Limitless - Sermon 5 - “All We Ask or Think”
Ephesians 3:20
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Paul gives us the EQUATION FOR MULTIPLICATION!
EXCEEDING, ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE x (asking x thinking) = ANSWERS
James 4:3
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Kakos - literally - “badly”…. not correct English, but it’s Greek…
…YOUR ASKING IS NOT GREAT ~ or… “YOU SHOULD ASK BETTER”…
Greek definitions for -
ASK = αἰτούμεθα - ahee-teh’-o - to request.
THINK = νοοῦμεν - noy-eh’-o - conceive, comprehend, apprehend, realize.
What is VERY interesting is the “or” between the two:
ᾖ - said “I” (like the letter of the alphabet)
THE IDEA LITERALLLY SAYS:
WE REQUEST that we are able to CONCEIVE, APPREHEND and REALIZE.
It means WE MUST THINK RIGHT in order to expect GOD-SIZED RESULTS.
OUR GREATEST ENEMY IS BETWEEN OUR EARS.
OUR GREATEST ENEMY IS OUR MIND.
YOUR IMAGINATION = THE INCUBATION PLACE FOR EVERY GREAT THING YOU DO
but also it is the place where every possibility can die…
WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO SEE THIS EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY HAPPEN FROM OUR PRAYERS?
1. HOLD THAT
2 Corinthians 10:5
5 Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,
YOU HAVE TO RUN YOUR THOUGHT LIFE LIKE TSA.
EVERY THOUGHT IS A PACKAGE YOU RECEIVE…
YOU OPEN THE CONTENTS OF A THOUGHT BY SPEAKING THEM OUT OF YOUR MOUTH.
LOOK AT THE LABEL -
WHO SENT IT to you, who’s are you, look at the label and see if it came from God’s Word.
CONSIDER THE SOURCE
- WHAT IS THE RETURN ADDRESS ON THIS THING?
THOUGHTS OF INABILITY
THOUGHTS OF DEPRESSION
THOUGHTS OF FEAR
THOUGHTS OF LONELINESS:
IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHO SENT IT TO YOU DO NOT OPEN IT UP!
Opening up the package is when you release your words with the thought before you even considered where the thought came from..
WHEN YOU CATCH THE THOUGHT – AND IT IS NOT FROM GOD!
: RETURN TO SENDER!
How do we know if the thought is our thought or God’s thoughts?”
A PART OF CHRISTIAN MATURITY is that as your MIND IS RENEWED
~ by hearing, reading and speaking the Word of God ~
YOU WILL GET TO A PLACE WHERE YOUR THOUGHTS AND HIS THOUGHTS CONNECT AND SEEM TO THINK THE SAME WAY…
2. CHANGE YOUR
Romans 12:2
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
There is a doctrine of tolerance that has been infiltrating the church, where people talk about their revelation being progressive, instead of true with the gospel…
- THEY WOULD RATHER BE POPULAR THAN BOLD…
- THEY WOULD RATHER HAVE A FOLLOWING THAN BE FAITHFUL!
- THEY HAVE CONFORMED THEIR DOCTRINE
- CONFORMED THEIR LIFESTYLE
- CONFORMED THEIR WORDS
- CONFORMED THEIR LIVES TO THE WORLD AROUND THEM!
What this scripture is trying to say:
- WHEN WE GET IN THE WORD…
- WHEN WE READ THE WORD…
- WHEN WE MAKE CHURCH A PRIORITY TO HEAR THE WORD…
- WHEN WE SET OUR ALARMS EARLY TO OPEN THE WORD…
GOD SAYS - THERE IS SOMETHING SUPERNATURAL ABOUT THIS BOOK THAT TRANSFORMS YOU INTO A BEING CAPABLE OF BRINGING HEAVEN’S WAY INTO YOUR EVERYDAY SITUATIONS.
THE VERB “TRANSFORMED” = imperative present tense… // continual…
There is a repetition here… YOUR RESULTS COME FROM REPETITION…
- when you ARE listening to the worlds music
- talking like the world around you talks
- thinking like the world around you
YOU WILL GET THE RESULTS OF A WORLD THAT IS DYING!
