WEBVTT 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:06.679 Hey all, Pastor John here. Thanks for tuning 00:00:06.679 --> 00:00:09.759 in to the weekly sermon podcast. We pray this 00:00:09.759 --> 00:00:12.519 message encourages you, strengthens your faith, 00:00:12.660 --> 00:00:15.080 and helps you to take your next step with Jesus. 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:18.219 If this content blesses you and you'd like to 00:00:18.219 --> 00:00:20.339 be a part of helping us continue to bring the 00:00:20.339 --> 00:00:22.760 gospel to life, we'd love for you to consider 00:00:22.760 --> 00:00:25.760 supporting the ministry of Village. Your generosity 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:28.339 makes it possible for us to keep creating and 00:00:28.339 --> 00:00:31.489 sharing resources like this podcast. You can 00:00:31.489 --> 00:00:35.250 give safely and easily by visiting sacvillage 00:00:35.250 --> 00:00:39.090 .org slash give or by heading to our website 00:00:39.090 --> 00:00:43.130 at sacvillage .org. Thanks again for listening. 00:00:43.310 --> 00:00:50.250 Now let's dive into this week's message. The 00:00:50.250 --> 00:00:57.189 glory of God is a human being fully alive. The 00:00:57.189 --> 00:01:00.829 glory of God. is a human being fully alive. That 00:01:00.829 --> 00:01:04.489 was Irenaeus who said that many, many centuries 00:01:04.489 --> 00:01:08.750 ago. And this week, number three, week number 00:01:08.750 --> 00:01:11.849 three, we're in the third week of our Made for 00:01:11.849 --> 00:01:15.769 More series, walking through what it means to 00:01:15.769 --> 00:01:19.170 be a Christ -honoring disciple using a four -point 00:01:19.170 --> 00:01:22.010 framework or discipleship framework that we've 00:01:22.010 --> 00:01:25.269 been walking through. Rooted in Christ, renewed 00:01:25.269 --> 00:01:30.469 in grace, shaped for purpose and sent to serve. 00:01:31.829 --> 00:01:33.969 Week one, we talked about what it means to be 00:01:33.969 --> 00:01:36.230 rooted in Christ. And we looked at Colossians 00:01:36.230 --> 00:01:39.790 chapter two, and we said that the Christian life 00:01:39.790 --> 00:01:44.010 doesn't start with just trying harder. It starts 00:01:44.010 --> 00:01:47.189 with receiving Christ Jesus as Lord and master. 00:01:47.290 --> 00:01:50.209 It begins with surrendering our life to him. 00:01:50.530 --> 00:01:54.340 And it begins by drawing. our life from him by 00:01:54.340 --> 00:01:58.340 sinking our roots deep into him. Paul said, just 00:01:58.340 --> 00:02:01.280 as you receive Christ Jesus as Lord, now continue 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:05.359 to walk in him rooted and established in faith. 00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:09.780 And so when your life sinks deep into Jesus, 00:02:09.900 --> 00:02:13.659 he holds you steady even when the storm hits. 00:02:14.020 --> 00:02:16.900 He becomes the place that nourishes your life 00:02:16.900 --> 00:02:20.590 when everything else is run dry. and his life 00:02:20.590 --> 00:02:24.550 begins to be produced in your life, the life 00:02:24.550 --> 00:02:27.729 of Christ in yours. So discipleship begins, first 00:02:27.729 --> 00:02:31.129 and foremost, with being rooted in Christ. And 00:02:31.129 --> 00:02:33.090 then week two, last week, we looked at being 00:02:33.090 --> 00:02:38.449 renewed in grace. 2 Corinthians 5, 17 says, if 00:02:38.449 --> 00:02:42.689 anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The 00:02:42.689 --> 00:02:46.129 old has passed away, and see, the new has come. 00:02:47.599 --> 00:02:50.080 We talked about how grace doesn't just change 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:52.860 your status, but it changes your very nature. 