Be Now My Vision

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Well, the title of our study today, Be Now My Vision. Be Now My Vision. And I'd like you to open your Bibles once again. Let's turn to Ephesians chapter 3 verses 20 through 21. Ephesians 3 verses 20 through 21. As our study will now turn our focus onto these two foundational scriptures on this wonderful day of Pentecost. The day in which God established his church, we know.

And as God's church, it's important for us to look. And it's important for us to take an account today. We want to look and to take an account of where we've been.

Look and take an account of where we are today. And perhaps, most importantly, in our primary focus today, to look and take an account of where we are going. Because I believe that we must acknowledge that we are at a strategic junction. And that at this time in God's church.

And you might say, well, you know, we're always at a strategic junction. And that's true, of course. But I will say this that we face today, these things that we face in the 21st century, I suggest to you are some of the most unique and some of the most challenging in all of church history. From biblical illiteracy on a large scale, to the accessibility of evil temptations, to an aversion to commitment, to sexual and gender confusion, to distrust of authority. You know, and you could just, the list goes on and on. Therefore, I think it's fundamentally important that we look at the future as we do face these unique and differing and unknown factors in accomplishing God's work today. Simply, our vision must be turned to God. And as we look on from this day, I believe one of our major themes is, and a major song that we sing, is, Be Now My Vision. Be now my vision, O Lord of my heart. And again, having our eyes focused on to God in His glory is critical because as we come to the proclaiming of the gospel, as we talk about pursuing different missions, as we build buildings, we must take all those plans and all those strategies and we must place them in a proper vision for the future. So again, on this great day of Pentecost, I want to touch into some areas that are vital for us as we move forward as a church. And I propose that these verses that we come to today, they actually will give us the foundational element to which the church can set their vision, prepare for the return of the King and His kingdom. So now to these verses. Ephesians 3 verses 20 and 21. Paul writes, 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 Jesus Christ to all generations forever and ever. Amen. So let's stop there. Again, I believe it's within these two verses that Paul provides to us the vision. The vision in which to transform our church, in which to direct our steps in the future. And so I want to give us today on this great day, three aspects for us to consider. Three aspects of where our vision must be focused. We're going to get right to it. First aspect. First aspect, number one, is simply to Him. That's number one. To Him. The focus of our vision must be to Him. And you'll see those words there at the beginning of verse 20. To Him, now to Him. And then verse 21, To Him be glory. So first and foremost, Paul takes the people of God here and he reminds them that in our vision, it's always God first. To Him. And it's a reminder of the absolute necessity that in our Christian experience that first and foremost it is to be God-centered. So I want to pause for just a moment and at this first aspect of our vision. And I want to pause here at the To Him. And I want to ask, well, who is the Him? Who is the Him to which our vision is to be focused? Well, Paul was confronted with many things, but on a different occasion he was confronted with that very question. And he was confronted by the intelligentsia of Athens. And we actually find an encounter in Acts 17 that I want to turn to. So if you'll keep your marker here in Ephesians. But let's turn to Acts chapter 17. We'll come right back, but I want to explore this question of the identity of the Him. So we can set our focus. Acts 17, and let's look at verses 22 through 25.

Acts 17 verses 22 through 25. We find here that Paul has gone into the city of Athens, and he's waiting for his friends to come. And he's looked around, and he's realized that he's in an area of men and women who are very religious. And so, just as it so happened, they invited Paul to come and give him a talk. And so Paul takes this opportunity to speak about him. Let's see this.

Acts 17 beginning in verse 22. Then Paul stood in the midst of the Ariacabus, Ariapagus, got it, and said, men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious. For as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription to the unknown God. Therefore, the one whom you worship without knowing him, I proclaim to you, God, who made the world and everything in it, since he is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is he worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, since he gives to all life, breath, and all things.

So let's stop there. So I can see you're a very religious group of people. Obviously, you're interested in God, he says, and I can see you have a number of gods in your pantheon. And I was intrigued, he says, that you know, I can see that you're trying to cover all your bases because you've actually had a statue to the unknown God, you know, just in case you missed one.

Now he says, what I'd like to do is tell you about the God to whom you do not know. I'd like to tell you about the unknown God, and how does he begin? Well, there at the end of verse 23, the one whom you worship without knowing him, him, he says, I proclaim to you, God, who made the world and everything in it. And he continues on with his education. And you'll find that Paul does this time and time again, and what he's doing is that he's bringing the focus, the vision, to God.

