God With Us-Part 2

Scriptures on Unity

1 Corinthians 10:16–17 “When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.”

Communion is an acknowledgement and celebration of our unity with Christ and one another.

It is validation of a present reality and simultaneously a pronouncement of a future hope- that is complete unity and reunion with Christ.

Scriptures on the kind of relationship God wants with us.

John 15:15 “I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.”

John 17:11 “… now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.”

God wants oddddur unity to be based on and a reflection of the unity of the Father and Son.

Scriptures on continuing Christ’s Work on Earth

John 17:18 “Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.”

In the same way that Christ came into the world through the incarnation, we are sent into the world

John 17:22–26 ““I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”

Philippians 2:5–8 “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

Other Notes

The Incarnation didn’t end when Jesus returned to Heaven.

Jesus continues to walk and live among us by His Spirit which is manifest through believers.

As Christ’s love flows through us, we live out the incarnation in the lives of those around us.

God with us- what an amazing thought that the Lord of the Universe wants to partner with us in His work in the world.

Who are we that he should be mindful of us? (Psalm 8:4 “what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” )

Often in work, we say, “I work for….” a company or person. But in our work for God, he says he is with us- We don’t just work for God- we work with Him- we are partners in His divine plan for humanity.

Clearly- He is in charge and we are not equal partners in the sense that we know as much as Him or sovereign like Him.

Our partnership is more akin perhaps to an apprentice working under but with a master.

We learn from Him, watch Him, walk with Him and from Him learn how to apply those principles to ultimately fulfill His plan and work for the world.

The incarnation serves as a model then for how God wants us to engage the world

God came down to earth to come near to us.

He calls us friends and we are called to do the work he began.

We are His apprentices

As His apprentices we are called to continue the work he began in the way he would do it.

There are many great examples in scripture that serve as teaching models for us in regard to serving on mission.

The ministry of the Apostle Paul.

The spread of the Gospel by the 12 disciples/apostles.

Jonah

Daniel

The greatest example is found in the Christmas story of the incarnation.

Outline

What do they need to know

The incarnation reveals what kind of relationship God wants to have with us and wants us to have with one another.

**The incarnation paints a picture for how God wants us to relate to each other and to the world.

Why do they need to know it

We live out the incarnational model of Jesus best when living in community.

I don’t have the ability to perfectly exemplify Jesus on my own- I am limited in the ways in which I can accurately show Jesus to people.

Through the body, we are able to reveal a complete picture of Jesus.

Since Jesus is revealed through the body (and not just one individual person) then the body is necessary to accurately reveal Jesus to the world in His fulness.

The love of Jesus is best revealed to the world through a unified body.

A broken body exhibits a broken picture of Jesus.

A body of missing parts exhibits an incomplete picture of Jesus

When we understand the kind of relationship God wants to have with us and the world then we can better reach the world and do His work.

What do they need to do

Give up comfort (enter into the uncomfortable/awkward)

Give up your time (to serve)

Give up your rights (to obey)

Why do they need to do it?

Then we will be living as true apprentices and friends of Jesus