00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:56.400 That grace isn't a one -time transaction. It's 00:02:56.400 --> 00:03:00.699 ongoing transformation. It's not just cleaning 00:03:00.699 --> 00:03:04.800 up the surface. It rebuilds us from the inside 00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:07.419 out. And we said that the gospel isn't about 00:03:07.419 --> 00:03:11.319 polishing up that old self. It's about making 00:03:11.319 --> 00:03:16.620 you entirely new. Amen? We also said a lot of 00:03:16.620 --> 00:03:20.620 amen last week. That was an export or import 00:03:20.620 --> 00:03:23.340 from Uganda. I was listening back to the sermon 00:03:23.340 --> 00:03:25.580 on our audio, and I was like, that's a lot of 00:03:25.580 --> 00:03:30.120 amen. Wow. We might do half as much amen today, 00:03:30.199 --> 00:03:42.449 if that's okay. Junior. I want you to know, though, 00:03:42.469 --> 00:03:45.030 as we talked about being renewed in grace as 00:03:45.030 --> 00:03:51.069 this kind of second aspect of our discipleship 00:03:51.069 --> 00:03:54.650 process, that this idea is not just theory. It's 00:03:54.650 --> 00:03:58.689 not a theoretical thing. It's actual real life, 00:03:58.710 --> 00:04:01.789 real people. In fact, real people right here 00:04:01.789 --> 00:04:05.710 at Village have experienced being renewed in 00:04:05.710 --> 00:04:11.039 grace as the Spirit has worked in them. to make 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:15.419 and shape Christ and to overcome and even kind 00:04:15.419 --> 00:04:19.120 of use the very moments of life, good or bad, 00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:24.399 to drive people toward Christ and invite them 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:29.980 in to discipleship. We have folks here who can 00:04:29.980 --> 00:04:35.519 say, Jesus changes everything, amen? So let's 00:04:35.519 --> 00:04:38.310 take a moment. Right here, we're going to watch 00:04:38.310 --> 00:04:39.769 one of those stories. I'm going to invite the 00:04:39.769 --> 00:04:42.490 tech team to lower the lights first. We're going 00:04:42.490 --> 00:04:45.529 to watch one of those stories of one of our villagers 00:04:45.529 --> 00:04:48.670 here. I think most of you, if not all of you, 00:04:48.689 --> 00:04:51.810 will recognize her and know her. But she is going 00:04:51.810 --> 00:04:55.470 to share her testimony here on video for us about 00:04:55.470 --> 00:04:58.910 being renewed in grace. Here we go. Because at 00:04:58.910 --> 00:05:04.350 that point, I wasn't saved or I wasn't like a 00:05:04.350 --> 00:05:11.259 full believer at that point. My name is Alyssa 00:05:11.259 --> 00:05:17.579 and this is my story. I'm the office admin and 00:05:17.579 --> 00:05:19.920 kids ministry director at Village. And one thing 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:22.300 I've learned as a Christian is God's plan is 00:05:22.300 --> 00:05:24.500 not our plan. I was raised in the Mormon church 00:05:24.500 --> 00:05:27.160 until I was about 10 or 11, where most of my 00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:29.759 family currently attend today. After high school, 00:05:29.800 --> 00:05:31.879 I got in a serious relationship, which started 00:05:31.879 --> 00:05:35.459 off great. We would travel a lot. I ended up 00:05:35.459 --> 00:05:39.839 moving three hours away to live, and we ended 00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:42.740 up getting engaged. That's when I started noticing 00:05:42.740 --> 00:05:45.560 things were changing within the relationship 00:05:45.560 --> 00:05:49.459 with him. I noticed that he was drinking more, 00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:54.220 he was abusing pain pills, and he was getting 00:05:54.220 --> 00:05:58.779 into drugs. One night we got into a bad argument, 00:05:58.819 --> 00:06:03.199 which led to a drink thrown in my face. That 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:05.600 night, I realized that I couldn't stay in the 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:09.279 relationship any longer. It started turning really 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:13.980 abusive physically, mentally, and verbally. One 00:06:13.980 --> 00:06:16.439 day while he was sleeping, I decided to pack 00:06:16.439 --> 00:06:19.060 up all my stuff and leave and never look back. 00:06:19.660 --> 00:06:22.199 I ended up moving back home with my parents, 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:25.180 and I took a three -month break off of work, 00:06:25.339 --> 00:06:27.699 which led me to hanging out with friends all 00:06:27.699 --> 00:06:30.439 the time who were drinking. which then led me 00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:32.639 to me drinking and getting drunk every night. 