And we're going to see today, that's where it starts. You got to bring, we have to bring our focus to God. It starts there. In fact, one other example, as he's riding to the Church of Rome, let's turn to Romans 11 verses 34 through 36. Turn there for just a moment. Romans 11 verses 34 through 36, we're going to see another example of Paul teaching regarding the hymn, God, and again, he's directing their vision to him. Paul understands it starts there. Look at this. Romans 11 verses 34 through 36.

Romans 11 beginning in verse 34. Paul says, for who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has become his counselor, or who has given to him, and it shall be repaid to him, or who has first given to him, and it shall be repaid to him. Verse 36. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. So Paul says, let me ask you a few questions here. Before we go any further, let me ask you, who's known the mind of the Lord, he says, or who's given God lessons, and who is his counselor?

Answer, no one, of course, because no one could. No one is wiser. No one is more powerful than God. He is God. Verse 35 again, who has given to God who could say, you owe me? Yeah, no, no one. God doesn't borrow from anyone.

He is God. So when Paul says to him, he's not speaking of it in a way in which some of the contemporary notions of spirituality often do. We find this today. Paul is speaking very clear in these passages. The hymn is God who does not dwell in the temples made with hands. I encounter this, especially with the younger generations. Some of the spiritual notions today seem to suggest that in one way or another, God is dependent upon the created universe. Somehow or another, God is contained in nature.

Today, in many ways, nature is divine, you know. And the conclusion goes like this. Since man is part of creation, we are part of nature. Therefore, somehow or another, man has included himself in on the divinity. So the contemporary idea of God is if you want to meet God, just simply look deep within yourself. But when Paul speaks about God, he's not talking about something that we naturally have as part of our physical existence. You know, in reality, we know nothing of God. Even by ourselves, we know nothing of God because God does not dwell in temples made with hands.

God is outside of time. God is outside of creation. Therefore, we cannot confuse him with creation.

And there is, in fact, an invisible gulf between man and God. We are unable to cross this gulf. We are unable to know God of and by ourselves again. We cannot engage him in our own way and in our own time. Rather, if we are to know him, he must cross the gulf to us. And he's done that, thankfully, through his son, Jesus Christ. And that truth is at the epicenter of the Christian story, where God has, through Christ, reconciled himself to the world.

So, in turning back to Ephesians 3, and as we think about setting our vision to him, to God, we understand that as a church, we cannot expect for God to provide for us unless we express this desire by setting our focus onto him first and entirely. So, as we look to the future, it's vitally important that our vision is solely upon God and solely upon his glory. That's where our vision begins. Again, this is what we sing. I was tempted to sing to you. I'm not going to do it. I've caught myself twice now. Be now my vision, O God of my heart! Nothing surpasses the love you impart. You, my best thought, by day and by night, waking or sleeping your presence, my light. So, again, as we look to the future, as we talk about buildings, as we talk about structure, as we talk about finances, we talk about plans, as we talk about procedures, all of that is right and proper. But we need to get hold of this first fundamental fact here, that unless our eyes are consumed on God first, the sum total of all that will put forth will leave us nowhere, nowhere in the outworkings of his purposes. None of this can be produced on human ingenuity. It has to be carried along by divine initiative. To him, to him, it's simple yet profound. The Church must focus on him in the 21st century. That's what our gatherings are all about.

So, that's number one. The number one aspect is set our vision to him. We'll continue in here in Ephesians 3 verse 20. We want to come to our second aspect today in setting our vision. Ephesians 3 verse 20. Our second aspect in setting our vision, number two, is to his power. That's number two. We set our vision, number two, to his power. So, first to him, second to his power.

And Paul follows here and establishes the fact that God's Church is powered by the to him. That's all here in verse 20. Look at this. Verse 20. 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? Let's stop there. That's quite a phrase here. It's quite a verse. According to the power that is in work in us. What is this power? Well, the word here is, we actually, we derive our English word energy. It's dunamis, dynamite. God's energizing the people of his people.

