Broadway Christian Church · Columbia, Missouri

Morning Worship · October 9, 2005

Prayer of the Day

To you, O God, we sing praise and adoration for life’s abundant blessings and grace.  You provide for our needs from your bounty.  You bless us with the touch of your breath.  You caress us with your love in our hearts.  Be with us this hour as we worship you with grateful lives and joyful hearts!  Amen.

Scripture

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably, exceedingly, abundantly, more than all we can ask or imagine, according to God’s power that is at work within each and everyone of us, to God be the glory in the church and to Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen.

Message

More Than We Can Ask Or Imagine

Rick Frost

Can I ask us to, hopefully, have a little fun for just a couple of moments?  Let’s see… Doug, are you feeling like you’d be willing to be a sportsman today?  Doug Muzzy just slumped down back there in his chair.

Say “hiâ?? to Doug and his wife, Gina.  Say “hiâ?? to Gina.

Doug, I want you to do something for me.  I want you to describe your spouse with one word.  Describe her to the whole congregation.  Now what I’m going to do is ask you to make it an “ableâ?? word.  Now you know about “ableâ?? words.  It needs to have the word “ableâ?? in it, like “lovable,â?? “sociable,â?? capable.â??  You can make up a word, by the way.  It doesn’t have to be a real word.  Like for Jan, I think of “party-able,â?? “eat-out-able.â??  You know, things like that.  So, if you want to make up a word, just give us one word that is an “ableâ?? word for Gina.

[Doug replies:]  “Caring-able.â??

How about that?  Was that good, guys?  I asked John Poehlmann today to do the same thing at the eight o’clock worship, to describe Linda, and he said, “unstoppable.â??

We’re going to be doing some “ableâ?? words today.  When the Apostle Paul was asked to describe what God was like, he used some “ableâ?? words.

In Romans 16, he said, “Now to God who is able to strengthen you…â??

When we’re having a difficult time, we can call upon God to strengthen us, because God is able.

In II Corinthians 9, he said, “God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance.â??

When we need a blessing, when we need something provided for us, God is able to provide.

Or for a little reverse psychology, in Romans 8, that great passage we’ve quoted so many times, Paul says, “Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.â??

When we feel alone, when we feel stretched out, when we feel completely isolated, when we are afraid, whatever that is, nothing – not anything – is able to separate us from the love of God.

Of course, in today’s text, Ephesians 3, Paul says, “God is able to accomplish abundantly, to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, according to God’s power that is already at work in every single one of us.â??

I want you to take three words home with you today.  Three words:  “God is able.â??  That’s all.  Those are the words I want you to take home.  This is the text, I think, that goes to the very core – the very heart – of our faith, that when all else is not able, God is able.  I think this is the text we need today.  I think it is the text that has been written for us.  It has been written for Christians everywhere.  We need to be reminded on a regular basis that God is able.  I think it’s written for those in the Church who are facing some hard times: illnesses, grief, injuries, accidents, disasters, financial crises, family problems, any situation that is just too much that it is overwhelming.  Sometimes we need to hear more than anything else that God is able.

I think this text is written for those in the Church who have a very nice, warm, big belief in the existence of God, but they have no sense that God can really make a difference in one’s life, not to mention in an ever-changing society.  When we feel that way, when we think that way, we need to hear and remember again that God is able.

I think it is written for those in the Church who believe that times are too uncertain to take bold action, to do anything really significant and big that really needs to happen – something meaningful and viable.  When we feel that way, that’s the time we need to hear and remember again three words: God is able.

We may not be able.  You may not be able.  I may not be able.  But God is able.  That’s what I want you to take home today.

This is a text and a word from Scripture of possibility in the midst of uncertain times.  Three words.  I want you to place them in your heart.  I want you to place them on your minds and place them in your souls.  God is able.  I want you to take them home.  I want you to make them your mantra.  I want you to put them on your refrigerator, in your palm pilot, wherever.  God is able.  That’s what I want you to remember.