00:06:32.939 --> 00:06:36.439 Once I realized that hiding my pain through a 00:06:36.439 --> 00:06:38.959 bottle was no longer worth it, I decided to get 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:43.300 a job. Through that job, I met somebody, and 00:06:43.300 --> 00:06:46.379 that relationship ended up getting serious. I 00:06:46.379 --> 00:06:49.379 ended up getting pregnant not very long into 00:06:49.379 --> 00:06:52.279 our relationship. After I found out I was pregnant, 00:06:52.439 --> 00:06:55.800 I was given an ultimatum. He said if I didn't 00:06:55.800 --> 00:06:57.980 terminate the pregnancy, then he would leave. 00:07:01.579 --> 00:07:05.420 And to be honest, I thought about it, and I had 00:07:05.420 --> 00:07:11.079 the appointment scheduled. After I scheduled 00:07:11.079 --> 00:07:13.819 the appointment, I ended up calling my mom, where 00:07:13.819 --> 00:07:17.779 then she reminded me that when I was 17, that 00:07:17.779 --> 00:07:20.660 the doctor told me that I couldn't have kids, 00:07:20.879 --> 00:07:24.600 which ended up really making me, oh, I can't 00:07:24.600 --> 00:07:31.819 do this. After that phone call, I ended up calling 00:07:31.819 --> 00:07:34.100 the clinic, and I ended up canceling the appointment. 00:07:36.220 --> 00:07:40.220 We tried to make the relationship work, but when 00:07:40.220 --> 00:07:43.540 my daughter was four months old, I became a single 00:07:43.540 --> 00:07:46.620 mom. When she was about six months old, I got 00:07:46.620 --> 00:07:49.300 in a car accident and was rear -ended. I ended 00:07:49.300 --> 00:07:53.120 up in the hospital for a back injury. I was prescribed 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:56.920 pain medication for my back. I ended up getting 00:07:56.920 --> 00:07:59.980 addicted to that medication. which then opened 00:07:59.980 --> 00:08:03.060 the door to me selling them. Right before her 00:08:03.060 --> 00:08:06.000 first birthday, I decided that I could no longer 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:10.120 live that life, so I decided to quit, not only 00:08:10.120 --> 00:08:13.420 for myself, but for my daughter that I thought 00:08:13.420 --> 00:08:16.819 I could never have. Shortly after that, I met 00:08:16.819 --> 00:08:20.319 Ben, and within a year, we were married. Unfortunately, 00:08:20.420 --> 00:08:24.100 I was still holding on to a lot of baggage from 00:08:24.100 --> 00:08:31.370 previous relationships and life. from my addiction 00:08:31.370 --> 00:08:39.210 to abusive relationships and much more. I didn't 00:08:39.210 --> 00:08:41.409 know what to do with it, so I bottled it up and 00:08:41.409 --> 00:08:46.009 put my head down and just worked. Ben was already 00:08:46.009 --> 00:08:48.950 involved in church, and he ended up taking Kaylin 00:08:48.950 --> 00:08:51.549 with him on Sundays while I worked football season 00:08:51.549 --> 00:08:54.470 as a server. After football season, I got promoted 00:08:54.470 --> 00:08:59.480 to event coordinator, church every Sunday with 00:08:59.480 --> 00:09:02.500 Ben and Caitlin. It was really at that point 00:09:02.500 --> 00:09:07.159 when we were attending church that that one song, 00:09:07.220 --> 00:09:10.919 Life Defined, was playing. The life I live, I 00:09:10.919 --> 00:09:14.120 live by faith in Jesus Christ who lives in me. 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:23.480 That was played one Sunday. And that really hit 00:09:23.480 --> 00:09:27.419 hard. And made me start thinking about everything 00:09:27.419 --> 00:09:35.659 prior. And made me really think, am I living 00:09:35.659 --> 00:09:38.759 my life through faith? And is Jesus Christ in 00:09:38.759 --> 00:09:43.320 me? Because at that point I wasn't saved or I 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:50.059 wasn't like a full believer at that point. And 00:09:50.059 --> 00:09:54.370 that week led me into really thinking about those 00:09:54.370 --> 00:09:59.769 words and one day I came home and was in a really 00:09:59.769 --> 00:10:05.529 weird place and Ben kept asking me if I'm okay 00:10:05.529 --> 00:10:09.669 and my usual answer is I'm fine, I'm