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Aug 26, 2018

How We Change

Passage: Colossians 2:6-7

Speaker: Brian Land

Series: GRACE DNA

Category: Grace Brevard

Keywords: behavior, belief, change, faith, identity, trust, works

The third topic in our 4 week GRACE DNA series is “Renewal by Faith,” which simply means that, not only are we saved by grace through faith, we are perpetually grown by grace through faith. The first and primary responsibility of a follower of Jesus is simply to believe, which in itself is even a gift from God. So we come to him not with our list of successful and failed behaviors but with absolute dependence on him because we never outgrow the Gospel; regardless of where we are in life and faith, we are never any less dependent on Jesus and his grace than the day we were born.

ORDER of Worship

Call To Worship: Ephesians 1:3-4,7-9,13-14 ESV

LEADER: 3 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, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

ALL: 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ

LEADER: 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

ALL: 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Reading: Hebrews 10:14,16-17 ESV

ALL: 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

LEADER: 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds”,

ALL: “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”  

 

Songs:

 

 

 

Gratitude: Galatians 4:4-7 ESV & The Spirit's Work

 

 

LEADER: 4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’

ALL:7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

LEADER:  O Holy Spirit, move upon our hearts again with the good news of Christ.

ALL:  Be our Illuminator, Reminder, and Sanctifier; making known the beauty of “it is finished.”

LEADER:  Work in us the never-ending truth and grace in Christ; finding volumes in His living Word.

ALL: Deepen these saving lessons, walking in gratitude, Your way everlasting.

Sermon Title: How We Grow

Central Text:  Colossians 2:6-7 ESV

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Response: Isaiah 53:5,11 ESV (Communion)

LEADER: 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;

ALL: upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

LEADER: 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

ALL: make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

Benediction: Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Related Scriptures:

  • Romans 12:2  
  • Romans 15:13
  • 2 Corinthians 4:7
  • Romans 6:22 
  • 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
  • Philemon 3:21
  • Colossians 1:9-12
  • 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
  • 2 Peter 1:3-4

Media

8.26.18 Album

Discussion Questions & Applications:

  1. In what ways have you seen change in yourself and in those closest to you over the past year or two?
  2. What do you think causes change in us? What do we do to change something inside of us?
  3. What role does “what you believe” have in changing a behavior, belief about God, yourself and others….
    1. Specifically, what do you need to believe (about God, self, others, where my hope is, what is truly important) in order to:
    2. ...be more gentle with others
    3. ...sacrificially serve others?
    4. ...forgive others?
    5. ...be prayerful?
    6. ...be at rest in my heart?
    7. ...be generous?
    8. (think about other behaviors you want to change)______
  4. The opposite is equally as true. Go through the opposites of the above list (i.e. what do I believe about God, self and others when I am NOT generous, prayerful, forgiving etc).
  5. Our behaviors reveal what we believe, so the point is not to change the behavior (that’s simply whitewashing a dirty cup) but to change what we believe...or, more accurately, have what we believe changed. How are our beliefs changed?
  6. BUT, does this mean “anything goes” and God doesn’t care about our morality? (Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?)
  7. Our behavior can not add one shred of righteousness to our record; nor can it subtract from it! All in Christ have 100% perfect obedience bestowed upon us with such magnitude and security that we can’t increase or decrease it. As we grow in the belief of this (how valuable, loved, powerful and secure we are), how will that change how we love the One who died to give it to us?

Quotes:

  • “We do what we believe” (or….”our internal reality becomes our external reality”)
  • “The Law of God, the most salutary doctrine of life, cannot advance humans on their way to righteousness, but rather hinders them.” Martin Luther
  • "Unless you believe the gospel, everything you do will be driven by either pride or fear." – Timothy J. Keller

Books / Docs:

Sermons / Talks:

Mortification Through Joy by Timothy J. Keller

Romans 8:1-13

Free Living by Ben Seneker

Galatians 5:16-25

Perfected For All Time by a Single Offering by John Piper

Hebrews 1:1-18