The source is of God. It's course. It's through our lives. And it's a force. And it is a force. What a force it is. And we see its power all throughout Scripture. So I want to take a moment to give you an idea, just a small inkling, of the immensity of this power that is at work in God's people, powering God's people, energizing God's people. Let's just take a moment here. Let's turn back just a few chapters, staying here in Ephesians. Ephesians 1, verse 19 and 20. Just turn back a few chapters, if you will. Ephesians 1, verses 19 and 20. Paul is praying here for God's people. He's praying that their eyes and hearts be enlightened. Look what he says here in beginning in verse 19. And we're going to read. We're going to actually read through verse 21 here. But beginning here, he begins to begin to let us know what power, the immensity of it here. Verse 19, Ephesians 1. What is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe? That's God's people. According to the working of his mighty power. So this is the mighty power of God at work in us, his church. Now don't miss this. Continuing here at the end of verse 19 and on. Mighty power, verse 20. Mighty power which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right hand of heavenly places. In the heavenly places. Verse 21. Far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also that which is to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church which is his body, the fullness of him who feels all and all. So let's stop there. The strength of his power. Paul says that it is the power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. It's the power that raised him from the dead and exalted him to the right hand of God, it says there. And there in verse 22, this power raised him and had the the immensity of it. It raised him above everything in this age and the age to come. So don't miss this fact. And did you notice verse 21, the power? It's a power that raised Jesus Christ above all principality, all power, all might, and all dominion. Okay. So this power made available to his church, you and I, verse 20, raised Jesus Christ from the dead far above. Verse 21, all principality, power, might, and dominion. In other words, it raised him above all evil power, all evil dominion, all power. And I begin to think about this, the immensity of this. What are the two powers that man on his own cannot control? What are the biggest two powers that man cannot of his own control?

Well, there's the power of death and the power of evil.

Man has, of and by themselves, can't control either one of those. We have no answer to death. Man, of and by themselves, can't control their tongue, their mind, their actions, their destiny. You see? But in Christ, his power, there is transformation. There is immensity of revolution here, the strength of his power. And it's available to you and I. And I'm leading somewhere with this in just a moment.

So I started to think, well, where in the Bible have we seen this power at work in the greatest ways? And boy, so many examples, of course, arise. One of my most favorite, of course, perhaps this has entered your mind. Some of the greatest examples of this strength, I propose, maybe, and we won't turn there, but 1 Samuel 17. Again, you can read it later. Of course, you know this story. 1 Samuel 17, the story of David and Goliath. Read it to your children again. Maybe that's a good exercise here on this great day of Pentecost. Goliath the giant, chiding the armies of God. And then eventually this young shepherd boy arrives, ready and complexion, handsome, young. I'll fight him, he says. Saul says, fine, but let me get this armor on you. He gets all dressed up. Now, this isn't gonna work. Saul, what are you gonna do? I'm gonna take five stones, David says. And he goes out against this giant, a giant whose armor alone weighed 125 pounds, the tip of his spear 15 pounds. Comes out a small boy with five stones. Goliath says to him, you're coming out here like a dog with a stick? And David says, oh, no, it's not me. It's the Lord Almighty. It's the Lord Almighty who will deliver you into my hand, and I'm gonna cut off your head. That's big talk from a small guy.

I'm not sure if he was that small. He was probably bigger than me. What's the X Factor here? What is all that about? What's the X Factor in David? Number one, his vision fixed on him, God. Number two, his vision fixed on his power, God's power, according to his power that was work in David. This is what I'm leading to. David was not thinking small, was he? He wasn't thinking small. David was thinking big.

I want to ask this today. What about you? Are you thinking small today? What are you thinking small about? We can't think small. We can't. Bring your projects, bring your difficulties, bring that which confounds you, bring your disabilities, your handicaps, bring them before the Almighty God, place it under him and his power. That's where our vision needs to be individually. Let me ask you also, what limitations have you built up in your mind about the church?

I wonder if you've been thinking small with regards to the impact the church is to make in today's society. Are you thinking small with all that we need to accomplish here on earth?

I'm going to propose to you today to begin to expand your thinking. In fact, let me point your eyes up here once again to Ephesians 3 verse 20. Turning forward again to Ephesians 3 verse 20.

Look at this verse again. How can you think small when you have this verse? Ephesians 3 verse 20. 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. So you see what Paul's saying here. Paul does this very often. He just begins to appow language on language, words on words, superlatives on superlatives, and he wants to make a point. So, God is able to do what we ask. That's not all. God is able to do what we ask or think.

That's not all that we ask or think. That's not all. God is able to do abundantly above What we ask or think. That's not all. He's able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or even think. That this is our God. This is His power. And it's available to us, and that's our encouragement. So when it comes to God, ask Him for big things. You know, when you think about Paul, writing to the Ephesians here. You know, Paul, we can look and see what he asked for. It's one aspect about Paul. He always thought big. He always thought big. Allow your eyes just to go up a few verses here. Ephesians 3. Staying here in Ephesians 3. Look at verses 14 through 19. Look what Paul asked God regarding God's church at that time, the Ephesian church. Is this your prayer for the church today? Ephesians 3. Let's look at verses 14 through 19.