In 1958, 101 adults, 75 children, and five infants, it is said, were commissioned.  They were sent out.  They literally got up from their seats at old First Christian Church downtown, and led by the Holy Spirit of God – what we call the Broadway Spirit around here – walked out to the 21-acre cow pasture in which you are sitting right now.  They did that because God was able.

I was at Scoville MacFarlane’s memorial service this week.  A lady was there.  I don’t know her name.  She is an elderly woman, a resident of Lenoir.  She’s a member of First Christian Church.  She was telling me about that day, October 8.  She was at that worship service.  She was sitting in the back, and she said it was a sight to see.  “All of those men, women, and children we had known, we had loved.  They got up.  They walked out together.  I’ll never forget it.  And look, just look, what they’ve been able to do in that church out there.â??

God is able.  God is able!

Folks, that was 47 years ago today.  Actually, it was October 8, yesterday, but it was this weekend.  It was on a Sunday 47 years ago. 

Because of that, I’m going to ask the charter members of this church who are here in this service today to get up out of your seats one more time and come stand right here in front of these people.  I’m going to tell you why I’m asking you to do that.  It’s because 99% of the people in this congregation don’t know who you are.  Ninety-nine percent of the people in the congregation joined this church since you started this place.  So, we need to see you.  We need to put a name and a face together.  If you’re a charter member, if your name is listed in the book – it’s right there – come on up and stand right next to me.  Come on.  Don’t be shy.  Stand in front of this congregation, if you would, and introduce yourselves, because there are people who have not met you.  They don’t know your names. 

I’m going to start with this guy right here.  I’m going to hand the microphone to him and ask him to introduce himself to you.  I want you to know that he was 28-years of age.  Twenty-eight!  Oh, my gosh!  Please go ahead…

George Garner, Al Taylor, Marty Taylor, Glenn Geiger, Delores Geiger, Kenneth Buckler, Judy Buckler, Dorothy Grimes (who added, “Shirley House couldn’t be here today, but she asks for your prayers.â??), Glenn Grimes, Ed Wiggins, Linda Rouse, Eileen Perry.

[Editor’s note:  The charter members listed above were in attendance at the 9:30 worship hour.  At the 8:00 worship hour, Connie Johnson, Claude Johnson, Evelyn Smith, Orian Smith, and Linda Poehlmann were present.  At the 11:00 worship hour, Bill Bower, John Daly, and Bill Ryan were present.]

Ladies and Gentlemen: the serving, active, charter members of Broadway Christian Church.

Folks, these are the people who stepped up.  These are the people who stepped out in faith.  These are the people who believe that God was able.  They pioneered this church.  They learned how to give.  They learned how to tithe.  They learned how to do everything you need to do in order to have a community of faith.  They had to do it themselves.  These are the people who pinched pennies.  There are the people who struggled to pay the bills.  These are the people, I am told, when times were tight and a payment was due, literally agreed to take a loan on their homes in order to pay it.

Now, you’ve all heard the story about Jack Miles, I’m sure.  Jack was a little bit younger then.  He liked to go to these fairs and carnivals that come to town.  At one of these carnivals there was a man who was a very big, strong man.  He had huge, meaty hands.  He would collect an audience in front of him.  He would then take a fresh orange, and he would squeeze it.  He would squeeze it and squeeze it until there was no juice left in it.  Then he would show it to the audience and challenge anybody else to see if they could get any more juice out of the pulp.

It was told to me that Jack – I remind you he was younger in those days – stepped up and volunteered.  He took the orange pulp, and in front of that whole audience, Jack squeezed, and squeezed, and squeezed until he got three more drops out of the orange pulp.

The guy was amazed.  He said, “I’ve never seen that done.  How did you do that?â??

Jack said, “Oh, that’s easy.  I’ve been the treasurer of Broadway Christian Church for several years.â??

OK, so it really didn’t happen, but…  I want you to know there was some squeezing going on.  There was some serious squeezing going on.

