"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."Eph 3:20–21.
We are small minded.
Most of us anyway. There are still some wonderful few who are naturally very optimistic and big thinkers! Unfortunately our consumeristic view of church means that often we filter into Christian settings where we feel most comfortable, meaning all the optimistic inspiring people end up over there, and all the serious focused people end up over there. I'm generalising of course, but I'm sure you know what it's like; churches can attract people of a certain personality type.
Yes, we're getting a little off topic, so let's head toward the point with a little more pointedness.
Unless we are naturally optimistic blue-sky thinkers, we may need to work at thinking bigger.
We tend to think on the scales that we normally work in, like if you're a teacher you're thinking class size. If you're a machine operator you're thinking of millions of cubic meters of material. If you're a CEO of a multinational, you're thinking in terms of international markets.
We Christians serve a God who not only made the entirety of the universe, but sustains it on a moment by moment basis. On top of that, He is saving that world from dire straits by working in history across the scope of time.
The scale God is working on is bigger than we can fathom.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Is 55:9).
He's on a whole other level.
He doesn't tell you every play He's running. He doesn't clue us in on each plan or strategy, but He has revealed the big picture of His plan to reclaim the nations, and He has called us to take part!
God has given us some pretty specific mission objectives, and because He is running the operation, we can get stuck into it with everything we've got. God's covering our rear while we head into the thick of it powered by His Spirit.
Like many of us, I need to be reminded not to fall into a defensive mindset. I naturally find myself keeping my head down and decorating a fox-hole. It's comfortable there. It doesn't take much imagination or effort just to twiddle my thumbs and stay out of trouble. With this attitude we pull away from the mission, we don't want to make waves, we don't want to offend anybody.
We're like cricketers who won't take their bats out onto the field because some of the hits won't score runs. And in case that metaphor is not clear enough - You gotta be in it to win it! Risk it to get the biscuit! Not every swing will score runs, but to get anything on the board you need to be out there swinging!
The world is drumming into us that Christ is irrelevant, churches are shrinking, Christian ethics are "unhealthy" and "abusive" and other such nonsense. It's enemy propaganda! Look beneath the messaging and you will find a lost world crying out for a saviour.
We can see the enormity of the task. It's overwhelming! There are so many souls that need saving. There is not enough of us, we don't have the physical resources, we don't have the time...
But we do have a God who has more than enough of all those resources! And the intention to accomplish His mission!
We have a God for whom the challenges we face are insignificant.
We have a God who invites us to ask for anything in Christ's name.
We have a God who is ripening a harvest for us to bring in.
--
Our society is withering, in large part because it is increasingly abandoning Christ as the central part of what holds it all together. The outlook can look hopeless to us, because we see the trajectory, and think that we don't have the opportunity or power to restore the core. And that may be true today, but does it need to be true tomorrow?
Christ has sent us on a mission to disciple the nations (Mat 28:18–20), He has given us the tools to do the job (e.g. Eph 6:10–20), the resources to do it (Eph 3:14–19), and told us to call on Him to make stuff happen (Jn 14:12–14).
There is a cliché saying that goes something like "You can accomplish less in a day than you think you can, and more in a year than you think you can." It may not all change tomorrow. But remember, Rome was a pagan empire, until it wasn't. Europe was a pagan mess, until the Gospel arrived. The Church was deceived until Reformation. You were outside God's Kingdom until He brought you in. We have had Christian societies before, and God willing we will have them again!
God is in the business of rescuing people. God is in the business of changing people. And our town, state and nation are not beyond His power.
But, if I could guess, I reckon you would likely not have a very positive outlook for your town, or your community. The winds of culture are very cold right now. Perhaps you're ready to batten down the hatches and recede from all the nonsense. Like a doomsday prepper, you're ready to go underground and return to the surface once all the havoc dies down.
But is there an alternative? I'm suggesting there is. And I'm suggesting that with God's help, it may even be within our grasp.
If God can do more than we can ask or imagine, why don't we imagine some pretty big things, and ask him for that?
If God powerfully works within us for His own Glory, why don't we ask Him to do that in some particular ways?
Then, once we've asked Him for it, take up the tools He has given us, in the places He has providentially placed us, and get to work on the mission!
Time is the thing that may trouble us, the change may not happen overnight. But it may be that labouring in this field will bring in a massive harvest before you realise it. God can change everything in a instant, but ordinarily he uses ordinary means over time to accomplish His plans.
I'm thinking of some pretty big Gospel dreams right now. I'm going to ask God for them. Would you join me in asking the LORD for these things? And then abundantly more?
"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it." (Jn 14:12–14).
