The Sermon Seeing The Not So Obvious by David McGee
Jan 31, 2016
Seeing The Not So Obvious (31:27)
Referenced Scriptures: Ephesians 3:11-21;Ephesians 4:1-16
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The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Ephesians 3:11-21
11) according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus, our Lord;
12) in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him.
13) Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.
14) For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
15) from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
16) that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;
17) that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18) may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19) and to know Christ‘s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.
20) 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,
21) to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 4:1-16
1) I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,
2) with all lowliness and humility, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love;
3) being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4) There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling;
5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6) one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all.
7) But to each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8) Therefore he says, "When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men."
9) Now this, "He ascended," what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10) He who descended is the same also who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
11) He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;
12) for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ;
13) until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
14) that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;
15) but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ;
16) from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.
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Are we ready. Yeah. OK. So I was just checking you know I don't want to say things out of line but today's message is seeing the not so obvious. Seeing the not so obvious. Did you ever put on black socks and later on recognize one was blue. Gemma put on a pair of shoes and notice. They weren't the right pair. Then the other pair you know one of them the wrong. Mate So we've all been looking at things and seeing things and they come up to us. And they appear to be right at the moment but after further review. We find out that. They're not so obvious. Why have this little poem here are the story. And it kind of goes in that category. It's led The cookie thief. By Valerie Cox the cookie thief. A woman was waiting at the airport one night with several long hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in the airport shop bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop. She was in grossed in her book. But happened to see that the man beside her. As bold as could be grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between which she tried to ignore. To avoid a scene. She munched cookies and watch the clock. As the gutsy cookie thief. Diminished her stock. She was getting more irritated as the minutes tick by thinking. If I wasn't so nice I'd black in his eyes. With each cookie she took. He took one too. And when only one was when only one was left. She wondered what he do with a smile on his face in a nervous laugh. He took the last cookie and broke it in half. He offered her half as he ate the other. She ed it from him and thought oh brother. This guy has some nerve and he's also rude. Why he didn't even show any gra ude. She had never known when she had been so galled and sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gave her belongings and headed for the gate refusing to look back at the thieving in great. She boarded the plane and sank in her seat. Then sought her book which was almost complete. As she reached in her bag she gasped with surprise. There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes. If minority here. She moaned with despair then the others were his and he try to share. Too late to apologize she realized with grief that she was the rude read the rude one. The ingrate. The thief. So. Seeing the not so obvious and. I think of our lives that many times. We look at them and we see what we think is the obvious. And that we draw are. We draw conclusions that are not. The obvious and. There was a question earlier is there is when is the right time not to answer a question. Well. Sometimes it just has to be the not so obvious. Sometimes we don't see the not so obvious and so we've got to pray for that wisdom and guidance and understanding to be able to deal in a dress with each of the things that happen in our lives. But we are it's important for us to. You know when the Bible says to pray for one another that. That is using us to work in the lives of others. Sometimes it's whenever we think that they are stealing from us and in reality it is something that we have done that has set the stage for this. Well. In the book of the Fusion is Paul is right here the church or deficit's and Paul. He's he's you know he's in prison and. This. In any ZA dressing. How the people in F. es' are responding to the situation because the obvious situation the obvious interpretation of this is Paul. He's in prison. So obviously he's he's done he's done something wrong. If he were really in the Postle and if he had really had an experience with Jesus Christ and if he was really. This man of that he should be he would be in prison. So it's almost like they're writing to him and saying Paul why are you in politics. Answering the question of why he's in prison. And so all of this proceedings. This is verse eleven. All of this is proceeding along the the lines planned all along by . So Paul then sees his life and his imprisonment as the plan of . And I know it said it other times but there is no. If you're looking at Paul. In prison. At that time period. There is nothing that would give us an indication that he should be in prison because he's not being able to go and preach. He's not able to go there in person and people would look at that and say well you see if