Be Now My Vision

Good to see everyone. Thank you so much to to Gary and Liz. Uh, my family and I are just so filled with joy and happiness today to be here to observe the foundation, um, that the Smiths have built. It's a remarkable thing.

It's inspiring. So we certainly give them honor in that way. And I know there's more to come as we will be celebrating them come mid December. But so nice to see all of you. It is almost like a reunion in many ways. I thought I would just spend a little brief time. Not not a lot. Uh, just to share a little bit about myself and my family. By the way, that was a wonderful opening sermon at, um, I love the way the imagery was used. So I really, I really appreciate that. Well, we are here. It has been a whirlwind and but we're so happy to be here. I guess we'll start off by giving you my information. If you wanted to make sure you had that as far as my phone number address and maybe email. What else do we want to give my social security number? Um, whatever you need. I'm here to give you. Uh, my phone number is area code 469 4529501. I'll repeat that area code 469 4529501. I am open and available for phone calls for text. Um, whatever you see fit. And then my email address is the standard email address for United Church of God. J J. A.

Y underscore lead better. So J. Y underscore lead better at you. C. G. Dot org. You can email me any time. Now we did. We were trying to purchase when we came. That didn't work out too well with the market as it is. Some of you are familiar with that. But we did rent as Gary mentioned, we're in the conrow area. Um, our address, if I can remember it is 43 North Mary weather. Is that right, honey? 43 North Mary weather M E R R Y W E A T H E R Mary weather circle.

And that's conro and I have no idea what the zip code is.

3 7 7 3 8 4 7 7 3 8 4. Um, so I just wanted to make that available to you right off the bat. Um, we are open for getting together. We hope to extend invitations for you to come to our house. We, um, look forward to accepting invitations to come to where you are, whether it's your homes or whether it's your favorite coffee shop, whatever it may be. We are open for that. Um, so it is a little bit like a family reunion. Just so you know, don't worry about me and the heat that's gonna come this summer. I was actually born in Houston. Okay, so I have the blood for it. Uh, in fact, a mosquito bit me this week and then he gave me the thumbs up. Uh, he recognized I was a native of the area. I was like, I appreciate that and gave him a little thumbs up back. Uh, I was born in the I had to get some of this from my my older sister. Um, the memorial, I think Memorial Hospital near Katie and we lived on Cardinal Lane. Uh, there in that area, the memorial area. Uh, I remember having we had weddings, church weddings out there. We had a donkey named Tina. Uh, we had a calf for a little bit named Bell. Uh, that's truthfully we did and I don't know how it was in a neighborhood. I guess they didn't have restrictions like they have today. So I remember weddings and just having brethren over. Um, back then, I don't know if this was the 70.

So I spent most of my preteen years here in Houston. I guess it was in the south location, I'm told. Um, but of course the church was much bigger back then. But I remember laying on a pallet, you know, there for church and just wonderful memories. I think it was about 82 1982 that we moved to Round Rock. Um, and then, uh, spent my teenage years there in Round Rock and then met Jennifer, my wife, um, in the early twenties and then we moved to Dallas, lived in Dallas until, um, the church hired us on and then they shipped us to Knoxville, Tennessee. And then we've been in Knoxville for the past seven, eight years, somewhere around there. Uh, so we're back at full circle. Um, so when Mr Myers called and gave us, you know, talked to us about that, I was like, Oh, yeah, absolutely. We're coming home. You don't have to ask twice. So so it'll be easy to adjust my sports teams and all of that. Um, so wonderful to be here. Let's see. My name is J. Uh, my wife, Jennifer is here. Um, uh, she works full time from home. We have a plan to move her maybe into part time.

So she's not able to join me as much as possible during the week for visiting.

But we're working on that. Uh, my daughter Kate is here. We have her for about eight or nine more months and then life may take her north. Uh, I won't talk about that. It's a good thing. Uh, but she is possibly going to be moving on to the next stage in life and getting married. Um, and then my son Grayson is here as well. He lives in Dallas and he's gonna be going to college there in Dallas. But we're gonna try to get him to visit as much as possible. Mhm. So that is a little bit about our history. Um, yeah, and so many of you remember me when I was just a little tyke. Um, let's see the Beamer's were dear friends of my my parents. Uh, more to come just as the memories come back to me. Um, my dad was a local elder, um, here in the congregation and, um, most of my memory though kind of comes to me when we were in Round Rock when I was a little bit older. But, um, so full, full circle. And again, we're just filled with joy and happiness and so excited Thio, uh, to grow in our love and for one another here and see what God has in store. So more to come on that.