fine. After 00:10:09.669 --> 00:10:12.509 he asked me again if I was fine I said no I'm 00:10:12.509 --> 00:10:16.190 not. At that point I broke down and I laid it 00:10:16.190 --> 00:10:20.350 all out on him that I'm struggling. I was struggling 00:10:20.350 --> 00:10:23.100 with still carrying everything around. It was 00:10:23.100 --> 00:10:25.519 getting too heavy that I knew I had to talk to 00:10:25.519 --> 00:10:28.000 him about it. That's when he told me that Jesus 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:30.279 is a lot stronger than I am and that I didn't 00:10:30.279 --> 00:10:35.120 need to carry it alone. So I decided to follow 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:40.220 him and give it all to him. I felt a huge weight 00:10:40.220 --> 00:10:43.320 lifted off of my shoulders and that I knew I 00:10:43.320 --> 00:10:46.279 was no longer in control and that he was. I didn't 00:10:46.279 --> 00:10:48.539 know what to expect after that. I thought life 00:10:48.539 --> 00:10:54.149 would be pretty easy and smooth sailing. But 00:10:54.149 --> 00:10:58.309 boy, was I wrong. Life over the last few years 00:10:58.309 --> 00:11:03.870 have been rough. We had an apartment fire. We 00:11:03.870 --> 00:11:07.350 got into a really bad car accident, which left 00:11:07.350 --> 00:11:12.070 my husband with a neck injury. That led to a 00:11:12.070 --> 00:11:15.070 surgery. While my husband was in surgery and 00:11:15.070 --> 00:11:16.950 I was waiting in the waiting room, I got a phone 00:11:16.950 --> 00:11:21.659 call that his... mom's cancer spread and that 00:11:21.659 --> 00:11:24.100 she's getting put on hospice and only had a couple 00:11:24.100 --> 00:11:29.059 weeks to live. About a month after his mom passed 00:11:29.059 --> 00:11:31.679 away, I ended up in the hospital with E. coli, 00:11:31.720 --> 00:11:35.480 which at that point I also found out I was diabetic. 00:11:36.299 --> 00:11:40.159 During my stay, I was almost septic to the point 00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:42.820 where I almost died. While I was recovering from 00:11:42.820 --> 00:11:45.960 my hospital stay, we got an eviction notice. 00:11:46.779 --> 00:11:49.440 that our landlord wanted us to get out within 00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:53.100 60 days so she could move somebody else in. We 00:11:53.100 --> 00:11:56.500 struggled to find somewhere to go, so we ended 00:11:56.500 --> 00:12:00.539 up at my parents' house for a few months. Through 00:12:00.539 --> 00:12:03.120 all of that, I've learned that God can turn the 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:05.820 most difficult scenarios around. Without the 00:12:05.820 --> 00:12:08.379 community of Village, I've learned that I'm not 00:12:08.379 --> 00:12:11.220 in this alone and that I do have brothers and 00:12:11.220 --> 00:12:14.950 sisters by my side. To pray for me and encourage 00:12:14.950 --> 00:12:17.629 me through all the hard times. And that I can 00:12:17.629 --> 00:12:21.309 still lay my burdens down at the feet of Jesus. 00:12:21.710 --> 00:12:25.769 A great reminder for anyone new that your past 00:12:25.769 --> 00:12:29.370 doesn't define who you are today. In 2 Corinthians 00:12:29.370 --> 00:12:33.129 5 -7 it says, We live by faith, not by sight. 00:12:33.470 --> 00:12:36.450 And that is a great reminder that through the 00:12:36.450 --> 00:12:39.710 faith that we have in Him, that He is ultimately 00:12:39.710 --> 00:12:45.539 in control. that we don't have to be alone. My 00:12:45.539 --> 00:12:58.519 name is Alyssa, and that was my story. Wow. Takes 00:12:58.519 --> 00:13:03.059 a lot to share, but that's evidence that God 00:13:03.059 --> 00:13:06.980 is at work in her life and has brought her through 00:13:06.980 --> 00:13:09.159 so much and has been willing now to look back 00:13:09.159 --> 00:13:11.539 at it and through the lens of Christ and what 00:13:11.539 --> 00:13:15.690 he's done. So thank you, Alyssa, for being willing 00:13:15.690 --> 00:13:19.129 to be transparent and open with us and to encourage 00:13:19.129 --> 00:13:21.289 us with your story because I'm sure it resonates 00:13:21.289 --> 00:13:25.649 with many of you. So that's what we looked at. 00:13:25.690 --> 00:13:27.470 We looked at being renewed in grace and that's 00:13:27.470 --> 00:13:30.350 a story of God's grace at work through all kinds 00:13:30.350 --> 00:13:34.509 of things and still at work in her life and in 00:13:34.509 --> 00:13:38.269 their life. And so we're moving out of renewed 00:13:38.269 --> 00:13:40.590 in grace to this week where we're gonna focus 00:13:40.590 --> 00:13:43.649 in. on what it means to be shaped for purpose. 