Embracing Unity and God's Transformative Love in Christ
Summary
The sermon begins with the pastor emphasizing the new way to be human in Jesus Christ, highlighting the purpose of believers to proclaim this new way to every nation on Earth. The pastor refers to the apostle Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14, where Paul expresses his awe and wonder at the magnitude of God's love and power. The pastor encourages the congregation to grasp the immeasurable love of Christ and experience the fullness of life and power that comes from God. The pastor then emphasizes the importance of trust in God and the concept of unity in the new family of Christ. The pastor mentions that salvation is not just about individualistic views but rather about the creation of a new community where there is no distinction between Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female.
The pastor shares a personal testimony related to this verse, highlighting the significance of reflecting on the immeasurable greatness of God. The pastor then reflects on the theme of God's presence and trust throughout the past three months. They share their desire to go on a retreat and be quiet to listen to the Lord. They express openness to whatever God wants to do in their life. The pastor then recounts their experience of finding a week's course at LL that focused on restoring the human spirit and dealing with difficult relationships, fear, and anxiety.
The pastor emphasizes the power of God's love in Christ Jesus, acknowledging that we all have weaknesses, fears, and shame, but God's love does not ignore these struggles. Instead, God's love takes us in our weakness and transforms us, making us perfect in Christ. The pastor shares the testimony of Jackie, highlighting her story of struggle, brokenness, surrender, and ultimately experiencing the fullness and power of God's love. The pastor emphasizes the need for the power to understand God's love, just as Paul prayed for the Ephesians.
The pastor addresses the danger of individualism and self-centeredness in Western culture, particularly in relation to the concept of salvation. The pastor emphasizes that salvation is not simply about feeling or believing that Jesus resides within us, but rather about being in Christ. The pastor highlights that the apostle Paul speaks more about believers being in Christ than Christ being in believers, emphasizing the importance of rebalancing this perspective. The pastor also emphasizes the significance of understanding salvation within the context of being part of God's global family and the worldwide plan of redemption.
The pastor concludes by reflecting on their personal journey of overcoming fears and insecurities. They share how they used to avoid speaking in church and preferred spending time with trusted individuals, praying and seeking inner healing. However, they realized that the burden of saying "I can't do something" was heavier than actually stepping out and doing it. The pastor acknowledges that they are now speaking to the congregation, which serves as a testimony to the importance of dealing with fears and lies that are spoken over us.
Key Takeaways:
- The pastor emphasizes the importance of understanding the immeasurable love of Christ and experiencing the fullness of life and power that comes from God. This understanding is not just theoretical but should be a lived experience for every believer. ([12:45])
- The pastor highlights the need for unity in the new family of Christ, emphasizing that salvation is not about individualistic views but about the creation of a new community. This community is characterized by the absence of distinctions such as Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. ([24:30])
- The pastor shares the testimony of Jackie, a story of struggle, brokenness, surrender, and ultimately experiencing the fullness and power of God's love. This testimony serves as a reminder that God's love does not ignore our weaknesses and fears but transforms us, making us perfect in Christ. ([36:20])
- The pastor challenges the notion of individualism and self-centeredness in Western culture, particularly in relation to the concept of salvation. They emphasize that salvation is not simply about feeling or believing that Jesus resides within us, but rather about being in Christ. ([48:10])
- The pastor shares their personal journey of overcoming fears and insecurities, emphasizing the importance of dealing with fears and lies that are spoken over us. They highlight the significance of stepping out in faith and doing things that we think we can't do. ([59:30])
