Embracing Our Chosenness: Living in God's Grace
Summary
### Summary
Today, we began our worship by reflecting on Psalm 24:9, which calls us to lift up our hearts and gates to allow the King of Glory to enter. This imagery reminds us that we must open our hearts to God's presence. We then transitioned into a time of prayer, focusing on the recent political violence in our country, praying for healing, peace, and repentance. We acknowledged the historical and ongoing issues of political violence and asked for God's intervention and mercy.
The core of our discussion centered on the concept of being chosen by God, as illustrated in Ephesians 1. We explored the profound implications of understanding ourselves as chosen by God before the creation of the world. This chosenness is not based on our actions or merits but is a gift of grace. We delved into the historical context of Israel's understanding of being chosen and how this often led to a sense of exclusivity and superiority. However, Paul in Ephesians emphasizes that this chosenness is now extended to all who believe in Christ, regardless of their background.
We discussed the transformative power of knowing we are chosen by God. This knowledge should elevate our self-esteem and give us a sense of purpose and value. However, it should also keep us humble, as we did nothing to earn this chosenness. We reflected on how this understanding can change our interactions with others, encouraging us to see everyone as valuable and loved by God.
We concluded with a call to live out this truth, ensuring that no one we encounter feels excluded from God's love and grace. We prayed for the strength to embody this inclusive love in our daily lives and interactions.
### Key Takeaways
1. Open Your Heart to God's Presence: Psalm 24:9 encourages us to lift up our hearts and gates to allow the King of Glory to enter. This act of opening ourselves to God is essential for experiencing His presence and blessings in our lives. It requires intentionality and a willingness to be vulnerable before God. [22:50]
2. Understanding Our Chosenness: Ephesians 1 teaches us that we are chosen by God before the creation of the world. This chosenness is not based on our merits but is a gift of grace. Recognizing this can transform our self-esteem and give us a profound sense of purpose and value. [36:52]
3. Chosenness and Humility: While being chosen by God should elevate our self-esteem, it should also keep us humble. We did nothing to earn this chosenness; it is purely an act of God's grace. This humility helps us to avoid the pitfalls of pride and exclusivity. [51:05]
4. Seeing Others as Chosen: Understanding that we are chosen by God should also change how we see others. Everyone we encounter is valuable and loved by God. This perspective can transform our interactions, making us more compassionate and inclusive. [53:44]
5. Living Out Our Chosenness: Our knowledge of being chosen by God should not be kept to ourselves. We are called to live in a way that reflects God's inclusive love, ensuring that no one feels excluded from His grace. This requires us to actively share and demonstrate God's love in our daily lives. [57:19]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[22:50] - Worship and Psalm 24:9 Reflection
[25:33] - Prayer for Political Violence
[31:15] - Introduction to Ephesians
[36:52] - Understanding Our Chosenness
[41:29] - Historical Context of Chosenness
[45:08] - The Impact of Knowing We Are Chosen
[50:34] - Chosenness and Humility
[53:44] - Seeing Others as Chosen
[57:19] - Living Out Our Chosenness
[01:01:06] - Closing Prayer and Announcements
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Psalm 24:9
- Ephesians 1:3-14
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Psalm 24:9 encourage us to do, and why is this significant for our spiritual lives? ([22:50])
2. According to Ephesians 1:4, when did God choose us, and what does this imply about our relationship with Him? ([36:52])
3. How does the sermon describe the historical context of Israel's understanding of being chosen by God? ([39:04])
4. What are the two main groups mentioned in the church of Ephesus, and how does Paul address their understanding of chosenness? ([38:42])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does understanding that we are chosen by God before the creation of the world impact our self-esteem and sense of purpose? ([36:52])
2. In what ways can the knowledge of being chosen by God keep us humble, according to the sermon? ([51:05])
3. How does the sermon suggest that our understanding of being chosen should affect our interactions with others? ([53:44])
4. What does the sermon imply about the dangers of exclusivity and superiority in the context of being chosen by God? ([44:29])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on Psalm 24:9. What practical steps can you take this week to intentionally open your heart to God's presence? ([22:50])
2. How can you remind yourself daily that you are chosen by God and that this chosenness is a gift of grace, not based on your merits? ([36:52])
3. Think of a recent interaction where you may have felt superior or exclusive. How can you approach similar situations with humility and inclusivity in the future? ([51:05])
4. Identify someone in your life who may feel excluded or undervalued. What specific actions can you take to show them that they are valuable and loved by God? ([53:44])
5. How can you live out the truth of being chosen by God in your daily life, ensuring that no one you encounter feels excluded from God's love and grace? ([57:19])
6. Reflect on a time when you felt uninvited or excluded. How does knowing that you are chosen by God change your perspective on that experience? ([33:58])
7. What are some practical ways you can embody God's inclusive love in your community, especially in light of the recent political violence mentioned in the sermon? ([25:33])
Devotional
Day 1: Open Your Heart to God's Presence
Opening our hearts to God's presence is a deliberate act of vulnerability and intentionality. Psalm 24:9 calls us to lift up our hearts and gates to allow the King of Glory to enter. This imagery is powerful, reminding us that experiencing God's presence and blessings requires us to be open and receptive. It is not a passive act but an active choice to invite God into our lives, surrendering our fears, doubts, and distractions. By doing so, we create space for God to work in and through us, transforming our hearts and minds.