were really with him. That things would happen to good people. So whenever he sees this he's telling them that has a reason. But as we look back on that we can say. Here is Paul doing something that is totally out of character. He's writing books and he's writing letters to individuals and to churches in areas that can't read. And he's writing and you know he can't be there himself. But he is writing to these churches that is what he needs to do for our benefit. And at the time period. He had no clue that this is where would be going. And sometimes we don't have a clue as to where things are going. We don't have a clue as to why I things happen the way they do. So we are called then to respond in a positive faith. Towards our life and towards the situation. You know. I don't know why bad things happen to good people. I don't you know. We can't say you know I'm like What. Whenever the disciples asked Jesus who sin. This man or his family. It's like you have to find a reason for something going wrong. And whenever we have to find a reason for something going wrong. We try to make sense out of something that makes no sense. And it ends up being. Nonsense. You know there's so many nonsensical things going on and we're trying to attach meanings to them like somehow. They deserve this is somehow. There's some hidden sin just like job. That is that his comforters. You know they were trying to find a reason why I. Would lose everything and they are trying to come for Joe by telling him. You've done something wrong and you just didn't tell us and that's why all this has happened and if you just confess all that stuff you did wrong. Then then then we can go on with life. And you know. It's nonsense. So Paul this telling them. All of this is proceeding along lines planned all along by . And then executed in Christ Jesus. So Paul the saying that my life is lived through Jesus Christ. And for his purpose and for His glory. And all of this is proceeding along the lines that he has planned for me. So what would it take for us to see the not so obvious when. What would it take for us to say while you know . Everything is proceeding according to plan how many like that you know we could raise your hand say everything is proceeding according to plan. Yeah. Yeah yeah OK those Yeah. You know. But when we're sick and you know whenever we fall down. Hurt and whatever where we have well this can't be according to 's plan. Well. How do we know. And I but what the question is in all things give thanks. So I'm asking to somehow. Give me an insight to this. So Paul had the insight. He has the insight into this. And he now is trying to convey that same insight to the here in the church of F.S.S.. When we trust in him this he goes on to say. This is the Message Bible. Efficient chapter three verse eleven through thirteen. When we trust in him. We're free to say whatever needs to be said and ball to go wherever we need to go. So don't let my present trouble on your behalf. Get you down. Be proud. So we are able to trust in Christ. And we're free to say what needs to be said. Not. Not saying what needs to be said. Because what if I hurt somebody's feelings. You know. Well you know there's a yes and there's a no. And then there's a gray in between. And so when do we determine that well in our lives it's important that if I'm going to not make it. Not going to receive the grant. Of I'm not going to receive something and a greater something and I have to lie to get it. Than it's not worth having and. We have these perspectives of truth. That dictate our lives they're not. Sunday morning boxes that we live in. And then we go off somewhere else and we live a different kind of life. The day after you see our life is the same. When people are around in the same whenever were at home alone. That our life is the same before because we live our life under him. So Paul is saying here when we trust in him. We're free to say what we need to be said. We're free to say it. And and in the ideas that we are. We know what the truth is. But we try and say the truth in the way that. It's palatable to other people that somehow they will accept it in and not turn away from Christ. While. Paul is saying here. Don't let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. When we look at things. Seeing the not so obvious. When people are looking at Paul in prison they are saying you know if this is what it's all about. We don't need to go there. But Paul is saying don't let my present trouble get you down. I'm here on your behalf. Meaning that this letter that I'm writing to you is for your benefit. And even though I can't be there in person. This letter is for you and be proud. Be proud of the fact that is working out things in your life. Even though I'm in prison. Then it goes on my response then to all of this is to get down on my knees before the Father. Paula saying that. I didn't come to this realization. Easily. I came to this place. Knowing that I had to get down on my knees and pray and ask for direction in this whole thing. I had to pray I had to believe that was going to give me the words to say. And the understanding that I find on my knees before the Father. This magnificent father. Now. This is a great word man you know magnificent. We are. And it's extraordinary it's above and beyond this magnificent father. Who proselyte out all of heaven and earth. I am living my life. Unto this magnificent father. Now where's he at. He's in a prison. Chained to a guard and. And he's saying my magnificent You see the president place. Does not dictate the greatness of . My present situation. And all the things that I face. Does not portray. Does not limit. The magnificence of . He is above all of this. And we can't figure out why he would a lot if he's so good why isn't he cash in a few of those things you know you know I grew up on a farm and. Whenever things really didn't go well we didn't have meat we killed a cow sent to the butcher. If things weren't going well while we sold the Col You know so I tell you know if you own the cattle in the Thousand Hills. Want to sell a few. Send me the money. Send me the money. I can I give you some cattle stock. Cash. So. But you see it's one of those things that were our present situation doesn't dictate what is up to doing what got what it's got up to in my life. What is he trying to teach me where is he trying to