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Ephesians 3:14-21
2. Galatians 3:28
3. John 15:12-13
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#### Observation Questions
1. What does Paul pray for the believers in Ephesians 3:14-21? How does he describe the love and power of God?
2. According to the sermon, what is the significance of unity in the new family of Christ? [48:10]
3. How does the pastor describe their personal journey of overcoming fears and insecurities? [59:30]
4. What story does the pastor share about Jackie, and what does it illustrate about God's love? [36:20]
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#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Paul emphasize the need for believers to grasp the "immeasurable love of Christ"? How does this understanding impact a believer's life? [12:45]
2. How does the concept of unity in Christ challenge the individualistic views prevalent in Western culture? [48:10]
3. In what ways does the pastor's personal testimony about overcoming fears and insecurities relate to the broader message of experiencing God's power and love? [59:30]
4. How does the testimony of Jackie serve as an example of transformation through God's love? What can we learn from her story? [36:20]
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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt the immeasurable love of Christ in your life. How did it change your perspective or actions? [12:45]
2. The pastor emphasizes the importance of unity in the new family of Christ. How can you contribute to fostering unity within your church community? [48:10]
3. The pastor shared their journey of overcoming fears and insecurities. Identify a fear or insecurity you are currently facing. What steps can you take to address it with God's help? [59:30]
4. Jackie’s story highlights the power of surrender and experiencing God's love. Is there an area in your life where you need to surrender to God? How can you take the first step towards that surrender? [36:20]
5. The sermon challenges the notion of individualism in salvation. How can you shift your focus from an individualistic view of faith to a more communal and global perspective? [48:10]
6. The pastor mentioned the importance of dealing with fears and lies spoken over us. What lies have you believed about yourself, and how can you replace them with God's truth? [59:30]
7. Reflect on the idea that salvation is about being in Christ rather than just having Christ in us. How does this perspective change the way you live out your faith daily? [48:10]
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This guide is designed to help your small group delve deeper into the themes of the sermon, encouraging both personal reflection and communal growth.
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing the Immeasurable Love of Christ
The love of Christ is not just a concept to be understood, but a reality to be experienced. It is immeasurable, powerful, and life-giving. When we grasp this love, we experience the fullness of life that God intends for us. [12:45]
Ephesians 3:18-19 - "May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully."
Reflection: Reflect on your understanding of God's love. How can you move from a theoretical understanding to a lived experience of His love today?
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Day 2: Building Unity in the Family of Christ
Salvation is not an individualistic concept but a communal one. As believers, we are called to be part of a new community in Christ, where there are no distinctions of race, status, or gender. We are all one in Christ. [24:30]
Galatians 3:28 - "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Reflection: How can you contribute to building unity in your local church community? Identify one action you can take this week to foster unity.
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Day 3: Experiencing Transformation through God's Love
God's love does not ignore our weaknesses and fears. Instead, it takes us as we are and transforms us, making us perfect in Christ. This transformation is a testament to the power of God's love. [36:20]
2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"
Reflection: What fears or weaknesses are you struggling with? How can you surrender them to God and allow His love to transform you?
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Day 4: Rebalancing Our Understanding of Salvation
Salvation is not just about Jesus residing within us, but about us residing in Christ. This shift in perspective is crucial in understanding our place in God's global family and His worldwide plan of redemption. [48:10]
Colossians 3:3 - "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."
Reflection: Reflect on your understanding of salvation. How does the idea of being 'in Christ' change your perspective?
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Day 5: Overcoming Fears and Insecurities
Fears and insecurities can hold us back from fulfilling our God-given potential. However, when we confront these fears and lies, we can step out in faith and do things we never thought possible. [59:30]
Joshua 1:9 - "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Reflection: What fears or insecurities are holding you back? How can you confront them and step out in faith today?
Quotes
"God has a full measure of power in Christ Jesus for you that doesn't ignore our weakness but that actually takes us in our weakness or fear or shame this morning and makes us perfect in Christ." [01:02:48]
"My prayer is that you would have the power to understand what to understand God's love... that power on the inside comes to experience the love, the perfect love of father son and spirit that's existed before time that will carry you homewards and exist forever more." [01:03:31]
"The burden of saying I can't do something is actually heavier than actually doing it." [39:26]
"His love is enough for you this morning, his mighty power is working within us to accomplish immeasurably more than we might ask or imagine." (#!!01:20:56!!#)
"It's about us sharing no longer Jew or Gentile, no longer slave or free, no longer male and female... that's how we're going to move into this abundance that's coming over the next few weeks and Beyond Christmas Beyond Advent." #!!01:13:04!!#
"He cries out for the church in Ephesus and Aberdine and in every nation to experience the full measure abundantly of God's saving love and his resurrection power." #!!01:00:00!!#
"The power that Paul's praying for shed this morning is a gift that we receive in our weakness... overcoming is done by him and our lives in Christ means that I get to live in his peace and his purity and his power at all times and in all places." #!!01:18:29!!#
"Here's the danger to think that salvation is simply feeling or believing that somehow Jesus has taken up residence in me inside me... Paul speaks far more often about you and I being in Christ than he does about Christ being in you." #!!01:09:58!!#
"And may you church have the power to understand as all God's people should how white how long how high how deep his love is that very song We sang earlier How Great Is Our God and may you experience Paul says the love of Christ though it's too great to understand fully then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." #!!57:24!!#
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