Then what???”
REPEAT!
REPETITION BRINGS RENEWAL
GOD DOES NOT WANT YOUR MIND TO UNDERSTAND - HE WANTS IT RENEWED.
RENEW: anakainoō; (a-na’kie-no-oh)—to make like brand new, to give new strength, to refresh, to renovate, to rejuvenate.
GOD WANTS TO MAKE YOUR BRAIN LIKE IT’S
- NEVER SEEN DISSAPOINTMENT BEFORE
GOD WANTS TO MAKE YOUR BRAIN LIKE IT’S
- NEVER DEALT WITH DEPRESSION BEFORE
GOD WANTS TO MAKE YOUR BRAIN LIKE IT’S
- NEVER BEEN EXHAUSTED BEFORE
GOD SAYS:
My desire is to bring your brain back to the place it was when I designed it originally.
We do not read the Bible just so we can get the right answers!
We read the Bible to BE TRANSFORMED with NEW MINDS that think LIKE GOD THINKS!
Romans 12:2
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
WE READ GOD’S WORD SO WE CAN PROVE HIS WILL!
- It is not enough to theologically understand that God can heal - PROVE IT!
It is not enough to theologically understand that God wants to do far above what you can think or ask - PROVE IT!
A MIND RENEWED IS THINKING THE WAY HEAVEN OPERATES.
- A MIND RENEWED STARTS THE PROCESS OF THINKING WITH GOD’S WORD AND NOT YOUR WORRY.
- A MIND RENEWED SETS OURSELVES UP FOR EXCEEDING, ABUNDANTLY ABOVE WITH A FOUNDATION THAT CAN SUSTAIN THAT TYPE OF RECEIVING!
3) KEEP YOUR HEAD IN THE
Isaiah 55:9 - 11
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
CLOUDS and RAIN are INTERESTING…
The only reason a cloud has rain is because of a cycle….
Negative thoughts in your life occur in cycles.
- They are set off when you are tired
- or they are set off when you are lonely
- or they are set off in moments where you are triggered
WE ONLY DEAL WITH THE SYMPTOM, NOT THE CYCLE!
Although we say we want to be free of the cycle of our negative thinking we have actually become comforted by that way of thinking…
GOD SAYS -
MY CYCLE OF THINKING IS DIFFERENT THAN YOURS!
- I want to recreate your mind.
- I want to transform the way you think.
- I want to break your cycle.
God ends this passage talking about the symptoms:
v. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
WHEN IT COMES TO RAIN CLOUDS:
- EVAPORATION (water goes up)
- CONDENSATION (cloud receives it)
- PRECIPITATION (more comes down)
IT IS NOT GOING TO COME DOWN UNTIL YOU SEND IT UP!
WHEN WE PRAISE HIM WE ARE MAKING THE DECISION
- Lord change my thought cycle
WHEN WE GIVE TO HIM AND OUR OFFERING IS LIFTED UP TO HEAVEN
- Lord change my thought cycle
WHEN WE SOW OUR TIME AND OUR ENERGY
- Lord change my thought cycle
WHEN WE GLORIFY GOD -
WE are BREAKING the cycle and HOLDING that thought.
WHEN WE WORSHIP GOD-
WE are BREAKING the cycle and HOLDING that thought.
God says - when you change the cycle and when you send up to the clouds:
v 12
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
YOU HAVE JOY!
WHEN YOU GO OUT!
YOU HAVE PEACE THAT LEADS YOU!
and Creation itself:
- THE MOUNTAINS AND THE HILLS WILL SING
- THE TREES WILL JOIN IN YOUR PRAISE
Because YOU:
- CAUGHT YOUR THOUGHTS
- CHANGED YOUR MIND
- CHANGED YOUR CYCLES TO THINK LIKE GOD THINKS
GET YOUR THOUGHT LIFE ON ANOTHER LEVEL!
- WHEN WE LIVE OUT KINGDOM PRIORITIES
- WHEN WE UNDERSTAND HIS ABILITY
THEN WE GET GOD’S DELIVERY!