take me. And Paul has the response that you know hey this magnificent father. So from a prison. He sees the magnificence of the glory of and in this is what holds him in this is where his attraction is and this is where he doesn't see the cell as being stopping the will of . He sees the cell as proclaiming the will of I ask him to strengthen you by His Spirit. So Paul is praying that you who are free. That you who are not here in prison with me I pray that will strengthen your spirit. will strengthen your spirit. We should be praying for Paul. You know we should we pray for him was strict than his spirit know. His cir stance is not dictating his fav. And the in the the greatness of his fate. His cir stances. Have has ured him that this is where he needs to be. And that the people who counted as. Is something. Be a little ling to Paul and to the ministry in the message of Christ. Paul is saying I'm praying will strengthen your spirit that you'll be able to see what I'm going through as profitable. Profitable for you. I ask him to strengthen you by His Spirit. Not a brute strength. But a glorious inner strength. A glorious inner strain that Christ will live in you. As you open the door and invite him in. So when Christ has come into our life. There is a glorious inner strength. Now using a glorious inner strength that our spirit is awakened. That our spirit is alive. With the Spirit of Christ and the Word of The Living Word. The person each of Christ comes into us and it in it and it becomes us it becomes who we are becomes how we think and what we expect and where we believe where to go and how that is going to do a work in our lives. You know I believe that this is a year of expectation a year of growth a year of becoming more than what we've been before that has things in store for our lives that we never dreamed of above and beyond anything we can ask or think. Because he has great things in store so we're praying that he would say. He would strengthen us. With that glorious inner strength that we can see things that are not so obvious. It looks this way. But you know what. This is what I see. This is what I see. This is my mind's eye. You know when and when Abraham was promised that he would have a child. You know. Everything's good. Except some years later and of it's fifteen twenty thirty years I don't forget what's what and how many numbers and many years it is. But anyhow. He still has that promise but he doesn't have any reality. He doesn't have any really doesn't have a CIA doesn't have a son. And you see he had to look at his situation and see the glorious possibilities that were in and kept reminding him of it. You know Abraham. See the stars. That's as many as your descendant OK. I like that Abraham see the sand under your feet though the your descendants are going to be that great. Yes. Seeing the not so obvious. . I don't have a son. You know. Can you help me out here on this. What did do he waited until that was physically impossible for he or Sarah. To have a child. And then gave him a child. You see in our life. Sometimes has to take us to the place where it can't happen. That everything in our natural round everything in our understanding and our natural thinking in our natural approach and. And how we understand things logically. Comes to a place where we know it can't happen. And it's in that place where it can't happen. There's something inside says yes it can. And that's the glorious inner strength. The glorious in a strength that Christ will live in you. The Christ is alive in us. He's not all is not only a law is not just sitting at the right and the father. You know. Dishing out things here and there. To a few people he's alive within every every child every every believer he's alive in us and he's there for a purpose. To help us become and to grow us in our knowledge of Christ. I like the next second next verse that says. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love. It's almost like with both feet planted firmly on the ground. With both feet planted firmly on reality. OK. Both feet planted firmly on love. You see. Whenever we love the lady who. The cookie thief. You know. She saw things as they were could she see this. You know can look beyond that and be willing to share. From what she has even though she thought it was hers. But she would give it away only to discover out of wasn't hers that she was giving away. You know. I'm always good at spending other people's money. If you need thumb get you know. Now. You know it's a it's easy to spend other people's money you know we don't have to pay for it. But when it comes to our own understanding of wisdom and finances and living our life. We get in this quagmire of well this and this happens and that happens and something we have to do with feet planted firmly on love. So if I feel like someone is stealing from me Jesus says. If so if they come and ask you to walk a mile the Roman soldiers had a legal right to take citizens and have them carry their armor for one mile. And Jesus said If somebody ask you to take the walk with him a mile. What does he say. Walk with them too so you see if someone is taking from you. Cutting you off in traffic. If someone is more running up on your per. In love. Give them the highway. And I didn't say anything I said give them the highway. You know. Now. Let them have the right of way. Why because in my eyes in the spirit of love. I can let it go. And when I can let that go. Some Then perhaps I can let go of my own failures. Because if we haven't let go of our own failures. We will not let go of others. Because we're trying to prove that we're not that bad. You say Lord look at them people over there. They do this and they get away with it. I'm not that bad. You know. But is telling us that by the spirit of love and with are our feet firmly planted in reality. You'll be able to take in. With all the followers of Jesus. The extravagant the extravagant. Dimensions of Christ's love. So you see. There is the magnificent and there is the extravagant and extravagant. Means excess of Lehi. How many are willing to pay extravagant prices for something that no hands. Why because it's excessively high. But you see when speaks of his love for us. He speaks of it in the context of extravagance. Above and beyond greater than anything we could ever ask or imagine. There is an extravagance about that challenges our pettiness. Our little bucket of concept of walls that we live in. And saying striving it. Above and Beyond that will poor back into our Be it back into US pressed down shaken together and running over its extravagance. So. How can we be extravagant in love. Loving the people who don't ask for and sharing the cookies. When there. Somebody else's. You know. Seeing the not so obvious that. When things rob us. The wrong way. Why is it the wrong way. What makes it so wrong. It's because it irritates me. You know. But that might be exactly what we need to overcome. So the extravagance of love is that which strengthens us and. In it and it gives us a different perspective. And he says. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on the on love. You'll be able to take in. With all the followers of Jesus say that isn't just for the. You know you can. Elbow the person beside you. He's speaking to you. This isn't for me this is for you you know that eight hours and I'll do that extravagant love thing. Reach out to reach out. And experience. The breath test. The link. Plumb the depths. Rise to the heights. Live full lives. Fully in the fullness of . That's extravagance. The extravagance of 's love is that it is beyond our measure it is in all it's like reaching out. You have people around you. People beside you. That we might understand the breath. The length. While you know we. I think Paul here and by the inspiration of the spear reaching out and others to love while we would put some type of parameters on that. We would while you know. One Peter says well how much I mean time should we forgive. Up to seven times he thought he was being extravagant and. Jesus says seventy times seven See Peter thought he was being extravagant. And the not so obvious is how do we look at ourselves and think well you know. I've forgiven seven times. And is saying. Seven. That's seventy times so it's a numerable number of times. Because how many times is going to forgive you. How many times is going to forgive us for our stupidity. And our willful intentional sin. He is willing to forgive and so if he is willing to forgive then why shouldn't I be so willing because I'm giving of what I have received. If I haven't received it then I can't give it so whenever I'm ding my cookies that belong to somebody else. I'm haven't been able to deal with what I own and wants us to deal with it in a healing way to be able to strengthen our character. But in the same time. Touch the lives of the people around us. And so it's an extravagant it's. It's excessively high. The the. Commentator the Comber dictionary says that. Spending much more than is necessary or wise. So when speaks of his extravagance. It's. You know he the dictionaries calling . He's not too wise. But in reality. He is and He loves us. And then it goes on in verse twenty. can do anything you know. Far more than you could ever imagine. Or guess or request. In your wildest dreams. The extravagance of . OK. The extravagance of . We cannot even begin to fathom how extravagant he is how. We can't even imagine that can do anything. can do anything. Even help us get over. Somebody stealing our cookies. Thing. And how have how has it. How has how high of one anyhow when somebody interferes. Steps over into your territory. Your circle that you have around your life and so on and somebody infringes on that. How do we respond to that. Well can do anything you know far more than you could ever imagine. So as we set back and we take our imaginations to their greatest height length breath. Depth as we take our imaginations where no man has ever gone before. What do we see. And we haven't even begun to see. I watched on the Science Channel or something where the Hubble telescope and they were talking about how that on the telescope the mirrors were out of. I mean it was just fractions of of an inch or fractions of a measurement that caused it to be out of focus. And how that joining the times in which the e shuttle was going up and back and forth of things that they would put in different mirrors and how that they were able to rearrange a new configuration of mirrors. In order for it to see what it was supposed to see and. And I think of it in our life that we sometime we have the distortion of our human. Of our human perspective of what we can imagine. And you know it's like we can see far out of the skies but it's this distorted picture. Because we don't have we can't see clearly enough but whenever they change the mirrors in the telescope. They were able to see things that they'd never seen before and they've made. Name made numerous journeys to the scope of the telescope and changed interchange and put in new mirrors and put in new cameras and put in new things that. And it's surprising that they aimed the telescope at a black hole in e. OK. That they couldn't see anything there. And they aimed to tell a scope in a place that is supposed to be vacant. And when they took a picture of it. They saw in that vacancy. Other stars. That they were to far away. That they never seen before in our life. The Spirit of helps us to see things that we've never seen before. And they're there. They are right in front of us. But we can't see them. But can help us to see his love his extravagance. Far more than we could ever imagine or gas or request. In your wildest dreams. He does it not by pushing us around. But by working with us. is not pushing us through life. He is working with us. His yoke is easy His burden is light the two of us are together in this. We're not alone. He is not pushing us he's working with us His Spirit deeply and gently. Within the extravagant . In the in the in the. Depp's height. Length breath of his spirit is working gently in our hearts. He doesn't manipulate. He doesn't pressure. He doesn't push. He leads. leads his children. He leads us by His Spirit. He leads us by His word and he takes the word the Living Word. And the spirit and makes it real to our spirit. The same spirit to raise Christ from the dead will quicken us that the then our spirit will bear witness with his spirit that our spiritual understanding will be there but we will be firmly grounded in love. And there will be a knowledge and an understanding of our heart in our mind that we are able to see that which we haven't seen before. Faith is not seeing the wrong definitions there's a bunch