Ephesians 3 verse 14. For this reason, Paul says, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 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, length, and depth, and height, to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge that you may be filled with the fullness of God. That's big thinking. That's a big prayer, that the Ephesian men and women, God's people at that time, would be filled with the fullness of God. And if you think about it, the Ephesian young called believers, they were just such a angry group in many ways, a miserable group. Many were wretched, horribly disengaged with one another. And Paul now says, fill them with all the fullness of God. God, will you fill them with all the fullness, please? He says, how could Paul pray such a prayer? He knows to whom he is praying, and he knows the power that is available through him, to himself. And so he's able to pray that which is exceedingly, that which is abundantly, that which is above all that we ask or even think. Stretch your mind. Stretch your mind here. Do you know this power in your life? Are you praying for it? Is your vision big enough for this? It's got to be all that we're facing here in the 21st century. We got to think bigger, bigger. Do you know God's power unleashed in your life, if you belong to him? Delight yourselves also for the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. For your notes, that's Psalm 37 verse 4. Psalm 37 verse 4. I wonder if that Psalm works. Delight yourselves also in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Does that work? Yes, it does work, but we have to learn that what that first part means, I think. You know, it's not just ask for anything and get it. Rather, it's delight yourself in the Lord. This is seek God, seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you. You see, to him comes first in the equation. Once you turn your vision onto him, then the power follows, and you can be confident the power is going to follow. Father, I'm turning my vision onto you. Pray, then pray big. What do you want to pray for that's big? Once you turn your vision onto him, and delighting him, and seeking his kingdom first. How big are your prayers for yourself individually? In your work that you're doing for God? In the accomplishments you want to make? In the sins you want to overcome? How big are your prayers for the church? Start with praying to God, who you acknowledge can do far abundantly more than we can even imagine. I hope you get that. I find myself convicted by these scriptures. I limit God and his power in my mind. I'm small in my prayers sometimes. But we all should take this phrase here in verse 20 and just write it down and meditate on it. You know, I feel whenever anxiety comes on me, and just I feel depressed or anxiety-filled or fear. The real, the way to overcome that is this, what Paul is teaching us. Whenever I feel that, I got to first thing I do is remind myself, who is God? Who is God? And that sets my vision, okay? I know who God is. What is his promise? He's promised me this power to overcome anything I could ever imagine. And what I find is when I when I feel that and I reset my vision, oh, that that anxiety, that fear, it just begins to go away from me. Because I'm resetting my mind to these things.

Write this phrase down. Think of it. Apply it to things in your life which it needs to be applied to, exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ever ask or think. In other words, this phrase removes us from the fear of expecting too much from God. The amplified version of New Testament says, God is able to do infinitely beyond our highest prayers, our highest thoughts, desires, hopes, and dreams. So with this is our vision, what impact can God's church make today? Well, if you think of Paul and the impact he was thinking. Paul's a great example. He was thinking big. He's now here coming to Ephesians. For your notes, we won't have time to turn there, but Acts 19. If you look at Acts 19, you realize where Paul was as he enters into the city of Ephesus, the Ephesians. There in Acts 19, Paul enters into the city and it was this commercial and political. It was the commercial, political, and religious center of the world at that time. Paul walks into the hub of the vital part of the world and they were all embedded there in Ephesus with this worship to the pagan gods and to sorcery even. And he goes into this city. They were intellectuals. They were intelligent. They were bright. They were the high degree of civilization. Excellent society. Cultural influence throughout all the area, but all consumed with the worship of Diana, this false god where all their shrines were dedicated, preoccupied with witchcraft and sorcery. And I think about when I think about the church today, church growth strategy would tell us you don't go into Ephesus. They're not ready. They're not culturally ready for the gospel. You don't go there. Well, God's spirit led Paul there, of course. And what happened? He goes into this godless city and establishes one of the strongest church fellowships in the whole first century.

