The current sermon series at SFC is entitled “Everything Changes”. On Easter, we explored how our standing before God is changed when we come to Christ. We have passed from darkness into light and now are positionally justified and righteous in his sight. This opens to us the promise of a future home in heaven and and eternity spent with God rather than eternal separation from him in hell. When we celebrate the resurrection, we are celebrating Christ’s victory over death and hell, and his invitation to join us as part of his forever family. Just as there are “status updates” on Facebook, we are invited to accept an eternal status update by receiving Christ as Lord and Savior.
The second week we looked at the character change Christ wants to work in our lives as a result of our new birth into his kingdom. It is not just about settling our eternity, but about becoming who he wants us to become here and now. Don’t settle for being “so heavenly minded you are no earthly good”! The two lists in Galatians 5, describing the contrast between the works of the sinful nature and the fruit of God’s Spirit, depict for us the journey he has called us to pursue, from the lifestyle promoted and displayed by this world to the character of Christ, which he is busy about accomplishing in our lives. We need to join him in this quest, being constantly “transformed by the renewing of our minds” so that we are no longer being “conformed to the image of this world”.
This week (4/18) we examined the access we now have into God’s presence as a result of becomng followers of Christ. We are granted unlimited access to God, based not on our good works or righteousness, but totally on the grace and mercy of God through Christ. This access is an invitation to all believers to develop a dynamic prayer life and an intimacy with God we never would have thought possible. Like a ticket to the best seats at a ballgame, we can now go confidently to God to receive comfort and mercy and vision and power whenever we are in need. We are invited to get to know God and walk in intimate fellowship with him. When we take him up on this, we begin to live in and for the purpose for which we were created. Why would we not?
Next Sunday (4/25), for the last week of the “Everything Changes” series, we will be considering the change in direction that occurs in terms of our life’s mission and purpose relating to other people. “The Weight of the World” is something we now share – not as an unbearable burden, but as a joyful and fulfilling mission to help others come to know the God who loves them and offers them this change we have received. It is simply not enough any more for us to live for our own purposes and our own glory. We now get the privilege of being God’s “fellow workers” in the grand purpose of history, the redemption of people for the Kingdom of God. Have you joined him in this great enterprise? It doesn’t require that you be a “superstar”, but simply that you embrace and pursue the person he created you to be and allow him to use you to touch others. If you are in Denver, be sure to come to SFC on Sunday and allow God to speak to you through his Word. Or, if you are not able to be here with us, you can catch the audio of this entire series at http://www.stapletonchurch.com/Audio_Messages/
