The Christian life is war. But that war is not most often with swords or weapons. It is a war against our sinful self. It is a war against evil spiritual forces. The Christian life is war. Yet, we are not unequipped for it. Nor are we alone. We march fearlessly forward with Christ on us, his Spirit interceding for us and his Church by our side. Buckle up! It’s time for war. This weekend we’re wrapping up our look at Ephesians by looking at Ephesians 6:10-20.
Jesus and We - #8 - Bringing it Home
Why does Paul spend so much time talking about marriage? He spends more time on this topic than on almost any other topic in this book. Why? There is a mystery here that Paul unveils. Marriages and our families are reflections of Christ and of the church. And so, the adage proves truth that a healthy church helps to create a health home and a healthy home creates a healthy church. It’s vital that we bring the truth about the Christian home into the church.
Jesus and We - #7 - Not Giving away My Shot
Time is short. Each one of us only has one life to live. Each moment is there only for a moment so it’s vital that we think carefully about how we live in each moment. Paul calls us as the church to be thoughtful, reflective and intentional about the lives that we live.
Jesus and We - #5 - Be Like God
We’re aliens. We’re strangers. We’re foreigners. As we sing in one of our hymns, “I’m but a stranger here.” There is a powerful and important gospel truth in that. In Christ, “we were created to be like God, in true righteousness.” This is who we are in Christ! It’s a powerful statement of Christian identity. Paul calls us to be like God as we live together and as we live as strangers in this world.
Jesus and We - #4 - God's Answer
We pray for a full church, for the fullness of Christ in us. And then God answers. As each one of us speaks the truth in love to one another we grow up into Christ. We are the answer to our prayer. The church is God’s answer to our prayer for a full church. The church, then, is the training center for Christian formation and growth. What part will you play? This weekend we will be looking at Ephesians 4:1-16.
Jesus and We - #3 - A Prayer for a Full Church
It is the goal of every church to grow. We want to fill up. Paul does too. Right in the middle of this letter, he pauses for a prayer for a full church and song of praise to the God who can do even more than we pray about. And so, we pray for a full church. But this doesn’t necessarily mean more butts in the pews. We’re praying that our hearts would swell with the fullness of Christ in them. This weekend, we learn from Paul to pray a new prayer for a full church. Ephesians 3:14-21
Jesus and We #2 - One New Humanity
There is a movement of grace throughout all history and even into the future. It is a movement that moves steadily and intentionally toward us and now also between us creating the church, this one new humanity. A sermon on Ephesians 2:11-22.
Jesus and We - #1 - Chosen
As we look forward to snapping back and launching forward with our ministry, it’s good for us to understand what it means for us to be the church. There is no better place for us to learn that than in the book of Ephesians. Ephesians is all about the church. It is not about one of us, “just me.” It is about all of us. How we got here. Who we are. Where we are going. It is about all of us. And not just us. Jesus too! This is a series about Jesus and We. This weekend, Paul pulls back the curtain and shows us how long this plan, this work of God, has been in the works. The church - and we as members of it - is not a new idea. It’s an idea that is older than the hills. Look at Ephesians 1:3-14 and you’ll see what I mean. I’ll see you this weekend.