Well, uh, I have about four cups of coffee in me, so I'm ready to go if you're ready to go. By the way, the coffee was really good today, so I appreciate that. That's a must with any congregation. I don't know if I should open the presence now or wait for that. Okay. All right. Well, it's not moving, is it? No, it's not gonna crawl up my leg during the sermon or anything.

Be prepared for that. Uh, well, it's been a wonderful start to the sabbath today. So let's endeavor to keep it going for the sermon today. The title is Be Now My Vision. Be Now My Vision. And if you have your Bibles, let's open them together to Ephesians chapter three. We're gonna read just two verses to begin our study today. Those are verses 20 and 21.

Ephesians three versus 20 and 21 here and at no risk of overstating it.

We're gonna come today to two of the most powerful scriptures in all the Bible. Two scriptures crucial to God's church to grab a hold of as each year God's church, God's people must evaluate where we've been, where we are currently and of course where we are going.

And I think along with all of you, we can acknowledge today that we live at a strategic juncture in God's church in history, strategic juncture. And you may say, well, isn't every era of God's church been a strategic juncture? And that is true. But I think what we're witnessing today as we look at the world as God's people, I think we can readily acknowledge that this this is something different. The things in which the church faces in the 21st century, I want to suggest to you are some of the most unique and challenging in church history from biblical illiteracy to accessibility to all sorts of evil to aversion to commitment to gender and sexual confusion to distrust of authority to the breakdown of absolute truths. You know, and the list goes on and on, seemingly never ending. So therefore it's fundamentally important that we know how to face these differing and and unique challenges that we do as God's church and to calibrate our vision to what is most essential.

And so we want to look forward from this day and to have our song be be now my vision, O Lord of my heart.

We're gonna sing that song. I arranged it as such to have that to be our our song at the conclusion of services today. But we want to today have our eyes tuned and turned on to that, which is most important. And that's God and his power in his glory. And so when we look forward and we think about all the strategies, all of the planning, all of the different missions, we must have the proper vision in order for us to achieve those things.

And so these two scriptures will give us the foundation for those elements.

That's our hope and that's our prayer today. So here they are. Ephesians three verse 20 and 21. Paul, the Apostle Paul speaks these words to the the church in Ephesus Ephesians three verse 20. Paul says 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. Let's stop there. Powerful two scriptures, aren't they? And again, I believe that within these two scriptures is provides us the vision that we need to go forward. And so we're gonna glean three aspects from these two verses today to consider. First aspect.

Number one, number one is simply we are to set our vision on to number one on to him. That's number one. Set our vision on to him, to him upon him. We find those words here there in verse 20 again to him now to him and then verse 21 again to him be glory. So first and foremost for God's people, we must be a people that are God first. God first in our Christian experience. We are to be God centered. So let's pause and make sure we get this. Let's answer this question or let's consider this this hymn. Who is the hymn that Paul speaks of here? Well, Paul, if you know his writings, of course, has taken on answering that question all throughout his letters. There was one interesting moment in which he was confronted with answering who he is and he found himself in Athens and he found himself confronted by the intelligentsia of that time. It's that moment is found in Acts 17. So if you want to keep your marker here, let's turn over to Acts 17 for just a moment. Keep your marker here in Ephesians. We're gonna explore this question and we want to define the hymn that we are to set our vision upon and here in Acts 17 verses 22 through 25, we find Paul here entering into the city. Acts 17 verse 22 through 25 and as he enters into the city, he's waiting for his friends to come and he looks around and it's a remarkable area because he sees men and women at this time at that area were seemingly very religious and they invited him to talk and he took the opportunity to speak about him. Him. Let's see this. Acts 17 beginning in verse 22.

Here's the recording of that moment. Acts 17 verse 22. Then Paul stood in the midst of the area area but Gus 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, I'm sure he took a breath there, therefore the one whom you worship without knowing him I proclaim to you. God, God he says who made the world and everything in it since he is Lord of heaven and earth he does not dwell in temples made with hands nor is he worshipped with men's hands as though he needed anything since he gives to all life, breath and all things. So let's stop there. You know in just a matter of a few words Paul endeavored to begin to reveal to those men and women there him, the to him.