of them. That faith is believing for something that doesn't exist. You know. That's not it. Faith is believing for something that does exist we just haven't seen it yet. And faith in like the scope the telescope is looking and focused at a black hole that we can't see in our future that we can't see out there. But when the scope with the correct lenses and the correct. Adjustments. Can see what's really there. And that's what's going on in our life. Seeing the not so obvious. It's there. By faith by his spirit by his word coming together. Can formulate that image that we will then see in men. Father we thank you. We thank you. Here the not so obvious. We are. We stumble over it. And we are quick to take offense by it. Been lured may we be patient. May we in love see who you are. What you're doing and how you're working in us. And if we can't see it may we by faith. Believe it. And that god. One day you will make it sight. So Lord bless the stay. Less. Our time. Bless your word to our lives that we may go forward and serve you. We pray in Jesus name Amen. Amen. Are we ready. Yeah. OK. So I was just checking you know I don't want to say things out of line but today's message is seeing the not so obvious. Seeing the not so obvious. Did you ever put on black socks and later on recognize one was blue. Gemma put on a pair of shoes and notice. They weren't the right pair. Then the other pair you know one of them the wrong. Mate So we've all been looking at things and seeing things and they come up to us. And they appear to be right at the moment but after further review. We find out that. They're not so obvious. Why have this little poem here are the story. And it kind of goes in that category. It's led The cookie thief. By Valerie Cox the cookie thief. A woman was waiting at the airport one night with several long hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in the airport shop bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop. She was in grossed in her book. But happened to see that the man beside her. As bold as could be grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between which she tried to ignore. To avoid a scene. She munched cookies and watch the clock. As the gutsy cookie thief. Diminished her stock. She was getting more irritated as the minutes tick by thinking. If I wasn't so nice I'd black in his eyes. With each cookie she took. He took one too. And when only one was when only one was left. She wondered what he do with a smile on his face in a nervous laugh. He took the last cookie and broke it in half. He offered her half as he ate the other. She ed it from him and thought oh brother. This guy has some nerve and he's also rude. Why he didn't even show any gra ude. She had never known when she had been so galled and sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gave her belongings and headed for the gate refusing to look back at the thieving in great. She boarded the plane and sank in her seat. Then sought her book which was almost complete. As she reached in her bag she gasped with surprise. There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes. If minority here. She moaned with despair then the others were his and he try to share. Too late to apologize she realized with grief that she was the rude read the rude one. The ingrate. The thief. So. Seeing the not so obvious and. I think of our lives that many times. We look at them and we see what we think is the obvious. And that we draw are. We draw conclusions that are not. The obvious and. There was a question earlier is there is when is the right time not to answer a question. Well. Sometimes it just has to be the not so obvious. Sometimes we don't see the not so obvious and so we've got to pray for that wisdom and guidance and understanding to be able to deal in a dress with each of the things that happen in our lives. But we are it's important for us to. You know when the Bible says to pray for one another that. That is using us to work in the lives of others. Sometimes it's whenever we think that they are stealing from us and in reality it is something that we have done that has set the stage for this. Well. In the book of the Fusion is Paul is right here the church or deficit's and Paul. He's he's you know he's in prison and. This. In any ZA dressing. How the people in F. es' are responding to the situation because the obvious situation the obvious interpretation of this is Paul. He's in prison. So obviously he's he's done he's done something wrong. If he were really in the Postle and if he had really had an experience with Jesus Christ and if he was really. This man of that he should be he would be in prison. So it's almost like they're writing to him and saying Paul why are you in politics. Answering the question of why he's in prison. And so all of this proceedings. This is verse eleven. All of this is proceeding along the the lines planned all along by . So Paul then sees his life and his imprisonment as the plan of . And I know it said it other times but there is no. If you're looking at Paul. In prison. At that time period. There is nothing that would give us an indication that he should be in prison because he's not being able to go and preach. He's not able to go there in person and people would look at that and say well you see if were really with him. That things would happen to good people. So whenever he sees this he's telling them that has a reason. But as we look back on that we can say. Here is Paul doing something that is totally out of character. He's writing books and he's writing letters to individuals and to churches in areas that can't read. And he's writing and you know he can't be there himself. But he is writing to these churches that is what he needs to do for our benefit. And at the time period. He had no clue that this is where would be going. And sometimes we don't have a clue as to where things are going. We don't have a clue as to why I things happen the way they do. So we are called then to respond in a positive faith. Towards our life and towards the situation. You know. I don't know why bad things happen to good people. I don't you know. We can't say you know I'm like What. Whenever the disciples asked Jesus who sin. This man or his family. It's like you have to find a reason for something going wrong. And whenever we have to find a reason for something going wrong. We