The Meta Narrative for the Christian is an Amazing Story!1. The Daily Grind of life[Ecc 2:22 NIV] What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun?[Ecc 2:23 NIV] All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.[Ecc 12:13 ESV] The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.[Ecc 12:14 ESV] For God will bring every deed into...
The Meta Narrative for the Christian is an Amazing Story!
1. The Daily Grind of life
[Ecc 2:22 NIV] What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun?
[Ecc 2:23 NIV] All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.
[Ecc 12:13 ESV] The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
[Ecc 12:14 ESV] For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
The Invitation; “You just can’t say no.”
[Eph 1:3 ESV] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
[Eph 1:4 ESV] even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
In love
[Eph 1:5 ESV] he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
WHY?
[Eph 1:6 ESV] to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
How Did He Do It?
[Eph 1:7 ESV] In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
[Eph 1:8 ESV] which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight
[Eph 1:9 ESV] making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ
[Eph 1:10 ESV] as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
CAN’T Lose It!
1. God planned it.
[Eph 1:11 ESV] In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
[Eph 1:12 ESV] so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
Discovering a spiritual world very few even know about.
God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is Real.
[Luk 3:21 ESV] Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened,
[Luk 3:22 ESV] and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
Discovering the Great War and realizing one is part of it.
[Eph 6:12 KJV] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
[1Pe 2:9 ESV] But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellences of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
[1Pe 2:10 ESV] Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
[1Pe 2:11 ESV] Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
[1Pe 2:12 ESV] Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
You are special and have a special call.
[2Co 5:17 ESV] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
[2Co 5:18 ESV] All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
[2Co 5:19 ESV] that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
[2Co 5:20 ESV] Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
[2Co 5:21 ESV] For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Old friends begin to separate.
[1Pe 4:1 ESV] Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
[1Pe 4:2 ESV] so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.
[1Pe 4:3 ESV] For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.
[1Pe 4:4 ESV] With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;
[1Pe 4:5 ESV] but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
Discover new friends who are special too.
[Heb 10:24 ESV] And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
[Heb 10:25 ESV] not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Finding God’s People at the local Church;
[Act 2:42 ESV] And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
[Act 2:43 ESV] And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
[Act 2:44 ESV] And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
Embrace purpose & call.
What about you?
Do you identify with the any of these chapters?
What chapter are you in right now?
[Jhn 6:43 ESV] Jesus answered them, "Do not grumble among yourselves.
[Jhn 6:44 ESV] No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
[Jhn 6:45 ESV] It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me--
[Jhn 6:46 ESV] not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.
[Jhn 6:47 ESV] Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
Are you more interested in what God wants or what you want?
Everything that keeps you busy on your schedule is in God’s creation, not yours.
Are the very things God has given you are the things you use to hate God.
Hate God? Well sure, if God is not part of your daily life, for any reason.
In God’s Universe, In God’s Solar System, On God’s Planet, In God’s Country, In the Body God gave you, . . what part your daily schedule is set aside for God’s Will?
[Jhn 3:16 ESV] "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
[Jhn 3:17 ESV] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
I can’t make you a Christian,
I can’t make you love God.
I can trick you into thinking you’re a Christian, but I can’t make you true Christian.
The Purpose & 5 Disciplines.
If this is bothering you that I bring this up every week? Something is wrong. Every week I give you New Bible verses, but the conclusion is always the same.
Love God, Love People.
And this is what it looks like. 5 Disciplines.
Every Sunday we get a chance to make course corrections our lives.
We are reminded where true North is on our God compass.
What changes do you need to make in your life, to live even more of God’s Commands?
Young Adult Books; Chapter 8; Embrace Purpose and Call
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