FHCC
20260329 Worship Service
              • Hosanna
              • Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me

                          • Psalms 137:9ESV

                          • Psalms 137:7-9ESV

                              • Victory In Jesus
                              • Amazing Grace

                                      • Ephesians 3:14–21ESV

                                    • Introduction

                                      Years ago I took a leadership class where we were introduced to the concept of situational readiness. Within leadership circles this means that a leader understands the abilities and the willingness of those he is leading and adjust his influence to make the most of the situation he faces.
                                      In these first 3 chapters of Ephesians this is the 2nd prayer recorded. The first was in the final 9 verses of chapter 1 where Paul prays for his readers to be enlightened. They needed to understand their abilities in Christ. In today’s 8 verses the request moves from enlightenment to enablement. Paul not only wants readers to know what we can accomplish, but to impart willingness to accomplish more.
                                      Throughout its 8 seasons the leader of LAPD SWAT’s 20 Squad would use the final moments in Black Betty to remind the team of their mission and to motivate before deploying. These 45 seconds are a glimpse into knowing ability and increasing willingness to work together as a team.
                                      Play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma4R_N1Zjhc
                                      In my last sermon as your pastor, I want to echo the leadership of the Apostle Paul by increasing your willingness to engage in the mission of Making Disciples of Jesus of all who live in Chase County. My desire today is that you would sense the strength and power that is yours to move out into every hill and draw with the fragrance of Christ.
                                      You have demonstrated the ability to love well, to stand for truth, and to overcome obstacles.
                                      TRANSITION: Today’s text is a call to not shrink back, but to keep moving forward on mission for our Master until His will is done on earth as it is in Heaven.

                                      A Prayer for inner STRENGTH (Eph 3:14-16)

                                      Prayer

                                      Paul prayed to the Father that the people of God would comprehend their ability and increase in their willingness to continue forward in faith. That is my prayer for FHCC as well.
                                      The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: Get Your Hands on Your Wealth (Ephesians 3:14–21)

                                      Paul knew that if the inner man is what he ought to be, the outer man will be taken care of in due time. Too many of our prayers focus only on physical and material needs and fail to lay hold of the deeper inner needs of the heart

                                      More than healing, more than resources, more than good feelings, I pray that this congregation would continue to be renewed in your inner self to be more like Christ, to live more like Christ, and to love more like Christ.

                                      Posture

                                      I could go through the Scriptures and find all the bodily postures of prayer. [Everything from take your sandals off, to a drowning Peter. From a dancing David to an ash-covered Job, but rather than bodily posture, I notice that Paul gives no description of his knees, but he used many words to highlight to whom he bows.
                                      The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: Get Your Hands on Your Wealth (Ephesians 3:14–21)

                                      Whether we actually bow our knees is not the important thing; that we bow our hearts and wills to the Lord and ask Him for what we need is the vital matter

                                      Power

                                      Ephesians 1-2 have listed all the riches we have already acquired and all the shortcomings that have already been forgiven. At the moment of salvations we receive Sprit baptism that transfers all these realities to us and the Spirit takes up residence with His presence (indwelling). , but involves submission (filling)
                                      The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: Get Your Hands on Your Wealth (Ephesians 3:14–21)

                                      The

                                      TRANSITION: This power comes from being firmly established

                                      Strength from ROOTS (Eph 3:17)

                                      This strength speaks of stability and endurance.

                                      root as a noun, rooted as a verb

                                      the noun is literally the underground part of a plant.
                                      the verb is figurative for anything firmly affixed to a foundation.
                                      The foundation for the Trump Tower in Chicago required enough concrete that 30 trucks had to make 600 trips within 24 hours to fill the 241 75’-deep caissons. [57 of these caissons go another 35’ down into 8’ of bedrock.
                                      The survival of the 100 stories is absolutely dependent upon being rooted to the bedrock!