try to make sense out of something that makes no sense. And it ends up being. Nonsense. You know there's so many nonsensical things going on and we're trying to attach meanings to them like somehow. They deserve this is somehow. There's some hidden sin just like job. That is that his comforters. You know they were trying to find a reason why I. Would lose everything and they are trying to come for Joe by telling him. You've done something wrong and you just didn't tell us and that's why all this has happened and if you just confess all that stuff you did wrong. Then then then we can go on with life. And you know. It's nonsense. So Paul this telling them. All of this is proceeding along lines planned all along by . And then executed in Christ Jesus. So Paul the saying that my life is lived through Jesus Christ. And for his purpose and for His glory. And all of this is proceeding along the lines that he has planned for me. So what would it take for us to see the not so obvious when. What would it take for us to say while you know . Everything is proceeding according to plan how many like that you know we could raise your hand say everything is proceeding according to plan. Yeah. Yeah yeah OK those Yeah. You know. But when we're sick and you know whenever we fall down. Hurt and whatever where we have well this can't be according to 's plan. Well. How do we know. And I but what the question is in all things give thanks. So I'm asking to somehow. Give me an insight to this. So Paul had the insight. He has the insight into this. And he now is trying to convey that same insight to the here in the church of F.S.S.. When we trust in him this he goes on to say. This is the Message Bible. Efficient chapter three verse eleven through thirteen. When we trust in him. We're free to say whatever needs to be said and ball to go wherever we need to go. So don't let my present trouble on your behalf. Get you down. Be proud. So we are able to trust in Christ. And we're free to say what needs to be said. Not. Not saying what needs to be said. Because what if I hurt somebody's feelings. You know. Well you know there's a yes and there's a no. And then there's a gray in between. And so when do we determine that well in our lives it's important that if I'm going to not make it. Not going to receive the grant. Of I'm not going to receive something and a greater something and I have to lie to get it. Than it's not worth having and. We have these perspectives of truth. That dictate our lives they're not. Sunday morning boxes that we live in. And then we go off somewhere else and we live a different kind of life. The day after you see our life is the same. When people are around in the same whenever were at home alone. That our life is the same before because we live our life under him. So Paul is saying here when we trust in him. We're free to say what we need to be said. We're free to say it. And and in the ideas that we are. We know what the truth is. But we try and say the truth in the way that. It's palatable to other people that somehow they will accept it in and not turn away from Christ. While. Paul is saying here. Don't let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. When we look at things. Seeing the not so obvious. When people are looking at Paul in prison they are saying you know if this is what it's all about. We don't need to go there. But Paul is saying don't let my present trouble get you down. I'm here on your behalf. Meaning that this letter that I'm writing to you is for your benefit. And even though I can't be there in person. This letter is for you and be proud. Be proud of the fact that is working out things in your life. Even though I'm in prison. Then it goes on my response then to all of this is to get down on my knees before the Father. Paula saying that. I didn't come to this realization. Easily. I came to this place. Knowing that I had to get down on my knees and pray and ask for direction in this whole thing. I had to pray I had to believe that was going to give me the words to say. And the understanding that I find on my knees before the Father. This magnificent father. Now. This is a great word man you know magnificent. We are. And it's extraordinary it's above and beyond this magnificent father. Who proselyte out all of heaven and earth. I am living my life. Unto this magnificent father. Now where's he at. He's in a prison. Chained to a guard and. And he's saying my magnificent You see the president place. Does not dictate the greatness of . My present situation. And all the things that I face. Does not portray. Does not limit. The magnificence of . He is above all of this. And we can't figure out why he would a lot if he's so good why isn't he cash in a few of those things you know you know I grew up on a farm and. Whenever things really didn't go well we didn't have meat we killed a cow sent to the butcher. If things weren't going well while we sold the Col You know so I tell you know if you own the cattle in the Thousand Hills. Want to sell a few. Send me the money. Send me the money. I can I give you some cattle stock. Cash. So. But you see it's one of those things that were our present situation doesn't dictate what is up to doing what got what it's got up to in my life. What is he trying to teach me where is he trying to take me. And Paul has the response that you know hey this magnificent father. So from a prison. He sees the magnificence of the glory of and in this is what holds him in this is where his attraction is and this is where he doesn't see the cell as being stopping the will of . He sees the cell as proclaiming the will of I ask him to strengthen you by His Spirit. So Paul is praying that you who are free. That you who are not here in prison with me I pray that will strengthen your spirit. will strengthen your spirit. We should be praying for Paul. You know we should we pray for him was strict than his spirit know. His cir stance is not dictating his fav. And the in the the greatness of his fate. His cir stances. Have has ured him that this is where he needs to be. And that the people who counted as. Is something. Be a little ling to Paul and to the ministry in the message of Christ. Paul is saying I'm praying will strengthen your spirit that you'll be able to see what I'm going through as profitable. Profitable for you. I ask him to strengthen you by His Spirit. Not