The Best Deal You'll Ever Get: Believing and Receiving

A Teaching on Ephesians 3:20

I want to talk about something that changed my life, and I think it might change yours too. I want to talk about the best deal you'll ever get. Better than any contract you've ever signed, any agreement you've ever made, or any offer you've ever received.

Let's look at one verse — Ephesians 3:20 — and here's what I want you to walk away knowing:

• There are incredible things available to you in life. And there's only one requirement on your part in order to receive them: believing.

That's it. That's actually my whole teaching. Believing equals receiving. So we could just stop right there, but let’s keep going and dive deeper into this a little more. Okay? Because I want to share with you what the Bible says is available in life, how you get it, and what you do with it once you got it.

PART 1: THE VERSE — What God Can Do

Let's read the verse. About what God can do. Ephesians 3:20:

"Now unto him [God] that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."

God is able to do — how much? Exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. That's NOT just "a lot." That's more than you can even imagine. More than you'd ever THINK to ask for. 

But here's the part most people miss (and what many churches don’t teach) — the last part: "according to the power that worketh in us."

According to what? The power that works INSIDE US. Not out there somewhere. Not in a building or cathedral. Not in the sky or the clouds. Not even according to Jesus. BUT, according to the power that works inside us. That's what the Word says. It interprets itself right in the verse.

So, there’s something working inside of you? Yeah. 

And what God can do… in your life… is connected to it?

Exactly. That's what the Word says.

So the question becomes: what is it? What is “the power that works in us?” And how does it work? I’m glad you asked. 

PART 2: THE CONTRACT — How This Works

Here's how I like to think about it. Think of the Bible like a contract — the best contract ever written. God is one party, and you're the other.

Now, in any good contract, you've got to read the fine print… the details… the clauses. Each clause of a contract spells out what one side agrees to do and what the other side agrees to do. In the Bible, every promise God makes is like a clause of a contractual agreement. Every verse that says "I will" or "ye shall receive" — that's God telling you what he’ll do… for you… and it’s in his writing. 

And I'm not the only one who sees it this way. I want to share a quick video. This is the comedian Katt Williams. Listen to what he says: https://youtube.com/shorts/xvdbLjU5B8Q?si=gJRulY39scF4wa6v 

Did you catch that? He said God's got contractual obligations. There are certain things God has to do in certain situations. And it's okay if you put Him in those situations. It's okay for you to say, "I believe there's a God, and He loves me, and He would help me in this situation."

That's right. And the Bible backs it up. Here are a few of God's clauses that backs up this idea of a contract with God and his contractual obligations.

Philippians 4:19: "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." That's a clause. God agrees to supply all your need. Not some. All.

Romans 8:32: "He [God] that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" That's another clause. If God already gave you the biggest gift — His son — why would He hold back anything else? God freely gives us all things we need. 

2 Peter 1:3: "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue." God has given to us all things that pertain to life. Health. Prosperity. Knowledge. Peace. Love. 

Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Trust in God. Don’t lean into your own understanding. And you’ll know which way to go. Your path will be clear. That's what's written.

Now here's the beautiful part: this contract is completely voluntary. God's not forcing anybody. You have free will. God put everything out on the table and said, "It's here it is…if you want it." It's an open offer. He’s written it down for us to understand. We get to read it. Study it. Question it. Talk about it. Test it… to see if it works (Malachi 3:10). 

Why do I believe in God… and his promises? Take a look around. My most beautiful wife. My wonderful kids. My nice house. My wallet. The big stuff. And the little things. And everything in between. I know who I am. I didn't do all of this. This wasn’t all me. There’s something else at play here. God.

And what was my part in all of this? What did I agree to? Well… it’s actually very simple.

PART 3: OUR PART — Believing and Loving

So what does God require from us? Two things. And they're 2 things we already know how to do.

1. Believe.

2. Love.

Let's start with believing. What does the Word say?

Romans 10:9-10: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

This verse… is the starting point. This is how we can get INTO this contract. You BELIEVE in your heart and you CONFESS with your mouth... And that's it. You're in!

And once you're in, that same act, that thing you do, BELIEVING — is how you access everything else in the contract. 

Look at Mark 11:24. Jesus said: “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, BELIEVE that ye receive them, and YE SHALL HAVE them." 

That’s not me saying that. That’s what Jesus said. And it’s written down. That’s a universal law… written down. For you. To believe.

What is it? 

BELIEVING EQUALS RECEIVING. It's a universal law in God's Word. It works every time. You BELIEVE it in your heart, you CONFESS it with your mouth, and you RECEIVE it. This is how the whole thing works from start to finish.

And remember what Katt said — it's impossible for you to believe, and watch something happen in your life, and NOT know where it came from. When you BELIEVE and then you SEE God move mountains in your life, then you know. That builds up your trust in God. You don’t just lean into yourself and your ability to make things happen. You realize what’s actually happening in life. 

So what does God require from you? Two things. Number one: Believe. Number two: Love. Let's read about love.

1 John 3:23: "And this is his commandment: That we should BELIEVE on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and LOVE one another, as he gave us commandment."

You see that? God put both (believing and love) in one verse. Believe and love. That's it. That's your whole part of the contract. You trust God, and you treat people right. When you love God and love the people around you, your believing gets activated by that which works inside you. It's not complicated.

So… God's side of the contract is: abundance, supply for every need, peace, power, a sound mind, direction, health, healing, prosperity, wisdom, strength, joy, freedom, no condemnation, righteousness, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, longsuffering, life more abundantly, more than conquerors, unconditional love, and on and on and on.

And your side is: believe and love. That is the best deal anyone has ever been offered.

PART 4: WHAT'S INSIDE YOU — The Power

Now let's go back to Ephesians 3:20 — "according to the power that worketh in us."

When we get born again, we receive a gift from God. You can’t see it. Can’t touch it. Can’t measure it. But you can see it manifesting in your life. You can see the fruit that it produces (Galatians 5:22-23). It worketh in us. It works. 

You don't have to earn it. You don't have to be good enough (Ephesians 2:8-9). You just have to believe it's there and start living your part of the bargain. 

And remember what Katt also said the video — make sure your relationship with God is one of the relationships you're working on, because it really is the difference maker in how things work in life (Matthew 6:33). That's true. 

WRAP-UP & APPLICATION

So, here's what we covered:

• God has written the most generous contract in the history of the universe. The clauses are His promises — and every single one of them is available to you. What's available? Everything that pertains to life and godliness. 

• How do you get it? You believe. Believing equals receiving. That's the law. That's how it works.

• What do you do with it? You love. You walk in it. You live your life knowing that the God of the universe has your back, and you treat people the way He treats you.

• And what's required? Just your decision. This contract is sitting on the table. God already signed His part.

This week, I encourage you to pick one promise from God's Word — just one clause in the contract — and believe it. Say it out loud. Write it on a sticky note and put it on your fridge. Let it get into your heart (Colossians 3:16). And watch what happens when you start believing what God already said is yours.

Ephesians 3:20 — God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that you ask or think. And it's according to the power that's already working inside you.

That's the best deal you'll ever get.

Amen?