About Andrew Schank

Andrew Schank is an Independent Baptist Missionary/Pastor who loves to blog about spiritual matters! His main ministry website is http://www.togetherinthegap.com. Andrew is also a contributing author to two other blogs/websites including http://linked2leadership.com and http://www.ifbkjv.com. Pastor Schank's Church website is http://www.greatcommissionbaptist.org

God Is More Than Able

In the heat of the battle, it is sometimes hard to see the achievements of our Heavenly Father’s omnipotence because of the smoke from the fighting around us. Though casualties may be laying all around us and things may seem to be going in a different way than what we would like, God is still on the throne! He is still more than able to handle our needs! May we reflect upon this idea as we consider this outline…



Title: “God Is More Than Able!”

Text: Ephesians 3:20-21

(Ephesians 3:20-21) “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, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”  (KJV)

Introduction:

•    Webster’s Dictionary says the word “able” means:
o    Having skill
o    Strength to perform a task
o    Competent
o    Talented
o    Vigorous
o    When you speak of able bodied; it speaks of seamanship – a sound body or robust (having all around knowledge of seamanship)
o    The legal dictionary speaks of someone who is legally qualified
•    Whether you speak in common terms, Nautical terms, or Legal terms, God is able!

Proposition: There are four areas where we know God can work in our lives this year that we need to think about this morning!

I.    He Is Able To Work In Our Conflicts!

A.    Conflicts range in severity but God can give wisdom to respond the right way!

B.    There is not a conflict that God cannot work in:

i.    In our life as we struggle with sin.
ii.    In our realm of service.
iii.    In our testimony.

C.    Many times we see events or circumstances and we perceive that they are conflicts. Several times they are the hand of providence.

D.    If we would look back into the year 2010, we probably can see several conflicts God worked in.

E.    We should look forward to what He is going to do in 2011!

II.    He Is Able To Work In Our Relationships!

A.    Relationships are usually touchy subjects because we are dealing with at least one imperfect individual.

B.    God can work in any relationship!

C.    He can work in our relationship with him.

i.    Convicts us.
ii.    Comfort us.
iii.    Constrains us.

D.    He can work in our relationship with family members.

i.    Spouses
ii.    In laws
iii.    Parents
iv.    Children

E.    He can take the rockiest of relationships and make them smooth out into the sand on the sea shore.

III.    He Is Able To Work In Our Prayer Life!

A.    Our prayer life is vital to our effectiveness.

B.    God can take us and work with us so we can pray more.

C.    Often, in order for this to happen, He has to do something to get our attention because when things go well we forget Him!

D.    He can answer prayers that we thought were impossible.

E.    He has performed this in 2010 and He can do it in 2011!

IV.    He Is Able To Work In Our Workplace!

A.    The workplace is an arena that is not foreign to God’s working!

B.    Matthew was at his post at the receipt of custom, Elisha was plowing when God called him, the Phillipian jailor was saved while on the job.

C.    It was on my public jobs that I have learned the most about what it means to walk with God!

D.    There is no job site that God cannot work on!

E.    He has worked on 2010 and He can work in 2011!

Conclusion:

To The Sinner:

•    Be saved!

To The Christian:

•    Remember that our God is able!

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Would you consider purchasing…

433757: 100 Devotions for Pastors and Church Leaders, Vol. 1: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Sermons, Lessons, Church Events, Newsletters, and Web Sites 100 Devotions for Pastors and Church Leaders, Vol. 1: Ideas and Inspiration for Your Sermons, Lessons, Church Events, Newsletters, and Web Sites

By John Phillips / Kregel Academic & Professional

Refuel and recharge with a rich collection of ideas for your personal meditation, sermon preparation, newsletters, lessons and web site content. Conveniently divided into 100 short bytes by title, you will turn to this book on a regular basis for quick inspiration and rich biblical insight; authored by biblical scholar and respected writer. 220 pages.

A Pastor’s Philosophy

Every person has a philosophy for their life. Even if it is not penned on parchment, it is written upon the table of the heart! If there is any person who needs to contemplate their philosophy for life, then it is the pastor. He is the one person who must be careful to follow the right path for many are walking in his footsteps. A few years ago, I penned the following philosophy for Godly leadership. May it help all who call themselves pastors to think about their role in this walk of life.