In our daily lives, this means setting aside time for prayer, worship, and reflection, allowing God to speak to us and guide us. It also means being open to the ways God might want to use us to bless others. When we lift up our hearts and gates, we acknowledge our need for God and our dependence on His grace and mercy. This act of openness can lead to profound spiritual growth and a deeper relationship with God.
Psalm 24:9 - "Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in."
Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to open your heart more fully to God's presence? How can you create space in your daily routine to invite God in?
Day 2: Understanding Our Chosenness
Ephesians 1 teaches us that we are chosen by God before the creation of the world. This chosenness is not based on our merits but is a gift of grace. Recognizing this can transform our self-esteem and give us a profound sense of purpose and value. Understanding that we are chosen by God means that our worth is not determined by our achievements, failures, or the opinions of others. Instead, it is rooted in God's unconditional love and grace.
This knowledge can be incredibly empowering, helping us to see ourselves as valuable and significant in God's eyes. It can also provide a sense of security and confidence, knowing that we are loved and accepted by God regardless of our circumstances. However, it is important to remember that this chosenness is not something we earned or deserved; it is a gift from God. This should keep us humble and grateful, recognizing that our worth comes from God's grace alone.
Ephesians 1:4-5 - "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."
Reflection: How does knowing that you are chosen by God before the creation of the world impact your self-esteem and sense of purpose? How can you remind yourself of this truth in your daily life?
Day 3: Chosenness and Humility
While being chosen by God should elevate our self-esteem, it should also keep us humble. We did nothing to earn this chosenness; it is purely an act of God's grace. This humility helps us to avoid the pitfalls of pride and exclusivity. Recognizing that our chosenness is a gift from God should lead us to a posture of gratitude and humility, acknowledging that we are dependent on God's grace and mercy.
This humility can also help us to see others with compassion and empathy, recognizing that they too are valuable and loved by God. It can prevent us from developing a sense of superiority or entitlement, instead fostering a spirit of service and generosity. By embracing humility, we can better reflect God's love and grace to those around us, creating a more inclusive and loving community.
James 4:6 - "But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'"
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you struggle with pride or a sense of entitlement? How can you cultivate a spirit of humility and gratitude for God's grace today?
Day 4: Seeing Others as Chosen
Understanding that we are chosen by God should also change how we see others. Everyone we encounter is valuable and loved by God. This perspective can transform our interactions, making us more compassionate and inclusive. When we recognize that each person is created in the image of God and is loved by Him, it can help us to treat them with dignity and respect, regardless of their background or circumstances.
This understanding can also challenge us to break down barriers and prejudices that may exist in our hearts, seeking to build bridges of understanding and reconciliation. By seeing others as chosen by God, we can become agents of His love and grace, extending kindness and compassion to those around us. This can create a ripple effect, fostering a more loving and inclusive community.
Colossians 3:12-14 - "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."
Reflection: Think of someone in your life who you find difficult to love or understand. How can you begin to see them as chosen and loved by God? What practical steps can you take to show them compassion and kindness today?
Day 5: Living Out Our Chosenness
Our knowledge of being chosen by God should not be kept to ourselves. We are called to live in a way that reflects God's inclusive love, ensuring that no one feels excluded from His grace. This requires us to actively share and demonstrate God's love in our daily lives. It means being intentional about reaching out to those who may feel marginalized or overlooked, offering them the same love and acceptance that we have received from God.