a brute strength. But a glorious inner strength. A glorious inner strain that Christ will live in you. As you open the door and invite him in. So when Christ has come into our life. There is a glorious inner strength. Now using a glorious inner strength that our spirit is awakened. That our spirit is alive. With the Spirit of Christ and the Word of The Living Word. The person each of Christ comes into us and it in it and it becomes us it becomes who we are becomes how we think and what we expect and where we believe where to go and how that is going to do a work in our lives. You know I believe that this is a year of expectation a year of growth a year of becoming more than what we've been before that has things in store for our lives that we never dreamed of above and beyond anything we can ask or think. Because he has great things in store so we're praying that he would say. He would strengthen us. With that glorious inner strength that we can see things that are not so obvious. It looks this way. But you know what. This is what I see. This is what I see. This is my mind's eye. You know when and when Abraham was promised that he would have a child. You know. Everything's good. Except some years later and of it's fifteen twenty thirty years I don't forget what's what and how many numbers and many years it is. But anyhow. He still has that promise but he doesn't have any reality. He doesn't have any really doesn't have a CIA doesn't have a son. And you see he had to look at his situation and see the glorious possibilities that were in and kept reminding him of it. You know Abraham. See the stars. That's as many as your descendant OK. I like that Abraham see the sand under your feet though the your descendants are going to be that great. Yes. Seeing the not so obvious. . I don't have a son. You know. Can you help me out here on this. What did do he waited until that was physically impossible for he or Sarah. To have a child. And then gave him a child. You see in our life. Sometimes has to take us to the place where it can't happen. That everything in our natural round everything in our understanding and our natural thinking in our natural approach and. And how we understand things logically. Comes to a place where we know it can't happen. And it's in that place where it can't happen. There's something inside says yes it can. And that's the glorious inner strength. The glorious in a strength that Christ will live in you. The Christ is alive in us. He's not all is not only a law is not just sitting at the right and the father. You know. Dishing out things here and there. To a few people he's alive within every every child every every believer he's alive in us and he's there for a purpose. To help us become and to grow us in our knowledge of Christ. I like the next second next verse that says. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love. It's almost like with both feet planted firmly on the ground. With both feet planted firmly on reality. OK. Both feet planted firmly on love. You see. Whenever we love the lady who. The cookie thief. You know. She saw things as they were could she see this. You know can look beyond that and be willing to share. From what she has even though she thought it was hers. But she would give it away only to discover out of wasn't hers that she was giving away. You know. I'm always good at spending other people's money. If you need thumb get you know. Now. You know it's a it's easy to spend other people's money you know we don't have to pay for it. But when it comes to our own understanding of wisdom and finances and living our life. We get in this quagmire of well this and this happens and that happens and something we have to do with feet planted firmly on love. So if I feel like someone is stealing from me Jesus says. If so if they come and ask you to walk a mile the Roman soldiers had a legal right to take citizens and have them carry their armor for one mile. And Jesus said If somebody ask you to take the walk with him a mile. What does he say. Walk with them too so you see if someone is taking from you. Cutting you off in traffic. If someone is more running up on your per. In love. Give them the highway. And I didn't say anything I said give them the highway. You know. Now. Let them have the right of way. Why because in my eyes in the spirit of love. I can let it go. And when I can let that go. Some Then perhaps I can let go of my own failures. Because if we haven't let go of our own failures. We will not let go of others. Because we're trying to prove that we're not that bad. You say Lord look at them people over there. They do this and they get away with it. I'm not that bad. You know. But is telling us that by the spirit of love and with are our feet firmly planted in reality. You'll be able to take in. With all the followers of Jesus. The extravagant the extravagant. Dimensions of Christ's love. So you see. There is the magnificent and there is the extravagant and extravagant. Means excess of Lehi. How many are willing to pay extravagant prices for something that no hands. Why because it's excessively high. But you see when speaks of his love for us. He speaks of it in the context of extravagance. Above and beyond greater than anything we could ever ask or imagine. There is an extravagance about that challenges our pettiness. Our little bucket of concept of walls that we live in. And saying striving it. Above and Beyond that will poor back into our Be it back into US pressed down shaken together and running over its extravagance. So. How can we be extravagant in love. Loving the people who don't ask for and sharing the cookies. When there. Somebody else's. You know. Seeing the not so obvious that. When things rob us. The wrong way. Why is it the wrong way. What makes it so wrong. It's because it irritates me. You know. But that might be exactly what we need to overcome. So the extravagance of love is that which strengthens us and. In it and it gives us a different perspective. And he says. