This morning we’ll be in Ephesians and chapter number three. And really. Going to key in on, this morning, verse Number 20. But I’m going to start up here. In Verse 11. And work our way down to verse. 20 and 21, really down to the end of the chapter. But what I want to speak to you this morning about is just going above and beyond, going above and beyond. Here in verse number 11. Apostle Paul is building up, down, through here. And he says:

Ephesians 3:11–12

11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

We have boldness and access,

• not because we’ve done more right than wrong,
• not because we’re good people and we follow all the rules,
• not because we came to church this morning or any of those other reasons.

But we have access and boldness because of the faith that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In verse number 13 he says:

Ephesians 3:13

13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

He’s just reminding the believers here that you will go through tribulations. That’s within an “S” tribulations. You’re going to have tribulations in your life. You’re not going through the great tribulation. You know, if you read a lot of things, you see that a lot of folks say:

Well, you know, the Christians are going go through the Great Tribulation because the Apostle Paul said, in lots of places, this being one of them that you know, that he was going through tribulation. And that’s not at all what it means.

He just means that you’re going to go through some trouble in this life. And really, of all the promises in the Bible that we love to cling to, that’s one that we don’t like so much, but it is a promise of the Bible. You’re going to go through some tribulation and things, and I don’t even know why that’s such a surprise to Christians and things. I don’t know, some way. Somehow, at some point in time, Christians decided that they deserve better in their life than the Lord Jesus Christ had in his earthly ministry.

And that just doesn’t make any sense. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He went through tribulation, didn’t he? He went through troubles and all that, and he did it all for us. He could have. He could have gotten out of it any time that he wanted to. Which just makes it even more miraculous that he didn’t. If you think about it, but, you know, we don’t deserve to have a better way of going and to go through life without enemies and without people lying about us and twisting everything that we do and say.

We don’t deserve better than that than the Lord Jesus Christ had. This is ridiculous to even think. We don’t deserve better. And we’re going to go through some tribulations. In verse 14 he says:

Ephesians 3:14–19

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Those are the things that the Apostle Paul was praying for these folks here. And these are good things to be prayed for. But then he says here in verse number 20:

Ephesians 3:20–21

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,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

He says there that the Lord is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.

That’s how great our God is. He’s able to do abundantly more. So much more than we can ask or think. And some people are thinking, I don’t know. I can think of an awful lot. Right?

He’s able to do more. He’s always able to do more. He always goes above and beyond. And his word promises us that he not only can go above and beyond but that he is willing to go above and beyond.

So whatever tribulations and whatever troubles and trials and all that that you might be going through in your life, just know this and be encouraged by this, that the Lord can do abundantly more than you could ever ask him.

Brother James said that you have not because you ask not.

James 4:2

2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

Now, I’m not saying that you’re going to get everything that you ever ask for. Because a lot of things that we ask for, we ask, we ask for, for the wrong reasons, for the wrong motives. But if you’ll do your best to have a close and personal and intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will ask things according to his will, he promises you those things. You’ll have the desires of your heart. If your heart’s right. You will have the desires of your heart.

Our hope at Irvington Bible Baptist Church is that this podcast provided some encouragement and has helped you to develop a closer relationship with the LORD Jesus Christ.