More than You can Imagine
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Eph 3:20–21.
We are small minded.
Most of us anyway. There are still some wonderful few who are naturally very optimistic and big thinkers! Unfortunately our consumeristic view of church means that often we filter into Christian settings where we feel most comfortable, meaning all the optimistic inspiring people end up over there, and all the serious focused people end up over there. I'm generalising of course, but I'm sure you know what it's like; churches can attract people of a certain personality type.
Yes, we're getting a little off topic, so let's head toward the point with a little more pointedness.
Unless we are naturally optimistic blue-sky thinkers, we may need to work at thinking bigger.
We tend to think on the scales that we normally work in, like if you're a teacher you're thinking class size. If you're a machine operator you're thinking of millions of cubic meters of material. If you're a CEO of a multinational, you're thinking in terms of international markets.
We Christians serve a God who not only made the entirety of the universe, but sustains it on a moment by moment basis. On top of that, He is saving that world from dire straits by working in history across the scope of time.
The scale God is working on is bigger than we can fathom.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Is 55:9).
He's on a whole other level.
He doesn't tell you every play He's running. He doesn't clue us in on each plan or strategy, but He has revealed the big picture of His plan to reclaim the nations, and He has called us to take part!
God has given us some pretty specific mission objectives, and because He is running the operation, we can get stuck into it with everything we've got. God's covering our rear while we head into the thick of it powered by His Spirit.
Like many of us, I need to be reminded not to fall into a defensive mindset. I naturally find myself keeping my head down and decorating a fox-hole. It's comfortable there. It doesn't take much imagination or effort just to twiddle my thumbs and stay out of trouble. With this attitude we pull away from the mission, we don't want to make waves, we don't want to offend anybody.
We're like cricketers who won't take their bats out onto the field because some of the hits won't score runs. And in case that metaphor is not clear enough - You gotta be in it to win it! Risk it to get the biscuit! Not every swing will score runs, but to get anything on the board you need to be out there swinging!
The world is drumming into us that Christ is irrelevant, churches are shrinking, Christian ethics are "unhealthy" and "abusive" and other such nonsense. It's enemy propaganda! Look beneath the messaging and you will find a lost world crying out for a saviour.
We can see the enormity of the task. It's overwhelming! There are so many souls that need saving. There is not enough of us, we don't have the physical resources, we don't have the time...
But we do have a God who has more than enough of all those resources! And the intention to accomplish His mission!
We have a God for whom the challenges we face are insignificant.
We have a God who invites us to ask for anything in Christ's name.
We have a God who is ripening a harvest for us to bring in.
--
Our society is withering, in large part because it is increasingly abandoning Christ as the central part of what holds it all together. The outlook can look hopeless to us, because we see the trajectory, and think that we don't have the opportunity or power to restore the core. And that may be true today, but does it need to be true tomorrow?
Christ has sent us on a mission to disciple the nations (Mat 28:18–20), He has given us the tools to do the job (e.g. Eph 6:10–20), the resources to do it (Eph 3:14–19), and told us to call on Him to make stuff happen (Jn 14:12–14).
There is a cliché saying that goes something like "You can accomplish less in a day than you think you can, and more in a year than you think you can." It may not all change tomorrow. But remember, Rome was a pagan empire, until it wasn't. Europe was a pagan mess, until the Gospel arrived. The Church was deceived until Reformation. You were outside God's Kingdom until He brought you in. We have had Christian societies before, and God willing we will have them again!
God is in the business of rescuing people. God is in the business of changing people. And our town, state and nation are not beyond His power.
But, if I could guess, I reckon you would likely not have a very positive outlook for your town, or your community. The winds of culture are very cold right now. Perhaps you're ready to batten down the hatches and recede from all the nonsense. Like a doomsday prepper, you're ready to go underground and return to the surface once all the havoc dies down.
But is there an alternative? I'm suggesting there is. And I'm suggesting that with God's help, it may even be within our grasp.
If God can do more than we can ask or imagine, why don't we imagine some pretty big things, and ask him for that?
If God powerfully works within us for His own Glory, why don't we ask Him to do that in some particular ways?
Then, once we've asked Him for it, take up the tools He has given us, in the places He has providentially placed us, and get to work on the mission!
Time is the thing that may trouble us, the change may not happen overnight. But it may be that labouring in this field will bring in a massive harvest before you realise it. God can change everything in a instant, but ordinarily he uses ordinary means over time to accomplish His plans.
I'm thinking of some pretty big Gospel dreams right now. I'm going to ask God for them. Would you join me in asking the LORD for these things? And then abundantly more?
"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it." (Jn 14:12–14).
Samuel Lindsay