Sermon INTRODUCTION A Resurrected Community Ephesians Series

If Jesus is alive, then what does it mean for us today? What does it mean to live as a “Resurrected Community”?

What does it really mean to be a Christian in the day in day out reality of life? Given my own track record, why am I saved at all? How should my faith impact my life at home, at school, at work, in church?

Does being a Christian mean that I can go out and live any way I want? Does it mean that I simply stop doing what I like doing and start doing what I don’t like?

LISTEN TO THE LETTER WITH FRESH EARS INTIMACY WITH GOD COMMUNITY WITH BELIEVERS INFLUENCE WITH NON- BELIEVERS

GK Chesterton – “It’s not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting; BUT rather that it’s been found hard and thus not tried.”

In some ways our present world culture, in spite of the great claims of democratic freedom, looks more and more like that of ancient Rome. As the West shakes off its Christian mantle and a unified global community begins to take shape, we can see instructive parallels with the past.

Contemporary believers begin to relate more easily to their ancestors in the faith. The New Testament becomes obviously relevant, because it addressed situations like those we now face. -Dr. Peter Jones

What Ephesians doesn’t discuss: -There is no controversy in the book - There is almost no attention in the letter to eschatology

WHAT IT DOES DISCUSS : Praise to God and How to live with others as a result of God’s grace- IN THAT ORDER Intimacy with God Community with believers Influence with non-believers

Religion functions on the view that “Behavior determines blessing.” Christianity functions on the view that “Blessing determines behavior.”

“Recipe Theology” “Recipe theology studies the bits and pieces of life in order to help us tell our story better. God invites us to join him in telling his story.” - Crabb

All theology should be practiced and all practice should be rooted in theology. Imagine a body of believers where the three key relational ingredients are being added into our lives on a continual basis

INTIMACY WITH GOD- Pick a passage of Ephesians to memorize and meditate on during this series COMMUNITY WITH BELIEVERS – How can you deepen your relationships with believers? INFLUENCE WITH NON- BELIEVERS – pray for specific people