August 23, 2009 - A Front Porch People:

Knowing Who We Are in Christ (Ephesians 1 & 2)

Key Focus:

• Who do you see with you in church? Who do you think God sees?
  • Remember the old bumper sticker: "Christians are perfect, just forgiven!"?
  • What do you think about that?
• Knowing Who We Are in Christ (I will need to emphasize the saved from sin/destruction, saved to be in God's family, saved for making a difference in the world -- Ephesians 2:1-10 -- this is a basic introductory message and ties in to our emphasis: Be Fed, Feed Myself, Feed Others).
• Rreally all of Ephesians 1 lies behind this concept as well!
  • Mark 5 - go tell your friends and family what the Lord has done for you -- this is the pay off line!
    • This is where we want to get folks, to get ourselves, but to do that, we have to know who we are in Christ!
  • The evangelization of Decapolis - by a lunatic, loser, loner? Yep, looks like it! Look at Mark 5 and cf. to Mark 7:31-chapter 8 -- great crowds, people in need, heard the testimony of the former "Legion"!
  • We are also unlikely witnesses, but once we see ourselves as Jesus does, wow, we won't others to know who they are, too. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Titus 3:3-7; cf. Romans 5:5-11; Colossians 1:21-22)
  • Lots of other unlikely witnesses, but here are a couple to consider: Woman at the Well & Andrew: two other people unlikely to be folks on the front porch welcoming outsiders into to the family of God.
    • But once they met Jesus, and He showed them who He was they knew their value and their mission: they were changed ... they were significant ... they had a voice!
    • But first, they had to meet Jesus, to be "changed" by Jesus, and to be redefined by Jesus' view of them!
• Specific Exercise: Write a short prayer of thanks & praise for each day of the week, for what God has done in your life and how He has blessed you. Use the first letter of each day of the week as a focus point. [I envision these as bulletin inserts at Daybreak & Sundown and on the Communion Table at Refresh.]
  • S - salvation blessings
• M - mission & purpose in life
• T - triumph over troubles
• W - witnessing opportunities (people with whom we have the opportunity to share Jesus)
• T - thirst & hunger needs filled (food & water are included, but other things we thirst and hunger for like affection, meaning, significance are included)
• F - friends, family, and spiritual family
• S - successes (not just physical & fiscal success, but also opportunities to help others, bless others, influence others, lead your families or in your job or in your school)

• Back to School: Gaining momentum, looking for visitors, inviting friends
• Cordinated Emphasis with Adult Classes on Being the Front Porch People of God

• Ephesians 2:1-10 tniv

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Drama, Media, & Connecting Pieces:

• Pre-video:
• Video Piece: Video Link
  • Direction
• Scripture readings
  • Scripture Directions
    1. Ephesians 2:1-10 - Read vs. 1-9 and then have the congregation read vs. 10 with the reader
       

Time in the Word Focus:

• Key focus of the Time in the Word
  • Key Ideas
    • Point

Daybreak Focus: (See emphasis above! Team Working on Planning Order - Names)

Refresh Focus: (See emphasis above! Team Working on Planning Order - Names)