Dynamic Church Growth

Eph 3v20-21

INTRODUCTION

Ephesians 3:20-21 says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work in us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Notice first, that in Dynamic Church Growth…

GOD IS ABLE… WE SHOULD KNOW

A prayer for spiritual help

Ephesians 3:20 follows a prayer in v19 that we might be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Some may think this aims too high, and so Ephesians 3:20 adds a further prayer: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work in us.”

God is able to do more

When seeking help in life, we like to know the credentials of those helping us. Ephesians 3:20 says, now to him. Now to him who is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. Now to him who made us, who loves us, and who cares for us. He is the one to whom we come for help. Now to him…

Now to him who is able. The word is dunamai from which we have dynamite or dynamic. God has infinite power to help. Now to him who is able. During his time in prison, Paul said in Philippians 4:19 that God is able to meet all our needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Now to him who is able…

Now to him who is able to do. This means to create or to mould something into shape. Now to him who is able to do, to create, to mould us into shape. To this end, Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me.” God is able.
Now to him who is able to do… immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. God’s power to do goes beyond our asking or even our thinking. Romans 8:26-27 says, “We do not know what to pray for… but the Spirit himself intercedes for us… according to the will of God.” God is with us and we should include him in everything we do at home, at work, and at play.

Praying to a God who is able

If God is able to do more than we ask or imagine, what should we ask for? Luke 11:13 says, “How much more will our Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” As a church, we should ask God for an outpouring of the Spirit, the filling of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, and for spiritual gifts. We should ask for this because as a church we then will have everything. This leads to a further point…

THE CHURCH IS ABLE… WE SHOULD GROW

God’s glory in the church

The prayer in Ephesians 3:21 is that we might see God’s glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. The GNB says, “To God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, for ever and ever! Amen.”

God’s glory in Ephesians

God’s glory in the church is the main theme of Ephesians. Ephesians 1:22–23 says, “God appointed Christ to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 2:22 says the church is a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Ephesians 3:10 says that through the church, the manifold wisdom of God is made known to rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 5:25-27 says, “Christ loved the church and gave himself for her… to present to himself a radiant bride, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish.” To him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations. We should pray for this more than for anything else.

God’s glory in the Spirit

We can grow in many ways, but dynamic church growth that leads to the glory of God can only come in the power of the Holy Spirit. If this is true, we need to pray. Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; Seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be opened to you… how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” God will give us more than we ask or imagine. He will give us immeasurably more. He will give us the Holy Spirit so that we can know; so that we can grow; so that we can go. This leads to a further point. God is able, the church is able, and we are able…

WE ARE ABLE… WE SHOULD GO

Enabled in God’s power

Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work in us.” A more literal translation says, “Now to him who has the dynamic to do more than we can ask for verbally or perceive in our minds… according to the dynamic of God that energises us.”

Energised in God’s power

The word dynamic or power at the end of v20 is translated able in the first part of the verse. A church that grows in God’s power is a dynamic force for good in the world. In this power we grow, and in this power we go. We go with him who is able to do more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work in us.

The word work here is energeo from which we have energy. With this in mind, the verse could read like this, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine according to the dynamic power that energises us.”

Working it out in God’s power

The logic is simple but profound. God is able; God is in us; we are able. This is why Philippians 2:12-13 says, we should work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in us, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. We should work it out knowing that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work in us. To him be the glory in the church at Crabtree and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen!

Bernard Cartledge