, come spend time with me. Be here with me in my presence. Ask what you will ask. He is our vital necessity. He is just like oxygen to us. Just like we need the air we breathe to live.
David [00:19:45]:
We need his presence to live this life he has made us for and given us. As we look at these definitions, we find that to demand, to claim and require, imply a right or supposed right in the person asking. As we saw in the scripture before, as children of God, we had the right to come with confidence and boldness before the throne of grace and ask. Asking in regard to a request, though, implies the thing desired to be a favor. We can also come before the throne of grace, which is the throne of unmerited favor, and make our request known, as it says in Hebrews 416, which we read, and Philippians four, six, and seven. And here’s what we know to be true in all of our asking, all of our thinking, all of our asking. He is able to do far over and above all that we dare ask. And this brings us to all we dare think.
David [00:21:05]:
Think means to perceive with the mind, to understand, to have understanding, to think upon, to ponder, to consider. There are two aspects of thinking that come to mind as I’ve studied this verse over and over. The first is to possess or to process with our mind is to see or imagine with our mind’s eye. We see it within us when we gain perspective about something, often we say, oh, I see what you mean. I hear what you’re saying. We understand by seeing with our mind’s eye or by our spirit being inspired by the Holy Spirit. And that’s one of the things the Lord said there in John 16, that the Holy Spirit would come, and he would speak to us what he heard from the father and from Jesus. He would make it known to us.
David [00:22:15]:
We would see and understand. He would show us things to come. Matthew 1316, in the new King James version, says, but blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Jesus was talking to the disciples when he said that, and when we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit and believe that he will hear us and work in us and through us, for us, with us, we know that our eyes will see, and our ears will hear. The second aspect of thinking is meditation, and scriptural meditation is taking time to ponder and consider a matter or principle to gain understanding. It is musing, communing, muttering something over and over and over again. One aspect of it, one definition, says the musical musings of the heart. It’s where we get it.
David [00:23:36]:
You ever just start singing something over and over and over again as you meditated on it? Joshua one eight in the new King James Version, says, this book of the Law, the Bible, this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth. Shall not depart from your mouth. So he’s implying you got to keep speaking it, saying it, declaring it, confessing it. The book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. That’s what God wants for us. He wants us to be prosperous and have good success. And we do that from meditating the word of God and growing in our faith and building our faith and feeding our faith.
David [00:24:40]:
By doing that, no matter how far we take our thinking, our understanding, our imagination, our pondering, our musing, God is able to go way beyond that. Isaiah 55 eight and nine. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts and your thoughts. You know, I was studying that verse once, and I found that when he talks about my ways are higher, there in the Hebrew, it says, lifestyle. That’s part of the definition of that word. My lifestyle is higher than yours. And my thoughts, what I think and imagine and see are way beyond your thoughts.
David [00:25:40]:
I remember one day during COVID all the kids were home, and I wanted to go spend some time with the Lord. So I told my wife, I said, I’m going into our closet in our bedroom and shut the door and spend some time with the Lord. That’s where I’m going to go pray today. It’s in our bedroom closet. And, guys, as I walked in, and I shut the door, and I just started. I lifted my hands and started worshiping. I heard the Lord say this to me. I dare you to ask me for something big and see what I do, because, David, you’re not asking big enough.
David [00:26:20]:
And I went, wow, his thoughts are higher than ours. I dare you today to think bigger and see what God will do. Ask, believe for the impossible and see what God will do. The enemy, our enemy, through religion, will try to shame us and rob us of what God has for us. The enemy will come and go. Well, who do you think you are? Aren’t you being selfish, wanting more or believing for more? But I want you to remember this. You were created for more. And more and then some more.
David [00:27:18]:
You are created for increase. And just like your father God, who says, I am a God of increase, you’re created in his image and his likeness and all the days of your life you can be fruitful and multiply and experience increase in every dimension of your life. You’re created for greater things than these. Tell me about all the great things you’ve seen in your life. And God says you’re created for greater things than what you just said. I’m expecting greater things for you. You were created for what I like to say you were created for. Beyond, beyond, infinitely beyond.
David [00:28:08]:
Never ending. Let me close by reading this verse again. Ephesians 320 in the amplified. Now to him who bind, in consequence of the action of his power that is at work within us, is able to carry out his purpose and do super abundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes or dreams. That’s what God has for you. Let’s bow our heads in prayer. Father, we thank you for how you love us and how you want to work in us and through us and with us and for us. We thank you, Lord, that you are a God of more than enough, a God of increase.
David [00:29:16]:
And you’ve created us in your image and your likeness, to be more, to be fruitful, to multiply, to see increase here in the earth, to see your kingdom come and your will be done here in the earth as it is in heaven. And so, Father, we thank you for the opportunity we have to partner with you to see all of this come to pass. In Jesus name, we thank you. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Pastor Conia is coming right now with a closing word. We’re looking forward to seeing you again next week. Have a blessed week.
David [00:30:08]:
Alright, Toby.