They were looking to worship and he goes well let me tell you about the one who you seek to worship and I can almost see Paul pausing and saying I don't even know if I could put this into words. words help me help me father you know the him guys he's higher than this he's not contained in what you've created here with your hands he's not contained in this created thing he says and I and I appreciate now I'm adding a little bit here to Paul's words I appreciate that you're trying to cover all your bases and even have a statue an altar to the unknown God but let me tell you about that God about him that you're seeking the unknown God he he gives to all life he says he gives to all breath in fact all things Paul says he gives all things I want to tell you about this about him this unknown God and I want to proclaim him to you God who made the world and everything in it so you know words fail us to capture just what is the grandeur when we're tasked to describe him the one to whom we set our vision upon there's another moment which I think Paul really begins to get to the very essence of him in his description I'd like to turn you over there for just a few moments it's found in this moment is found in Romans 11 verses 34 through 36 let's turn over there for a moment if you will here in Romans 11 verse 34 through 36 Paul is going to speak again about him about God and he's once again grasping for the language to describe it and wow does he really get to the essence here so Romans 11 beginning in verse 34 speaking of him speaking of God Paul says this to that group then listen to his words Paul says for who has known the mind of the Lord or who has become his counselor or who has first given to him and it shall be repaid to him and here it is verse 36 for of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever Amen he says there so when we're considering this first aspect the to him as we look to set our visions to properly get our vision aligned for our strategies our plans our missions all that we have planned as we look out into the future Paul is helping us here get our get our eyes set here who has known the mind of the Lord he says who gave God counsel or who gave God lessons because no one is wiser no one could offer any advice to God right offer any advice to him why well he's God who could ever say to God you owe me you know no one God finances his own projects if you will he didn't borrow from anyone and so they're back in Ephesians when Paul speaks about the him now to him we're beginning to see what all is wrapped up all that was wrapped up in Paul's mind that he wanted to put forth to God's people you can't contain him in any way no you know in the world so many of them have it wrong every time I turn on the news it seems in one way or another they put forth the idea that other things are divine nature for example nature is divine and many and many people's perception then since man is part of creation then they conclude that man is divine and man is part of divinity and so therefore you have the contemporary idea that people can look within themselves to find truth people can look within themselves to find God that's the contemporary notion that you hear so Paul is pushing back on that he's like oh no you got to look outward you got to look outward to him to him and he's outside of time he's outside of creation and by the way the only way that you can look outward and see him is if he he has crossed the boundary in time and has extended the invitation to you he must cross the boundary to us and he's done so the father has done so through the Sun this is our story this is the Christian story bringing us back to his father Jesus Christ brings us back to his father and one day we'll reconcile the world to himself and so in turning back to Ephesians 3 let's turn back there now we're beginning to just barely begin to understand what Paul is putting forth and setting our vision now to him our focus on to him and so in a moment at the conclusion of services today we're going to sing these words be now my vision Oh God of my heart nothing surpasses the love you in part you my best thought by day and by night waking or sleeping your presence my light beautiful words and this speaks to him our vision is first and foremost supposed to be to him so again in the in the months to come we are going to talk about various plans purposes but we're first going to get a hold of the fundamental fact that all of the outworking of those things they will not produce anything of significance solely based on our engine ingenuity if you will rather they will only have their significance if our eyes are upon him upon the father and his son Jesus Christ so that's number one setting our vision on to him continuing here in Ephesians 3 let's consider the second aspect that we want to set our vision upon so number two aspect in setting our vision number two is to his power okay that's number two to his power so if number one was setting our vision on to him a second aspect to glean from these scriptures is to set our vision on to his power his power and that's here in verse 20 you'll notice Ephesians 3 verse 20 again 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 now that's a phrase right according to the power his power that works in us in us the the English word here the word here we derive our English word energy dunamis dunamis dynamite if you will this is the power that energizes God's people it's the dynamite that we have access to its source is from God and its course is through us as it said through the called believers it is an absolute force absolute force and Paul once again with his wonderful vocabulary seeks to give the listener and the reader some idea of how to look at this power in some way to kind of begin to grab on to it and he does so at the beginning of this letter to the Ephesian church keep your marker here but let's just turn back a few chapters to Ephesians 1 verses 19 and 20 because it is here that Paul takes on the challenge to describe the