                                      Rooted in love

                                      The concrete and bedrock that gives us strength is God’s great love for us. These roots permit faith to flow like sap in a Maple into every floor of the skyscraper; every branch of our tree; every hill, draw or creek in this county.
                                      The second church I pastored in Wisconsin had existed for 15 years in rented facilities. While setting up and taking down each week for worship in a local school, the congregation never gained much momentum. They owned 5 acres north of town with a sign that announced Future Home of Southern Lakes Evangelical Free Church and directed people to their worship location. But no traction. It got to the point where the District Superintendent (who is the grandfather of the young man who will be preaching here in 2 weeks) counseled them to either step out in faith and break ground, or stop meeting.
                                      They stepped out by dipping into retirement funds and taking 2nd mortgages on their homes. And the Lord rewarded their faith!
                                      When the community sensed that the church was stable, they began to visit and get involved. The 40 people who were advised to close down grew into 2 worship services with a total of more that 500 people worshipping each week.
                                      stability matters! It is this strength from stability that Paul wants readers to grasp and act upon.
                                      TRANSITION: When we perceive our strength, we expand our influence.

                                      Strength to FLOURISH to FULLNESS (Eph 3:18-20)

                                      This strengthening love flows inright, outright, upright & downright until fullness is experienced.

                                      Notice the word comprehend in Eph 3:18, the root of that word means “to grasp” but I want to expand your thinking to include “to embrace” or “to wrap your mind around” because what I can grasp limits what I can wrap my mind around.
                                      I think Paul is trying to get people to expand their thinking, not limit it.
                                      Ephesians 3:18–19 ESV:2016
                                      may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
                                      When we begin to get myopic and focus on limitations, the Word and Spirit call us to a broader vision.
                                      Psalm 121:1–2 ESV:2016
                                      I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
                                      When you look to the hills, do you see them as the well from which your help will come? Or do you see them as a mission that will require help from the Lord?
                                      As this congregation enters into a season of transition, your strength has never come from this or any previous pastor! Your strength has not come from the creativity of our volunteers. Your strength has never come from business, government or denominational money.
                                      The strength to flourish to fullness throughout the hills of Chase County has always and will always come from the gracious blessing of the Lord that is more abundant than anything we ask or think!
                                      TRANSITION: When ordinary people are strengthened to the point of fullness, that....

                                      Strength reveals GLORY (Eph 3:21)

                                      I was listening to a dialogue between 2 preachers from the East Coast this week. They were both focusing upon the “ordinary means of grace”. I get what they were trying to emphasize. They were attempting to communicate that God rarely uses superheroes to do extra-ordinary signs and wonders. Yes, God does do the miraculous on occasions, but miracles are not ordinaries or normals, that is what makes them miracles. These preachers were emphasizing that God uses ordinary churches and ordinary people doing ordinary things to bring about transformed lives.
                                      I want to press back against that idea a little. Yes, miracles are extraordinary, but transformation happens when God’s Spirit enables and empowers ordinary people doing ordinary things.
                                      The fact that we are capable of accomplishing empowered activities is to the glory of God, not the glory of ordinary vessels!

                                      Not our Glory, but the Glory given to us by the Father.

                                      Since the strength comes from the Father, then the credit belongs to the Father.

                                      Conclusion

                                      I hope that you experience with me over the last 8 years has been that I owned up to the fault that I deserve for mistakes and inadequate attempts.
                                      I truly want all the credit to go to the triune God who has blessed, protected and grown this congregation. When population of the county declines, but participation in the church increases, it is not to the glory of the pastor or the leaders, it is all to the glory of God. When businesses close, but the people of God abound, it is reason to give God glory.
                                      As we turn to the Lord’s Table let me for one last time take all eyes off of me and to look squarely at what God does for us.
                                      I’ve been listening this week to a song that goes back to 1979. An album that was released before this church was ever founded. Bob Hartman penned these questions...
                                      Why should the Father bother to be concerned?
                                      Why should the Spirit hear it when we pray?
                                      It’s all because of what the Son has done!
                                      and THAT is why we gather around this table to share the bread and the cup.

                                        • Romans 8:9ESV

                                        • Ephesians 3:18–19ESV

                                        • Psalm 121:1–2ESV

                                                • Mark 14:22–25ESV

                                              • Blest Be The Tie

                                                  • Hebrews 13:20–21ESV

                                                  FHCC
                                                  flinthillschurch@gmail.com
                                                  (620)273-6777
                                                  http://flinthillschurch.net
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