This is Us, Family of God: I'm At The End of My Rope
This is Us, The Family of God • Sermon • Submitted
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We were made for eternity.
We were made for eternity.
Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.
ROPE ILLUSTRATION FROM FRANCIS CHAN
We fail to see the scope of our purpose.
We fail to see the scope of our purpose.
Some of what we fail to understand is that we are in 4 dimensional Reality. We see it like the rope… linear fashion.
But scripture teaches us that eternity, reality is Cosmic in Nature. There are things going on that we don’t see.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Powers of evil seek to divide people against one another and against God, but Jesus enables believers to overcome evil and be united in Him and His family.
Powers of evil seek to divide people against one another and against God, but Jesus enables believers to overcome evil and be united in Him and His family.
God’s plan is to reveal and retrain us from the vantage point of his purpose.
God’s plan is to reveal and retrain us from the vantage point of his purpose.
What is the best way to train? In a family.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Our chief purpose is to worship God.
Our chief purpose is to worship God.
TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY! LIVE SO WE CAN PRAISE AND GLORIFY HIM.
But we don’t live to Praise and Glorify Him, our attention is divided.
Divided from God and from others.
Divided from Reality.
From our vantage point. The rope is linear… And the question is how do I make it to the end my rope.
But we were made for SO MUCH MORE.
SO HOW DO I LIVE FOR PURPOSE? HOW DO I FIND MY PURPOSE?
Be with Jesus. Get in the boat with Jesus.
Be with Jesus. Get in the boat with Jesus.
There is something about Jesus that patiently draws us to Him.
Paul says , 8 times in 9 verses. “IN CHRIST”
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
You believed! Entrusted your life and eternity to God through the redemption of Jesus.
You were purchased by the price of his blood
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
I’ve entrusted my eternity to Jesus.
Now I realize again that my life now is both eternal and preparation for eternity, how do I live with this eternity in mind.
Become like Jesus. Push into deeper water.
Become like Jesus. Push into deeper water.
Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere,* I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom* and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.*
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.
To become like Jesus in purpose.
To become like Jesus in purpose.
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
To grow in spiritual wisdom
To grow in knowledge of God
To have hearts flooded with light that we are made for more.
To Do what Jesus did. To get out of the boat for the sake of the gospel.
To Do what Jesus did. To get out of the boat for the sake of the gospel.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.* By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.
Our purpose is to love God!
Our purpose is to love God!
That is to bring glory to God!
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
To worship God!
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.
How does our local family do this?
Get in the Boat.
Get in the Boat.
Be with Jesus
Belong to his family.
Push out to deep water. Become like Christ.
Push out to deep water. Become like Christ.
Jesus helped people become like Him in Groups.
He taught them to do ministry in groups (We’ll talk more about that in a couple of weeks).
Get out of the boat to deliver the Good News. Do what Jesus did!
Get out of the boat to deliver the Good News. Do what Jesus did!
ETERNITY IS REAL!
Jesus redeemed us so others can be redeemed.
We are saved to others can be saved.
We are blessed to be a blessing.
SMALL GROUP
God is love. And you were made in his image. Let that sink in. How, then, should we live?
Share how being a part of your church family has helped you.
In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5 (NCV)
As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him. 2 Corinthians 3:18b (NLT)
3. A purpose of life is to grow up spiritually, to become like Christ. What a profound thought: “to become like Christ.” Since God is interested in who you are becoming, discuss what growing up spiritually looks like in a believer’s life. If time permits, go around the group and affirm a Christlike quality you see in the others there.
Let us go on… and become mature in our understanding, as strong Christians ought to be. Hebrews 6:1 (LB)
4. The culture around us is riddled with immaturity and destructive influences. As we take our next growth steps with Christ, how can we keep our focus on Jesus and the discipleship he longs to develop in us?
5. Everyone hurts at some time in life. Will you use the pain you experience to grow? How can it be put to good use?
God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings. 1 Peter 4:10 (LB)
6. If there were no limitations (time, abilities, money, etc.), what would you choose to do to help others? Is there a time in your life when this would be possible?
7. What do you think God has put you on this earth to do? How has he prepared you for that?
8. What advice would you give a person who is not sure of their mission in life?
Those who believed. . . were baptized and added to the church. . . They joined with the other believers and committedthemselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship. . . They shared everything with each other and they worshipedtogether regularly at the Temple. . . and met in groups in homes. . . and everyday the Lord added to their number those who were being saved! Acts 2:41-47
9. One of you read aloud the above passage from Acts 2:41-47 that describes how the first century Christians lived.
Take some time to study this verse and match their actions with each purpose: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and witnessing. How can we live out these same purposes today?