power that works through us as we put our vision on to him and his father and look at what Paul says here look at these words I don't think anyone's better and with his vocabulary here so enlightened so Ephesians 1 let's begin in verse 19 here he says what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe God's people according to the working of his mighty power which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right hand 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 the age which is to come verse 22 and he put all things under his feet and would give him to be head over all things to the church which is his body the fullness of him who feels all in all so let's stop there for a moment so what is this power what is this strength that works through us well it's the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead that's a power to reckon with right it's the same power that then exalted Jesus to the right hand of the father that's something this same power has put everything in this age and in the age to come under the feet of Jesus Christ so are we getting this this is the power that's far above all principality power might and dominion and dominion in other words this power that we have available and coursing through us it is the same power that's over all evil all evil power all evil dominion none of it can control this power so what are the what are the enemies of man and woman well death death is an enemy of man evil isn't any of man enemy of man we have no control over any of those oven by ourselves can we control evil can we control oven by ourselves our tongue can we control oven by ourselves our actions our mind can we oven by ourselves control our destiny no death oven by ourselves has a stronghold over us but Paul wants the beloved to know in Christ by his power from the father through Jesus Christ there is life and there is transformation and there's strength this is the power that is on display in all the bible and so as we focus our vision onto him we can't not reflect upon grab a hold of embody the power that we have access to and part of the part of the purpose of scripture is to let us know and to give examples of this incredible power of course it's on display in all the bible but you might think about David and Goliath we won't turn there I think David and Goliath was mentioned in a a previous message recently in a trivia question that didn't quite yeah okay we won't talk about that what was it who okay no I just I find you know if you're a parent reread that story to your little ones Goliath the giant chiding the very armies of God eventually a little shepherd boy arrives ruddy in complexion handsome young but small small they try to put armor on him you know if you're gonna go out there you got to put this armor on he shakes it off came off very easily because it wouldn't fit on his small frame you know what are you gonna do I'm gonna go out how are you gonna do that well I have this notion to go and get some stones right and I have this slingshot and I'm a pretty good aim you know five small stones I don't know if David weighed much more than Goliath's armor I think they've converted they've converted that weight of Goliath's armor into weighing a hundred over a hundred pounds of and by itself I think the spear tip weighed more than 15 pounds you know and here's this small boy with a few stones you think you're coming out to me like a dog with a stick he said and David was like oh no not me not me the lord god almighty he will deliver you in my hand into my hand and I'm gonna cut off your head you know big talk from a little guy right so what was the x factor what did David have that we need we have that we need to have well he had his focus on to him and he knew and he knew that he knew the power that was available to him and it wasn't going to be by his hand right his vision was on to him god and only in god's power and I and I relate that because all the great heroes in scripture they weren't small in their thinking they were big in their expectations and I want us to be big today so we're going to bring everything to god and we're going to lay it to his feet bring the difficulties bring the challenges bring the fears bring the anxieties to god give him over to him and then ask him put your eyes put your focus on to him and his power don't build up limitations in your mind don't be small in your thinking and if we find ourselves thinking small well I just want to redirect your eyes again here to Ephesians 3 and verse 20 um you know Paul used this technique he had a way of just heaping words upon words almost like superlatives upon superlatives to make a point piled up words on top of each other god is able verse 20 god is able to do what we ask god is able to do what we ask or think that's not all god is able to do all that we ask or think but wait that's not all god is able to do abundantly above all that we ask or think but that's not all there's more he's able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think this is our god this is he who we set our vision upon in his power we have access to this power look at look at what Paul prayed for to for the men and women that god was bringing into his church allow your eyes to go up to verse 14 if you will this is what Paul prayed for I want you in the near future to pray for us these words for our congregation here for our congregation here Paul says verse 14 Ephesians 3 for this reason so this is the reason I bow my knees to the father of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth are named is named verse 16 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 verse 18 get this 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 let's stop there what a prayer how could Paul pray such a big prayer for respectfully a bunch of um rascals if you will they're the men and women of the Ephesus church you know they were kind of a miserable bunch um as we are from time to time but here is Paul looking out upon um these men and women to whom god had