Living out our chosenness also involves being a witness to God's grace and mercy, sharing our faith with others and inviting them to experience God's love for themselves. It means being a light in the darkness, showing others the way to God's love and grace. By living out our chosenness, we can help to create a more inclusive and loving community, where everyone feels valued and accepted.
Matthew 5:14-16 - "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Reflection: How can you actively share and demonstrate God's love in your daily life? What specific actions can you take to ensure that no one feels excluded from God's grace today?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "So what I want to encourage you as we worship God by singing together this morning, by praying, by looking at his word this morning, is lift up your heart, lift up your gate, lift up your door, that the king of glory may come in." [22:50] (12 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "When someone invites you to a party, a wedding, a birthday party, anything like that, they chose to do it. They didn't have to. They chose to. And that's what feels so good when we know that we've been chosen to be part of whatever. Their celebration is in the same way that it means a lot when someone chooses to invite us to a party. The scriptures tell us that God chooses us. God chooses me and God chooses you." [36:10] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Imagine the difference it makes in your head and in your heart and in your entire life if you go through life believing that you're chosen, a beloved child of God with purpose and intention versus if you think you're a mistake or if you think, you know, if your identity is that you're a child of God, that I'm a loser or I'm a bad person or this. Imagine the difference it makes to go through life with good, healthy self-esteem versus thinking you're terrible." [45:54] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Hope will do amazing things for people. When they believe that there's a possibility for something to happen, better, people do better. There's an old study from Washington, D.C. where they took a high school that almost none of the kids graduated high school. I think they had like a 25% graduation rate. Some super rich dude came in and said, I will pay for college for anyone who graduates. You know what happened in the next few years? The graduation went to like 80%. When kids thought it was a real possibility they could go to college because someone was going to pay for it, all of a sudden they did better. Hope does amazing things." [49:23] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Knowing that you're chosen should elevate your self-esteem. It should be a fundamental part of how you think about yourself. It should elevate that self-esteem. It should also, and this is a really interesting bit about the way the chosenness works in Scripture. Because the temptation then is to do the mistake I talked about earlier. Elevate your self-esteem and then you push everybody else down. But the way it's talked about in Scripture is a little bit different. The way Scripture talks about it, chosenness should elevate our self-esteem but it should also keep us humble." [50:34] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "The scriptures tell us that God chooses us. God chooses me and God chooses you. And when we understand the implications of that and all that it means, it has a way of lifting us up in a way. And when we put our identity in that and we think of ourselves as someone who's chosen, it is a beautiful and wonderful thing." [36:10] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "You are chosen but you didn't do anything to earn it. That's what the Scripture says, right? That's what verse 4 said. If you want to go back, Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4. It says this, He chose, He chose us in Him, in Christ, before the creation of the world. Think about that. You weren't even born yet. How could you have earned it? How could you have done anything to deserve it? You were chosen before the world was even created. So it should raise your self-esteem. You're valuable in the eyes of God but it should also humble you because you didn't do anything to get there." [51:05] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Imagine how your reaction to people would be different. How your reaction to someone who's mistreated you might be different if you started with the belief that I'm chosen. I'm a chosen child of God. Imagine how it would impact you when you talk to your boss or your customers, your spouse or your kids. Your neighbors. Think of all the negative thoughts and behaviors that you could avoid if you just started with, I am a chosen child of God." [52:35] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "How would it change if we believe that about ourselves? And how would it change the way we interact with others if we believed it about them as well? I want to close just by saying that if there's anyone here who doesn't know, you're chosen. You're beloved. God chose you before you were even born. God has a purpose. You're not here by accident. You're not a loser. You're not a failure. You may have failed at some things, but you are not a failure. You're chosen, predestined, a glorious creation of God, our Heavenly Father." [54:29] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Lord, we live in a world and at a time where we are constantly being told we are not enough. We are labeled as failure. We are labeled as the person who got fired. We are labeled as the person who, you know, didn't take care of their parents. The person who disappointed us. The person who never gets the answer right. The person who's an addict. The person who, you know, did this or that wrong. Lord, we live in a world where we are often labeled by the things that have gone most wrong in our lives. And yet over and over again in the scriptures that we revere so deeply that we believe are a gift from you that are holy, inspired, useful for all things. We are told over and over again that our primary identity ought to be as people who are chosen by you, beloved by you, people with dignity and honor created in your image." [55:17] (61 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained only on this specific sermon. Do you have any questions about it?