Strongest church fellowship ever recorded. How did he do it? How did he do it? Was it his power? No, of course. God's power. And as we look forward as a church and reaching into our culture today and all the challenges, they just seem overwhelming. There's not going to be any change here, we can say to ourselves, but I suggest to you that it is an awesome and overwhelming factor to think of what I believe the speed and the movement of the church is going to be going through here in just a very short period of time. The speed and the movement of what the church faces at this time in history is incredible. And we need to be a church that is ready for it, ready for it, and not by ourselves. We're not going to be. So this is why we set our vision. To him, it's his power. We need to place our vision onto his power for all that needs to be accomplished. I'm ready to finish this thing out. I am ready to finish this whole thing out. Let's finish God's plan of salvation for mankind. Jesus Christ's return, please, you know. And I know that begins with me. If each of us are looking to ourselves, that's where it begins. Because I know, first and foremost, the prayers of an effective, of a righteous man, the prayers of a righteous woman, are very effective. And I want to be an instrument in which God can use. I don't want to clutter it up with all this junk, you know, all this sinful junk that I've been keeping around and I can't overcome, which will limit God and what he can do. I want to pray to God. I don't want to limit you in the amount of work that you may do through me, you know. And then I pray, and God, if there's anything that's produced good through me, I want you to have all the glory. If there's any pride that kind of gets mixed up in there, ugh, get rid of it. I don't want any of that pride because I know it's you. All I have to do is think back to a time, and you do too, where we were so unworthy, and God called us. And I think back, okay, all this is from God.

This is our vision. I hope you're ready.

Well, finally, to comment on our third and final aspect today, as we begin a conclusion here. Our future, then, as we think about it, needs to be viewed in light of how Paul concludes here in verse 21. He shows us the fact of God's glory here from generation to generation throughout all of eternity. So, number three in setting our vision. Number three is to His glory. So, our vision needs to be to His glory. So, to Him, to His power. And now, number three, to His glory. You see again that here in verse 21. To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. So, God's glory is to continue throughout all generations. So, we need to understand that the church has a vital part in accomplishing this. Because you'll notice it says, to Him be glory. Notice, in the church. So, the church is to be the sum and substance of all that God is doing in the world. That's where the glory can be found. Here in Knoxville, this small little group. Small little group. This is where God's glory is to be found. The church is the sum and substance of all that God is doing in the world. If you want to know what God is doing, men and women should be able to look at God's church. And it's been His purpose throughout all of eternity to create people of His own, to call them, to refine them, and to place His Spirit in them. And then He wants to bring them all together. So, they get them together, have this, do this wonderful work. There's a power there. One body.

And this is where His glory is to be revealed. What does that mean? Well, it means God's character, His attributes are to be displayed in the church, in God's people. So that when men and women encounter God's people and they look upon our gatherings, they're able to see, for example, God's love. They're able to see His faithfulness, His compassion, His goodness, His forgiveness, and so on. So, they're able to come and gather with us and observe us, and they're able to meet those things, meet God's character here at church, where they'll come in and say, you know, I felt love here. I just, I came in, and there was just something, something different about these people. There's a love here. And then I felt a compassion when I, when I talked, they wanted to find out about me. And I felt, I felt a compassionate spirit about these people. They listened. They cared. That's what, that's what the watching world is supposed to say. They're supposed to see God's glory manifested in His people. And you know, they're not all the same. They come from all different walks and ways, but there's a harmony about them. That's what happened in Ephesus, was just that thing. Jew and Gentile hated each other. The Jews regarded the Gentiles as dogs. You know, if you were a Gentile, you were not going into a Jewish home. That's for sure. And so, as they encountered the fellowship there of God's people, they would have said, what is going on in this place? I went to one of their community gatherings, and they were Jews and there were Gentiles, and they were sitting around, and they were all singing with each other. What's that about? And they were breaking bread with each other, and they were conversing, and it all had to do with this Messiah that they kept speaking about, you know. How could that ever happen? It's impossible. How does it happen? Well, it happens because he and his power is able to do abundantly more than we could ever imagine, and his glory is displayed in the church throughout all generations, forever and ever. We as God's people, we've seen his glory, we received his calling, we've encountered the reality, we've been transformed by it. So here at the end of verse 21, we say, as they said, as Paul said, amen. In other words, count me in on that. I want to be a part of that. Amen. It's wonderful. So when this passage of Paul takes a hold of a community of God's people, takes a hold of a congregation, it'll confound the watching world, and they will say, how is it possible? We'll respond because of him, his power, and therefore it's his glory.

I've arranged that as we close here, that we will sing that song, Be Now My Vision. I want it to, as we sing it, I want you just to think about those here as we sing together as a small group. And we're now on this wonderful day of Pentecost, and we're singing united to God. And then I want you to expand your thoughts and your mind, and think about the multitudes today. We've been singing out to God on this wonderful day of Pentecost, all of God's people. Let's really allow this to be a true reality in our experience on this great day. Be Now My Vision.

Be Now My Vision.