These are the people, folks, who experienced first hand today’s text.  They experienced first hand that God is able.

That was 47 years ago, and the Holy Spirit – the Living Spirit of Christ – has been living in us.  It has been working in us.  Thanks to it, that Spirit has done exceedingly, abundantly, immeasurably more than those first members 47 years ago asked or even imagined.  You just ask them.  They’ll tell you.

Now, we’ve shared the love and grace of God through Christ in this place.  We developed ministries of compassion and discipling.  Those things have grown.  People have responded.  People have decided.  All of you and others have made this your church home.  As a result, we’ve expanded this facility a number of times in 47 years. 

George Garner tells me that the charter members of this church are now going through their sixth capital stewardship campaign.  And each time, God has enabled the Broadway people to meet the challenge regardless of what it has been.  And it has been because God is able.  God is able to do far more than we can even ask or imagine.

Did you see the Ministry Fair on your way into the sanctuary today?  I hope you have.  If you haven’t, I ask you to have a look at it today or next Sunday.  Just take a look at our Ministry Fair.  You know… One of the things the leadership of this church struggles with is there is no way for us to communicate about all of the ministries of compassion, and discipling, and training, and worship, and wonder, and comforting, and caring, and all of those things that happen around here every single day, every single week.  Right here!  It’s exceedingly, abundantly, immeasurably more than the founding members of this congregation 47 years ago asked for or imagined.  But God was able, and God is able!

Folks, that is what I want you to take home today.  Just those three words, this foundational belief, that when it comes to the big things… when it comes to the hard things… when it comes to the important things… it’s God who is able.  I think it’s one of the most beautiful overstatements in all of Scripture.

That Spirit, that Broadway Spirit, is the one who calls us to discipleship.  Yes, but more than that, the Spirit calls us to an adventure, to things we don’t know we can do yet.

The question today:  What about the rest of us?  Have we ever experienced first hand God’s ability to do, actually do, more than any of us have asked or even imagined?  Has that been part of your experience?  If not, I have something for you.

Years ago, the great biblical scholar J. B. Phillips wrote a very tiny book with a great big, powerful punch.  The title of that book is Your God Is Too Small.  We have it in our church library.

Your God Is Too Small.  Did you know that?  For every single one of us in this room, our God is too small.  That’s a phenomenon, folks, that still is a very central problem to God’s people this very day.  That’s why I think we need this text today.  I want you to memorize it.  Take it home with you.  Put it up somewhere.

God is able through you, through me, to do more than we can imagine, dream, or ask for. 

I look around.  I think back to all the saints who have been part of the community of faith for 2000 years and have understood and received the power of this verse, and what they have given to us today.  I think of all the congregations I have been blessed to be connected with over a lifetime and all those wonderful saints there.  I think about all the saints who have been able, enabled, to dream today, not just for today, not just for what I’m going to get out of it, but what it’s going to be for folks 47 years from now.  Thinking about… dreaming about… 47 years from now – even in these uncertain times today.

That’s why I’m going to ask you to take these next four or five weeks to just stay with us.  I believe part of what we’re about is very spiritual.  It’s not just about writing a check.  It’s not just about collecting money.  It’s not just about building a building.  It’s about spiritual growth and development.  It’s not about what you’re able to do, or I’m able to do.  It’s about what God is able to do through us.

Therefore, I think we have to prepare our hearts.  We have to prepare our minds.  We have to listen to Scripture.  We have to pray.  We have to really connect with our faith again, because I believe we’re going to believe.  I think we’re going to trust.  I think we’re going to take a stand.  I think we’re going to experience first hand that God is able to do, as Paul said, “more than any of us could ask or imagine.â??

So, I ask you to humbly and yet boldly and joyfully take hold of that vision – those three words – for these next five weeks.  I’m going to ask you to exercise it with confidence, and with faith, and with thanksgiving.  I ask you to say those three words with me right now.

“God is able.â??

One more time.  “God is able!â??