New Members Class

Grow

What’s powerful about a name?

Paul in Romans 1:1 “1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,”

Why would Paul address himself as a servant or slave of Christ?

In the first century, slaves assumed the identity of their master.

In other words, if you were a slave and you went into public. In that place, you were treated as your master was treated.

If he was a good man among men, you would be treated with the utmost respect.

If he was not a good man, people would treat you accordingly.

The point was, you assumed the identity of your master.

Also in that culture, names carried such weight. You would be known by your last name.

Most people probably knew Jesus as the “Son of Joseph”, but this was why it was so shocking when people referred to him as the Son of God.

His identity was God!

Is God!

Everything Will discussed today pointed to this important fact.

In Christ, we identity with God.

He gave His life for us, that he might give his life to us, that He might live his life through us.

So here is how you can do that at BBC.

We are an old church.

We have a lot of history and traditions.

Some are great, some not so much.

Sometimes though that history causes us to wear masks or put up walls.

My middle son Camden was born in December of 2019. 3 months before March 2020.

What happened in March 2020?

COVID!

He grew up during a time where many people wore masks!

Really up until early 2022, people were still wearing masks in a lot of places.

Cam can be shy with new people now and I believe alot of that is because of the environment he grew up in.

Never seeing peoples faces, but only seeing the mask.

If Christ is in us, living through us, may I encourage you a huge step in growing in Christ is taking off the mask.

Read 2 Cor. 5:17 “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Growing in Christ also remembers what is important.

What are the 2 things you can take with you to eternity?

Read Matthew 6:19-21.

What does moth destroy?

Rust destroy?

Thieves remove?

So what’s left?

Jesus and People.

Growing in Christ means all is secondary to Jesus and People.

In the Church, as the Body of believers, may we love Jesus with all our soul, strength, and Minds, and love people well.

That is how we grow in Christ.

Key Scriptures:

2 Corinthians 5:17 “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Matthew 6:19-21 “19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”