Use The Whole Package (Part 2): Chosen

Pastor Rocklyn Clarke - Sunday July 26, 2009

© 2009 Life Church Ministries, Inc.

http://www.LifeChurchMinistries.org/

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Notes
V Introduction
* Bible Reading 7/19 - 7/25: 1 Chronicles 28 - 2 Chronicles 16; Romans 5:6 - 9:21; Psalm 15 - 19; Prov 19:18 - 20:1
> Review
V New Material
> Preparation
V Use The Whole Package (Part 2): Chosen
> Preparation - Ephesians 1:1-14
* Discover the Exegetical Idea
Holiness and blamelessness are God's intention for us.
V Formulate the Homiletical Idea
* Believe that you can be holy and blameless because this is what God has chosen you for.
V Determine the Purpose of the Sermon
V I want people who hear this message to:
* Understand that in Jesus we've been given the whole package.
* Believe that God has chosen us to be holy and blameless.
* Understand how to use this passage to achieve this goal.
V Standing Issues
V From a word Bishop gave me:
* Make sure people do something with God's message.
* Make it plain: Use accessible language and modern parables.
* Keep it simple.
* Use illustrations of truth out of my own experience.
* Impart faith to obey the Word and receive God's promises.
V Introduction
* God gave you the whole package in his Son Jesus Christ. Give it up for God, and use the package!
* I used to have a pair of cowboy boots.
* The boots have straps to help you put them on.
V Bootstraps
* Meaning
* "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps"
* "bootstrapping" - in use by the 1800s
V Bootstrapping - examples
V Cars
* Internal combustion engine needs electric spark (spark plugs) to ignite fuel and power the cylinder.
* Electricity for the spark comes from the battery
* The battery is recharged by the generator / alternator
* The generator is powered by the engine.
* Something has to get the party started: the starter
* What else needs to "bootstrap" itself? Computers!
V Computers
* Bootstrap loader "bootstraps" the computer.
* "Bootstrap" --> "boot" --> "reboot"
* Rebooting restarts the installed software from scratch.
* Your computer's performance after reboot is only as good as the quality of the installed software.
V Transition
* We've seen that both cars and computers have to "bootstrap".
* For computers, bootstrapping (or rebooting) raises another issue - installation.
V Computers: Installed software
* Every computer starts out with an operating system that enables it to do what it was purchased to do.
V Sometimes your system software becomes:
V Outdated
* Vendor develops new bug fixes or security patches.
V Corrupted
* Power failure, tripping over the power cord, etc.
* You might be infected with a virus.
* You need an "upgrade" (e.g. a newer MacOS , Windows, or Linux).
* Upgrade (new operating system) / Fresh Installation
* Rebooting reloads the system software and starts over.
V Transition
* We've looked at boots, bootstraps, and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.
* We've observed that both cars and computers "bootstrap" in some way.
* We've seen that before they "bootstrap", computers need installed software to "reboot" from.
* Now we're going to take a look at how a "fresh installation" and "rebooting" are relevant to our spiritual lives.
V Software Installation, Reboots, and People
* People are like computers in some ways.
* We have mental software that needs attention.
V Our mental software is corrupted
* We're born that way.
* We're infected with a virus - sin.
* Our mental software quickly becomes outdated
* We have a problem!
* God has a solution!
V Chosen in Christ
* Read the passage: Ephesians 1:1-10
* We've been chosen in Christ to be holy and blameless in God's sight!
V God has an upgrade planned for us!
* Before we're saved we're not plugged in to the network - we can't download the upgrade.
* We have to install the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM (i.e. the Bible).
V Upgrade - new operating system
* Salvation - chosen in Christ
* Included in Christ - Ephesians 1:13-14
V What does this mean?
* Who chose? God.
* Whom did God choose? Us.
* Where did he choose us? In Christ.
* When did he choose us? Before time began.
* Why did he choose us? So that we would be holy and blameless.
V Inspired by a quote from C. S. Lewis:
* Sin requires a reset from the creator like "supervisor to aisle 3".
V We must absorb the "spiritual DNA" that nullifies sin. That "DNA" must come from the death of a god-man (i.e. Jesus).
* Eat the sacrifice (research this).
* Eat my flesh and drink my blood. - John 6:48-58
* Take eat.
* Jesus' DNA is in his Word.
V Is it True? Do I believe it?
* We've seen the importance of holiness and blamelessness at the "beginning of the story (Paul wrote circa 61 AD at the beginning of church history).
* Let's see what the Bible says about this subject at the "end" of the story.
* Other passages confirm the importance of holiness - Rev 21:1-8
V What difference does it make? So What?
* Once we're in Christ we have new "mental software".
* Nevertheless, we have to live our Christian lives in a sinful messy world.
* Leaks
V At Life Church we are called to transform lives.
* This transformation only happens by faith.
* Believe that Eph 1:4 is true about you.
* Call those things that are not as though they were. - Romans 4:13-25
* Speak God's words after him like a baby imitating its parents.
* What Abraham and Sarah spoke via their new names came to pass!
V Get excited!
* I'm a software engineer.
* I get excited when I have both a goal and a viable path to it.
* I get excited when I have a goal and a word from God supporting it.
V Conclusion
* In Jesus we've been given the whole package.
* We need to know what's in the package:
* You need to know how to make use of the package.
* We have been chosen in Christ to be holy and blameless in God's sight!
* We can be confident about holiness and blamelessness because God has chosen us for this goal.
V Reboot - daily or more frequently if needed
* Rebooting reloads the system software and starts over.
* Devotional time
* Ephesians 1:1-14 is excellent reboot material.
V Altar Call / Welcome Cards / Communion
* Welcome Cards - refer to script
* Men's Prayer
V Discussion Questions / Topics (based on the indicated scriptures)
V Ephesians 1:1-4
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
V Discussion Questions / Topics:
* According to Ephesians 1:4, what did God choose us to be?
* Do you expect this to happen in your life? Discuss.
* Describe some of the ways that you have grown in this area.
V Revelation 21:1-8
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars — their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
V Discussion Questions / Topics:
* What do you find exciting about this passage? Why?
* What do you find challenging about this passage? Why?
V Witnessing Activities
* What do you find helpful when it comes to evangelism?
* What makes evangelism more difficult for you? How can we help?
* Pray for each other in accordance with Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1:15-23.
V Scriptures For 07/26/2009 Life Church Sermon
Ephesians 1:1-14
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will — to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession — to the praise of his glory.
Revelation 21:1-8
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars — their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Romans 4:13-25
It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring — not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed — the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead — since he was about a hundred years old — and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness — for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Ephesians 1:15-23
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Understanding The Bible

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

Here, for your convenience, are the Bible passages that we will be using in today's sermon at Life Church. We use the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible so that you can read it in modern English. You may have been accustomed to reading or hearing the King James Version of the Bible, which uses older English (with words like "thee" , "thou", "thine", "believeth", etc.). If so, don't be alarmed - the passages below are really from the Bible even though they are in modern English.

The Bible was originally written in three ancient languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. None of the people in the Bible, and none of the people who God used to write it spoke English. In fact, English did not even exist as a language when the Bible was written. The King James Version, first published in 1611, was a translation of the Bible from it's original languages into the every day English that people used back then - almost 400 years ago! They didn't just speak that way in church - they spoke that way with everyone. English has certainly changed a lot since then! Since you probably don't speak Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek, you're going to have to read the Bible in translated form. At Life Church we believe that since you're going to read an English translation of the Bible you might as well use an up to date one - written in the English you speak every day. God wants you to understand his Word so that you can put it into practice!
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