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on the on love. You'll be able to take in. With all the followers of Jesus say that isn't just for the. You know you can. Elbow the person beside you. He's speaking to you. This isn't for me this is for you you know that eight hours and I'll do that extravagant love thing. Reach out to reach out. And experience. The breath test. The link. Plumb the depths. Rise to the heights. Live full lives. Fully in the fullness of . That's extravagance. The extravagance of 's love is that it is beyond our measure it is in all it's like reaching out. You have people around you. People beside you. That we might understand the breath. The length. While you know we. I think Paul here and by the inspiration of the spear reaching out and others to love while we would put some type of parameters on that. We would while you know. One Peter says well how much I mean time should we forgive. Up to seven times he thought he was being extravagant and. Jesus says seventy times seven See Peter thought he was being extravagant. And the not so obvious is how do we look at ourselves and think well you know. I've forgiven seven times. And is saying. Seven. That's seventy times so it's a numerable number of times. Because how many times is going to forgive you. How many times is going to forgive us for our stupidity. And our willful intentional sin. He is willing to forgive and so if he is willing to forgive then why shouldn't I be so willing because I'm giving of what I have received. If I haven't received it then I can't give it so whenever I'm ding my cookies that belong to somebody else. I'm haven't been able to deal with what I own and wants us to deal with it in a healing way to be able to strengthen our character. But in the same time. Touch the lives of the people around us. And so it's an extravagant it's. It's excessively high. The the. Commentator the Comber dictionary says that. Spending much more than is necessary or wise. So when speaks of his extravagance. It's. You know he the dictionaries calling . He's not too wise. But in reality. He is and He loves us. And then it goes on in verse twenty. can do anything you know. Far more than you could ever imagine. Or guess or request. In your wildest dreams. The extravagance of . OK. The extravagance of . We cannot even begin to fathom how extravagant he is how. We can't even imagine that can do anything. can do anything. Even help us get over. Somebody stealing our cookies. Thing. And how have how has it. How has how high of one anyhow when somebody interferes. Steps over into your territory. Your circle that you have around your life and so on and somebody infringes on that. How do we respond to that. Well can do anything you know far more than you could ever imagine. So as we set back and we take our imaginations to their greatest height length breath. Depth as we take our imaginations where no man has ever gone before. What do we see. And we haven't even begun to see. I watched on the Science Channel or something where the Hubble telescope and they were talking about how that on the telescope the mirrors were out of. I mean it was just fractions of of an inch or fractions of a measurement that caused it to be out of focus. And how that joining the times in which the e shuttle was going up and back and forth of things that they would put in different mirrors and how that they were able to rearrange a new configuration of mirrors. In order for it to see what it was supposed to see and. And I think of it in our life that we sometime we have the distortion of our human. Of our human perspective of what we can imagine. And you know it's like we can see far out of the skies but it's this distorted picture. Because we don't have we can't see clearly enough but whenever they change the mirrors in the telescope. They were able to see things that they'd never seen before and they've made. Name made numerous journeys to the scope of the telescope and changed interchange and put in new mirrors and put in new cameras and put in new things that. And it's surprising that they aimed the telescope at a black hole in e. OK. That they couldn't see anything there. And they aimed to tell a scope in a place that is supposed to be vacant. And when they took a picture of it. They saw in that vacancy. Other stars. That they were to far away. That they never seen before in our life. The Spirit of helps us to see things that we've never seen before. And they're there. They are right in front of us. But we can't see them. But can help us to see his love his extravagance. Far more than we could ever imagine or gas or request. In your wildest dreams. He does it not by pushing us around. But by working with us. is not pushing us through life. He is working with us. His yoke is easy His burden is light the two of us are together in this. We're not alone. He is not pushing us he's working with us His Spirit deeply and gently. Within the extravagant . In the in the in the. Depp's height. Length breath of his spirit is working gently in our hearts. He doesn't manipulate. He doesn't pressure. He doesn't push. He leads. leads his children. He leads us by His Spirit. He leads us by His word and he takes the word the Living Word. And the spirit and makes it real to our spirit. The same spirit to raise Christ from the dead will quicken us that the then our spirit will bear witness with his spirit that our spiritual understanding will be there but we will be firmly grounded in love. And there will be a knowledge and an understanding of our heart in our mind that we are able to see that which we haven't seen before. Faith is not seeing the wrong definitions there's a bunch of them. That faith is believing for something that doesn't exist. You know. That's not it. Faith is believing for something that does exist we just haven't seen it yet. And faith in like the scope the telescope is looking and focused at a black hole that we can't see in our future that we can't see out there. But when the scope with the correct lenses and the correct. Adjustments. Can see what's really there. And that's what's going on in our life. Seeing the not so obvious. It's there. By faith by his spirit by his word coming together. Can formulate that image that we will then see in men. Father we thank you. We thank you. Here the not so obvious. We are. We stumble over it. And we are quick to take offense by it. Been lured may we be patient. May we in love see who you are. What you're doing and how you're working in us. And if we can't see it may we by faith. Believe it. And that god. One day you will make it sight. So Lord bless the stay. Less. Our time. Bless your word to our lives that we may go forward and serve you. We pray in Jesus name Amen. Amen.