1. We are the Bride of Christ
Pray for & dismiss children to Sunday School
Take 30 seconds and greet someone next to you.
PRAY!
Who are we? Where are we going?

2. Who are we? Where are we going?
Father
Son
Holy Spirit
Why this series? Why are we asking these questions?
Because we desire it to become a reality in our lives.
Who are we?
Our identity is not something that we choose, but rather something that we receive.
It’s vital that we understand where we receive it from.
Where are we going?
Our Purpose flows out of our identity.
Introduce Table
Visual: Three- Dimensional Cube. Our identity in relation to each member of the Trinity.

3. Who are we? Where are we going?
Father
Fellow Citizens of God’s Kingdom
Inclusive
Belonging
Where are we going?
On a journey that creates a church family that is fundamentally inclusive and fosters a sense of belonging.
Why?
Because the gospel brings radical inclusion to the excluded.
How do we achieve this?
Equal access
Equal status
Primary Allegiance to Christ

4. Who are we? Where are we going?
Son
Body of Christ
Incarnational
Now
Who is He?
Jesus Christ is Lord over all.
Who are we?
The Body of Christ:
Metaphorically
Different people fit together (1 Corinthians 12- one body, many parts)
More than a metaphor
Union with Him (John 15- vine and branches)
Authority and power to overcome all opposition because our leader and head is Lord of all.
Here and now expression of Jesus Christ (The Kingdom is Today!).
Where are we going?
On a journey to build a church family that is fundamentally incarnational. Meaning we embody the fullness of Jesus Christ by expressing His person and rule in the here & now.
How do we do this?
Strengthen our union with Him
Exercise His authority
Live like Him

5. Who are we? Where are we going?
Holy Spirit
Temple of the Holy Spirit
Charismatic
Filling
Who are we?
A home for God the Holy Spirit.
Theme #1= Unity (in whom/ in Him/ joined together)
Theme #2= Growth (working progress/ new commissions)
Theme #3= Home (holy temple/ dwelling place)
Where are we going?
On a journey to build a church family that is inescapably charismatic. Meaning that we cannot neglect being filled with the H.S because His presence, and His power, His own glory fill His temple.
He desires to fill us; we must not grieve Him.

6. Who are we? Where are we going?
Father
Family Members
Relational
Serving
Who are we?
We are family. You are royalty and the person next to you is royalty. We must position ourselves for a revelation of our identity and the identity of those around us.
Where are we going?
We’re on a journey to build a church family that is fundamentally relational in our nature. Our church is a family not a meeting. We are contributors not consumers.
Serving is the fruit of receiving a revelation.
Why important?
Because unity brings a release of the H.S (Steve Swanson).

7. Who are we? Where are we going?
Son
Bride of Christ
Eschatological
Not Yet
This morning, we’re going to explore another aspect of our identity- we are the Bride of Christ!

8. Ephesians 5:22-33
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
Introduce Passage:
It must be understood within the context of mutual submission (5:21) and equal status in Christ (Galatians 3:28).
Paul uses the marriage relationship to illustrate the deep spiritual relationship of love and dependence, authority and obedience between Christ and His Church.

9. Ephesians 5:22-33
28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Our identity, as the Bride of Christ, speaks of a coming age.
Jesus in the gospels:
Matthew 6- “Your Kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
John 14- I am leaving and sending the H.S. But, I will return. (2nd coming).
Book of Revelation:
We know that our time here on earth is not the end of the story.
Chapters 21 & 22
“New heaven and new earth” (21:1)
”I’m making all things new” (21:5)
Our identity and purpose is both present and future.

10. What is our tomorrow? Heaven on Earth
The perfect manifestation of the rule and reign of Jesus
Eternal Life instead of death
Perfect Peace, Joy and Love instead of pain, suffering and tears
Completed redemption and renewal and therefore, no wickedness, sin, hope or faith.
The Fullness of God’s blessings not just a foretaste
Fullness/ Foretaste analogy:
Licking the spoon and bowl of the brownie mix before it goes in the oven
Going out to a nice restaurant for lunch on Friday and then having to return to work for a meeting when you know the weekend is coming.
Spending the weekend on your friend’s boat and then the next day putting money into your child’s college fund when there’s an unbelievable sale on boats this Holiday weekend.
Having to return to work on Monday AM after having spent the weekend with the family at the cabin and then leaving them to enjoy it for the rest of the week.

11. We are a Prophetic People
Fore telling
Forth telling
“Bringing your tomorrow into today”
True prophetic ministry is looking for the gold in the midst of the dirt in people’s lives.
It’s primary purpose is to encourage and edify (build up).
Definition of Prophecy
Fore telling- to know the future.
Forth telling- to cause the future.
Eagerly desire the spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 14)
Comes in the form of: Revelation, interpretation, application.
Guidelines for weighing Prophetic Words:
In line with the Word of God and the Father’s heart (Galatians 1:8)
It must bear witness to the one receiving the word (Romans 8:16)
The fruit= brings one closer to God and His people (Philippians 3:8-10)
Prophets and leaders should be in agreement with word, interpretation and application (Hebrews 13:17)
All interpretation of a prophetic revelation belongs to God- we need the H.S’ anointing (2 Peter 1:20-21)
When God stops speaking, we should too!

12. Living in the Gap It’s difficult.
We like to either live on one side or the other but not in the middle.
Real Life Examples:
Battling with sickness or disease and not experiencing a full healing.
Continually having your expectations unmet creating mistrust and resentment by a loved one.
Finding contentment while you drown in financial hardship
Constantly rejecting lies we believe about ourselves or others.
Never finding a career that promotes a sense of purpose and value
Trusting God even when you don’t feel the closeness of His presence
…Or when walking through the worst of what life throws at us

13. How do we live in the Gap? Act like a Bride
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord (5:22)
“…wives should submit in everything to their husbands (5:24)
let the wife see that she respects her husband (5:33)
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish (5:25-27).
Act like a Bride
Submit
Respect
…to perfect love (ag-ah-pay). [Read commentary]
Preparation of an earthly bride vs preparation of Christ’s bride.
She can do nothing of herself to make herself beautiful in the eyes of the Lord.
It is all His work.
This is the whole purpose and goal of the work of Christ.

14. How do we live in the Gap? Not like a Bridezilla!
We have a responsibility to be ambassadors that accurately represent our homeland. The place where we’re citizens.
We are the visible expression of an invisible reality.
The fruit of successfully bridging the gap between “This Age” and the “Age to Come”:
Hope in despair
Peace in confusion
Anchor in the storm
Beauty for Ashes
Dance in the mourning
Strength in the weakness

15. Who are we? Where are we going?
Son
Bride of Christ
Eschatological
Not Yet
Who are we?
The Bride of Christ
Where are we going?
We’re on a journey to build a church family that is fundamentally eschatological. Meaning that we prophetically point to a coming age while representing that age in the here and now.