Who Do You Think You Are?
https://vimeo.com/196312853
Ed Note: This New Sermon Series started January 1, 20172.
2. I Am In Christ – January 8, 2017 (1 Cor 15:22)
Are you in Adam or in Christ? In Ephesians 1, Paul says that if you are in Christ, you can be faithful, you are blessed, you were chosen and made blameless, you are forgiven, you can know the will of God, you are reconciled, you have an inheritance, you have hope, and you have the Holy Spirit.
3. I Am A Saint- January 15, 2017 (Eph 1:1-2)
Paul writes to the church in Ephesus and starts by saying they are saints in Christ. A Christian’s identity is primarily saint, not sinner. You will sin some of the time, but you are a saint in Christ. A saint is remorseful over sin, receiving conviction from God; there is no condemnation for the saint. A saint is faithful and powerful over sin through the grace of GIod.
4. I Am Blessed- January 22, 2017 (Eph 1:3-14)
We oftentimes believe that God doesn’t want to bless us, or, if he does, that we must to pay him back. But God is good; we don’t have to make him bless us. His people are blessed in Christ with holiness, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, grace. We bless the God who has blessed us.
5. I Am Appreciated- February 5, 2017 (Eph 1:15-23)
If you are in Christ, Jesus appreciates you. This means that God’s faithful people can receive encouragement and thankfulness from Jesus, even if they don’t receive such from other people. When you know that Jesus appreciates you, you exchange grumbling for praying, competing for celebrating, bitterness for thankfulness, performing for serving, and boasting for encouraging.
6. I Am Saved- February 12, 2017 (Eph 2:1-10)
Your own works cannot save you; only Jesus’ works save. Salvation means saved from the penalty of sin in the past, from the power of sin in the present, and from the presence of sin forever in the future. Those who are in Christ are saved from death, sin, worldly living, Satan and demons, the old nature/old desires, and God’s wrath. We’re saved by grace, then empowered by grace to do good works.
7. I AM Reconciled- February 19, 2017 (Eph 2:11-22)
Despite the wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles—centuries of conflict starting with Abraham—in Christ, they are reconciled. Their identity is no longer circumcised or uncircumcised, it is a new people, “Christian.” Even more amazingly, in Christ, God and sinners are reconciled. Christians are reconciled to one another and together are a dwelling place for God.
8. I Am Afflicted- February 26, 2017 (Eph 3:1-13)
God’s people will suffer; knowing what kind of suffering it is can help you endure your own affliction as well as comfort others in theirs. How are you and others around you afflicted? From Paul’s suffering, we see that we can be afflicted for others’ good, our growth, and God’s glory. How could your affliction be used as others are watching? Don’t waste your affliction; invest it. Don’t lose heart.
9. I AM Heard- March 5, 2017 (Eph 3:14-21)
When we pray, we’re talking to our Father. God always answers prayer with: yes, no, or later. Prayer can cause God to act, but oftentimes prayer is to change us. Praying also keeps us from grumbling and gossiping. From Paul’s prayer for his church, we learn that prayer is personal, relational, asking, yearning, expecting, and revealing.
10. I AM Gifted- March 12, 2017 (Eph 4:1-16)
To each one of His followers God gives spiritual gifts that are to be cultivated. Some have multiple gifts and different levels of a gift. God gives gifts to equip the saints and build up the body of Christ. Your gift is not your identity, but how are you gifted?
11. I Am New- March 19, 2017 (Eph 4:17-24)
When you know who you are, then you know what to do. In Christ, you are new. No longer are you alienated from God. The old is gone; the new has come. Put off the old self and put on the new self. Knowing your new identity in Christ allows you to change how you think, how you act, and what you desire.
12. I Am Forgiven- March 26, 2017 (Eph 4:25-32)
Are you bitter? Are there seeds of discontent in your soul that will cause you to become bitter? What are some characteristics of bitter people? If you’ve been sinned against, you have two choices: to remain bitter or to forgive. Paul gives six commands that help to end the cycle of bitterness. Who do you need to forgive, and who needs to forgive you?
13.I Am Adopted- April 2, 2017 ( Eph 5:1-21)
As a follower of Christ, you’ve been adopted by God the Father, given a new identity, and welcomed into a family with Jesus. You’ve been adopted to worship. So, do not engage in sinful behavior. Do imitate God by walking in love as children of light, discerning what pleases him, making the best use of time, being filled with the Spirit, giving thanks, and submitting to one another.
14. I Am Loved- April 9, 2016 (Eph 5:22-33)
Jesus loves the church the way a groom loves his bride. He acts as her head, giver, sanctifier/cleanser, and nourisher/cherisher. This relationship provides a picture of what a marriage between a husband and wife should look like. The following sermon explores what it means for wives to submit to and respect their husbands and for husbands to love and lead their wives, the way Jesus would.
15. I Am Rewarded- April 23, 2017 (Eph 6:1-9)
Slavery is among the most difficult topics in the Bible. Paul exhorts Christian slaves to obey their masters, but does that mean the Bible condones slavery? To be sure, American slavery is condemnable. But in Paul’s day, fair practices could be found. Then and now, employees are to obey their employers, and employers are to care for their employees. Jesus is Boss—he sees, knows, and rewards all.
16. I Am Victorious- April 30, 2017 (Eph 6:10-24)
When was the last time you felt like you got shot—emotionally, relationally, financially, spiritually? What we tend to do in those moments is look up and ask, “God, where are you? I thought you were good.” What we need to know is that it’s not just us and God. There’s a third variable: Satan and his demons. We are in a war. Do you know your enemy? Your king? What weapons are you using to fight?