extended and gave them their identity and their worth and he pauses and prays that they would know the fullness of him the fullness to understand who he is to know his power the psalmist says delight yourself in the lord and he will give you the desires of your heart you know many in the world they grab on to the second part of that you know he will give you the desires of the heart but what we're talking about today is the first part before the second part delight yourself in the lord first let's do that as a people and then he will give us the desires of our heart because they're going to be in line with his will you see seek first the kingdom of god that's first and all these things will be added unto you that's where we are that's what we're speaking about so what impact can god do with the church today well if you go on and read an axe in the later chapters after that interaction there in the street of chapter 17 if you go on into chapter 19 you see that god that paul is speaking to into the city of ephesus this huge commercial political religious they were the the center of the world at that time ephesus was and they were embedded with such pagan idolatry the the strategists of the time would have said you don't go into ephesus paul that's ridiculous what are you doing you can't make an impact there and he would say well no i can't right god can and that's where god sent me and he built at that time what was the strongest church fellowship in the first century they're in ephesus how did he do it by the power of god the power of god so number three so first two to him to his power number three and final aspect to consider today the final aspect to consider is we are going to turn our vision onto his glory okay that's number three paul now is going to give us that wisdom in our third aspect number three we're going to turn our vision onto his glory god's glory and that's given to us here in ephesians 3 verse 21 here it is uh ephesians 3 verse 21 to him be glory in the church the men and women by Jesus Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever amen the number three aspect that we set our vision upon is to his glory it we do not do what we do for our glory it can never be that way our purpose in life once we've entered into this fellowship is to give him all the glory now god's so great and you can't out give god one day as was revealed in the son's prayer there in the garden where he prayed to the father father one day let's share our glory with with them to the ones you gave to me so one day god the father and Jesus Christ are going to share their glory with us but in the meantime in this life now our sole purpose is to glorify him in everything we do it has to be that way it's the only way we will accomplish what we need to accomplish is to make sure it's to his glory and his glory will be seen as it says there in the church through the church the church is the sum and substance of all that god is doing in the world so when the world looks on to us they are to see god aren't they as they look to us as we are transforming and becoming like his son they are to look to us and see god and his work in the world so that they get that feeling that i got today when i walked through those doors i i felt overwhelmed by god's glory his spirit that i felt it was a tangible feeling i felt when i walked through those doors today and i want to acknowledge that and i want to give you honor in that way that that's god's glory that you're displaying god's glory and that's as it should be and so um what's the what's the the therefore from that well uh we need to the next year have a higher level of reconciliation we need to have a higher level of forgiveness we need to hire have a higher level of harmony within the church hear this congregation and do we strive for those things because we feel like we want to do those things not always right it's hard and but it's not about how we feel we do the hard work why so that we can show god's glory through it and if you grab onto that you're going to be able to accomplish things that you thought never possible you're going to be able to release release burdens of unforgiveness that maybe you've been holding on to for a long time you're going to be able to accomplish a higher level of righteousness which we're here to do we're here to do and it's going to be throughout the all the generations as paul says here so they're going to meet god when they come through those doors and what a what a foundation that we have already established through our our leaders our fearless leaders our shepherds it's what happened in ephesus man you hear about and you read about all the impact that was made you had jews and gentiles at the time uh in ephesus uh eating with one another what they should have been talking to one another the jews called the gentiles dogs you know and so when they saw the outworking of of god and his power working through the people that's what made the difference and that's the difference you can you and i can make the impossibility was on full display god's glory uh through the church and paul ends here with the amen be it so and i'm sure it was an echo uh through those to whom he was speaking or those who were reading where i'm sure there was a um an amen that came back from the people amen i'm on board yes paul i'm here for this um well god's glory again this third aspect is the sole focus of our life and as we work to a conclusion here this is going to be the last stanza of our hymn be now my vision we're about to read something about giving god the glory where the hymn goes riches i need not nor life's empty praise you my inheritance now and always you and you only are first in my heart great god my treasure let me never depart depart i hope you sing those songs and i hope that's our prayer how is all this going to be possible when they come and ask you here's your answer well our vision is upon him and it's going to be accomplished through his power and may it always be to his glory be now my vision