Potential pt. 3

Turn to Ephesians 2. We want to wrap up this idea of potential this morning. Remember one of the goals of this series is that we will know our identity in Christ, we will discover our strengths (how we’re wired, what we bring to the table), and because of our identity and strengths, how do we serve our world.

Know your identity. Discover your strengths. Serve your world.

In Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10 we see identity, strengths, and service. Would you read it with me - Ephesians 2:10

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

I'm not going spend a lot of time on this verse this morning, but we’ll see it pop up again - it's kind of like a theme verse that we should latch onto. We see that we are God’s workmanship - we are created in Christ. At the moment of salvation, we receive a new identity. We have a new life in Jesus – a new purpose, trajectory for your life, a new way of living and thinking, a new worldview. Ephesians 4:22–24

Ephesians 4:22–24 NIV

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

We are His, and God is forming us into the men and women He desires us to be (if we let Him). We are His workmanship – that’s our identity.

He created us for what? Good works – doing that which is beneficial to others. God has prepared us for this, He has equipped us, given us strengths, gifts, brains, bodies, dreams, passions …. We are wired to serve and do good.

I’ve been created by God for ___________

Lastly, we see that we should walk in them – walk in the strengths, gifts, passions … that He’s given us. Walk in the good works that He designed us to do. So, our identity is in Christ, He’s given us strengths, and he expects us to use those strengths to serve others. In the weeks to come, we’ll talk about identity, strengths, and service.

Are you using what God has given you?

Colossians 1:9–10 ESV

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

[potential]

Remember, we want to be a church that helps people reach their potential in Christ: physically, spiritually, and emotionally. In other words,

As we to strive toward our potential, we become potential makers.

We don’t want to just help people exist (John 10:10). Whenever I do premarital coaching, I don’t want couples to have a mediocre marriage. I want them to have a great marriage! I always say this -

Husbands and wives, you have a God-given responsibility to help your spouse reach their potential in Christ.

You have a God given responsibility to be your spouse’s number one source of encouragement to be and do everything God desires.

Husbands, wives, parents, grandparents – you are to be potential-makers in the home (family).

Remember -

1) Reaching our potential is Biblical

2) Reaching our potential is Relational - it’s about the Great Commandment

– loving God, others, and self

3) Reaching one’s potential is Holistic

– we surrender all – mind, body, soul – physical, spiritual, emotional

4) Reaching our potential is Contextual

Context may be permanent, temporary, or transitional.

E.g. – Growing up and going through in school is not permanent (unless you’re really …) – it’s temporary. One day in school - next day graduate … context has changed – and your potential at any given moment during that period of life can change. A 3rd grader’s potential is different from a 12th grader’s potential. Or a 5-year-old’s potential is different than a 50-year-old’s potential. My potential in 2021 was greatly affected by my situation. My potential last year was not grandiose, it was just to survive, and sometimes my potential was just moment by moment.

Sometimes God takes us through a transitionary period. Maybe God wants to get rid of sin or false beliefs, or habits to break, new skills to gain, new knowledge to acquire – maybe we just need to grow up. It’s a transitionary period. Moses had to learn how to shepherd sheep in their desert for 40 years before he led Israel in the desert for 40 years. David was most likely a teenager when he was anointed king, but he didn't become king until age 30. He had a lot to learn.

What about a permanent context? Example - the potential of a blind person is different than a seeing person. Blind person probably won’t become a surgeon. All that means is that a person who is blind has a different potential. So, our life context can affect our potential, but understand …

Context does not determine our value.

Nor does potential. What does that mean? Blind guy ….

Potential is nonlinear

Potential is not necessarily achieved via a straight or upward line. That is a false presumption – often perpetuated through media or “potential gurus.” Reaching potential is more like a roller coaster (highs, lows, curves, tunnels, drops, loops, fast, slow, forward, backward …). This is why we cannot compare our potential or our context with another.

Potential is simultaneously about the future and who we are in the moment.

Galatians 5:25 ESV

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Keeping in step with the Spirit is moment by moment. For instance, when David killed Goliath, that was a pivotal moment about reaching his potential as the future king of Israel but simultaneously it was also about reaching his potential in the moment as he was led by the Spirit of God.

It's those seemingly insignificant potential-moments now that could make or break those potential-moments later.

Potential is contextual, it’s not always about bigger and better, nor is it always glamorous.

Think about Context in God’s Kingdom - Reaching potential in the Kingdom of God doesn’t always look the way we think it should. Think about it – if you want to be first, you must be last / the greatest should be the least / if you want to live you need to die / if you want to receive, you give. If you want to follow Christ, suffering is part of the deal (Phil. 3:10). Not always a straight and upward line. Doesn’t always make sense. Potential sometimes looks like washing dirty feet.

5) Reaching our potential is about living well .

“On the day of judgment, surely, we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done; not how well we have spoken but how well we have lived” (Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ).

“Most of us spend our lives running away from the things we're afraid of. We forfeit our dreams on the altar of fear. Or we chase after the wrong things. At the end of our lives, our greatest regrets will be

the God-ordained opportunities we left on the table, the God-given passions we didn't pursue, and the God-sized dreams we didn't go after because we let fear dictate our decisions” – Mark Batterson. Chase the Lion.

Regardless of our context - wealthy or poor, white collar or blue collar, liberal or conservative, black or white, old or young, it doesn't matter - Christians are called to live well. And living well means doing what can with what He has given us in the time allotted to us. Living well means recognizing there is a potential in Christ that we are to aim for. And along the way we are to help others reach their potential as well. And living well means we do this in community. You cannot reach your potential alone. Cannot reach your potential apart from Christ.

What’s one thing your learned today?