The Sermon in a Nutshell: October 4

The first part of our seven week sermon series, “The Church & Me” was “The Church & Me: Called Out To Stand Out.” Our Scripture text this week was taken from Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter 1, verses 1-14. As we begin to ask the question, “What's the point? Why bother going to church?” Ephesians is a great place to start because in this letter Paul talks about how God is working to redeem the world by working through the church. Although Paul doesn't come right out and use the word, in Ephesians 1:1-14 he is talking about the church. Nine times in these fourteen verses, Paul uses the phrase “in Christ” or “in Him.” This phrase is always used to describe “we” or “us” or “our.” Who are “we” or “us” who are “in Christ”? “We” are the church! Paul sets up an unspoken contrast in these fourteen verses between the church which is “in Christ” and the world which is “in Adam.” You see, in Adam (the first man) the world sinned and turned away from God. In Adam, the world is under a curse (Gen 3). In Adam, the world lives in the promise of death and condemnation. In contrast to the world in Adam, there is the church, which is in Christ (the perfect man). In Christ we, the church are “blessed...with every spiritual blessing” (Eph 1:3). In Christ we, the church, have “redemption” and “forgiveness” (Eph 1:7). In Christ we, the church, look forward to an inheritance when God brings His plan of redemption to completeness when “the times will have reached their fulfillment” (Eph 1:10). So what's the point in going to/being the church? The point is that the church is called out to stand out from the world around it! While the world lives in sin, darkness, and death, the church is called to be a beacon of light, forgiveness, and life! As if this were not enough to inspire us to participate in the church, Paul makes a grand statement about God's plan for calling out the church. In Ephesians 1:4-6 Paul tells us that the church was “chosen in [Christ] before the creation of the world...” This means that the church was called out to stand out in the past, even before God created the universe! In the present, as Ephesians 1:5-8 tells us, the church is called out to stand out as we now have “redemption” and “forgiveness” as we are adopted as sons and daughters of God. This calling goes beyond the present age and into eternity as Ephesians 1:9-10, and 14 Paul tells us that the church will be called out to stand out in the future as well as we are “God's possession – to the praise of His glory.” So what's the point? The point is that from eternity past to eternity future, the church has been called out to stand out by God Himself AND WE GET TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CALLING! May the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, by His Holy Spirit, give Christ's View Christian Church the guidance, strength, and faithfulness to stand out here in Christopher and may that standing out create ripples by which God will change the world. Amen.