The Godly philosophy of leadership is as follows: 

#1 – Prayerfully discover the will of God for your life!

#2 – Give yourself to that plan from a servant’s heart! 

#3 – Mature and develop into a passionate instrument for God to use!

#3 – Determine to finish the journey even though there may be a cross to bear!

#4 – Look to God as Sovereign and trust Him with the results, rewards, and recognition for your labors!

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Soulwinning Power – By Pastor Dan Reed | Manna For Your Day

Dr. Dan Reed was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1951. He was saved at the Woodland Avenue Baptist Church in 1973 while studying engineering at Auburn University. Sensing the call to preach in 1973 he enrolled at Tennessee Temple College under the ministry of Dr. Lee Roberson. Finishing his B.A. in December of 1975 he was called to Emden, Missouri , a town of 61, to pastor the Community Baptist Church. Pastor Reed has started two churches and two Christian schools during his 33-year ministry. He is currently the pastor of Harvest Baptist Church of Acworth, Georgia. (Learn more about Dr. Reed HERE)

SOULWINNING POWER

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:1-4, Acts 4:31, Ephesians 5:18

Text: Ephesians 5:18 “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;  but be filled with the Spirit.”

In Acts 2 the entire 120 in the upper room were waiting on God in prayer for “the promise of the Father.”(Luke 24:49) When the day of Pentecost was come, the Scripture tells us they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they left that place to preach with boldness and win 3000 souls to Christ. Later in Acts 4 it happened again that “they prayed…and were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they spake the Word of God with boldness.” The church grew by leaps and bounds because the people were filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly used God’s Word with power to win people to Christ. Later, Paul commanded everybody in the churches to “be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Great soulwinners have always been men and women who believed in the power and unction of the Holy Spirit. There are those who say that the filling of the Holy Spirit is just being yielded to do what He says. But the Scripture teaches plainly that we are to plead and cry for the Holy Spirit’s fullness so that we can win souls. In Luke 11 Jesus tells the story of the importunate man going to his friend at midnight because someone has come to him in need of food. Jesus says that the man would not rise and give him bread because he was his friend, but because he kept pleading, he got up and gave him what he needed. Then Jesus said, “If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” Did you notice that He said we must ask Him for the Holy Spirit?.

My first church was in a little town called Emden, Missouri. It was just a crossroads with a population of 61! The nearest town was 10 miles away and it only had 1000 people. It was a farming community and houses were far apart. When God led me there I was 24 and new at pastoring and I made a whole lot of mistakes. But I had read Dr. Rice’s book on the Power of Pentecost and His book on soulwinning which taught that winning souls was a matter of having God’s power and that in order to have His power, you must pray and plead for it. So, I would go out behind the church on Saturday nights, look up into the sky and beg God to fill me with His Holy Spirit. Many, many nights found me walking back and forth across the pasture quoting Isaiah 44:3 “I will pour water on him who is thirsty and floods on the dry ground. I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing on thine offspring.” I was young, a little brash in my preaching, but oh, how God blessed that year that I was there with over 70 public professions of faith and many  baptisms.

Maybe the reason we do not win souls much is that we don’t do what Jesus said about praying and begging God for His power! The fullness of the Holy Spirit is given us primarily to win souls and we must have an earnest, heartfelt desire to do it in order for God to fill us! In fact, Acts 5:32 says that He only gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him. Why should He fill you if you are not willing to obey Him, first by continually begging Him for that fullness and then by witnessing to those around you?

Questions to Ponder

1. Do you have seasons of prayer where you ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit to help you win souls?

2. Do you have regular times to go soulwinning? No one is a consistent soulwinner who does not go soulwinning consistently.”

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Would you consider purchasing…

54155: Revival Revival

By Martyn Lloyd-Jones / Crossway Books & Bibles

Revival is the lifeblood of a vital church. Without the fervor revival brings, the church cannot accomplish its mission in the world. Yet today’s church is rife with apathy. How can revival be rekindled? Clearly and forcefully, Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes the circumstances which produced past revivals, discerns why each generation needs revival, and shows how revival will come about today. 316 pages, paper from Crossway.

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