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As we work our way through the book of Ephesians, we are approaching one of my favorite passages of Scripture.

Ephesians 3:20-21:20, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” What this verse is saying is that there is MORE that God is willing and able to do. We sometimes think of our faith as very  past-oriented. We spend a lot of time in the Bible, reading the stories of what God did back in the day. He kept Noah safe in the Ark, He led Moses through the Red Sea, He slew Goliath with David’s sling, He raised Jesus back from the dead. There are all kinds of things He did back then. But these verses in Ephesians aren’t about the past, they’re about the future. What these verses say is that as great and as exciting as the things He has done are, there’s still more—infinitely more, abundantly more, immeasurably more--that He can and will do. I  love that word, “immeasurably.” The word “immeasurably” means you can’t even quantify what God is able to do; there’s no tape measure or graduated cylinder or scale that you can use to calculate all that God is able to do. Matthew Henry, an English preacher from about 300 years ago who wrote a commentary on the Bible that is still widely used today wrote this (the language is dated, but the insight is tremendous): “There is an inexhaustible fullness of grace and mercy in God, which the prayers of all the saints  can never draw dry. Whatever we may ask, or think to ask, still God is able to do more, abundantly more, exceedingly abundantly more. Open thy mouth ever so wide, still he hath wherewithal to fill it.” I love that quote. Here’s this image of a fountain of water, and we come to drink, and no matter how much we drink or how deeply, we can never draw it dry. An image of baby birds, with mouths open wide, and God is able to fill them over and over again. And notice where these promises are centered: God is able to do way more than we ever conceived or dreamed “within us.” Specifically, in “the church.” God’s goal is to be glorified in His people.

Whatever we might dream for the church to do next; whatever goals or hopes we might have for the church to reach new people, or for us to grow in our community with each other, or to connect our kids to the faith—this verse is saying even our biggest dreams are far below what God can deliver. Open your mouth ever so wide, and still he is able to fill it. The Bible doesn’t say He’ll do a little bit better, or even that He’ll do a whole lot better, it says that He will do immeasurably more. More than we could ever ask or imagine. I think what God is saying to us here at Trinity Church is: “I can do more in this ministry than you have yet asked or thought.” And if we reach out and try something new for God, then we’re going to look up to heaven and God is going to say, “I can do MORE!” And then we will ask again and do something new and then look up and still God will be saying, “I can do MORE… MORE…MORE!” Every time we stretch ourselves in faith beyond what we think is possible, the response of God will always be the same: “I can do MORE! Immeasurably more than you can ask or imagine.”

Every time we stretch ourselves in faith beyond what we think is possible, the response of God will always be the same: “I can do MORE! Immeasurably more than you can ask or imagine.”