00:13:45.429 --> 00:13:49.710 God doesn't just save you from something. He 00:13:49.710 --> 00:13:54.450 saves you for something. You are not an accident. 00:13:54.529 --> 00:13:57.690 You are not some random assortment of quirks, 00:13:57.690 --> 00:14:02.450 of strengths, and of struggles. You are the intentional 00:14:02.450 --> 00:14:07.769 handiwork of God. His workmanship that he has 00:14:07.769 --> 00:14:10.870 shaped for a purpose. with a calling that fits 00:14:10.870 --> 00:14:15.889 exactly how he designed you. Every believer, 00:14:16.009 --> 00:14:19.330 not just pastors, not just missionaries or leaders, 00:14:19.389 --> 00:14:23.509 every believer is uniquely designed by God for 00:14:23.509 --> 00:14:29.090 God's glory, amen? And your story, your wiring, 00:14:29.230 --> 00:14:32.029 your gifts, your passions, and yes, even your 00:14:32.029 --> 00:14:35.610 pains and struggles, all of it is a part of the 00:14:35.610 --> 00:14:38.350 redemptive story God is writing through you. 00:14:39.720 --> 00:14:42.659 So today we're going to see three movements in 00:14:42.659 --> 00:14:45.899 the passage out of Ephesians chapter two, three 00:14:45.899 --> 00:14:48.840 movements that show us how God works for us. 00:14:48.919 --> 00:14:52.740 God works in us so that God can work through 00:14:52.740 --> 00:14:56.639 us. If you're taking notes, the first point I'll 00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:01.179 have you write down is God works for you. Ephesians 00:15:01.179 --> 00:15:04.399 chapter two, verse eight and nine says, for you 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:08.129 are saved by grace through faith. And this is 00:15:08.129 --> 00:15:12.269 not from yourself. It is God's gift, not from 00:15:12.269 --> 00:15:18.070 works, so that no one can boast. God's purpose 00:15:18.070 --> 00:15:21.970 for your life begins with his grace. Before you 00:15:21.970 --> 00:15:25.990 ever did anything for God, God did everything 00:15:25.990 --> 00:15:30.570 for you. You didn't work your way up to him. 00:15:30.750 --> 00:15:35.700 He came down to you. Salvation isn't a reward 00:15:35.700 --> 00:15:39.799 for your great effort. It's a gift of grace. 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:45.019 Paul couldn't be clearer. It is not for yourself. 00:15:45.220 --> 00:15:49.000 It is a gift of God. And that word gift reminds 00:15:49.000 --> 00:15:51.019 us that everything about our relationship with 00:15:51.019 --> 00:15:57.159 God starts in mercy, not in our own merit. You 00:15:57.159 --> 00:16:00.279 can't earn it. You don't deserve it and you can 00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:03.100 never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever pay it back. 00:16:04.500 --> 00:16:10.720 All you can do is receive it. Next time it rolls 00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:13.639 around to your birthday, why don't you, next 00:16:13.639 --> 00:16:15.539 time someone's giving you a birthday gift, right? 00:16:15.580 --> 00:16:17.620 They come and they, hey, I got you a gift for 00:16:17.620 --> 00:16:19.580 your birthday and they hand it to you. Why don't 00:16:19.580 --> 00:16:21.259 you, next time I want you to try this, immediately 00:16:21.259 --> 00:16:23.500 pull out your wallet and say, you know, here, 00:16:23.559 --> 00:16:26.320 let me pay for you for that. Let's pay for that. 00:16:26.909 --> 00:16:30.129 How much do I owe you, right? They're going to 00:16:30.129 --> 00:16:31.889 look at you funny. They might take the gift back 00:16:31.889 --> 00:16:34.669 because you ruined the moment, right? You didn't 00:16:34.669 --> 00:16:37.429 understand the exchange that was happening. It's 00:16:37.429 --> 00:16:40.590 a gift and a gift isn't earned or paid for. A 00:16:40.590 --> 00:16:43.029 gift is a gift and it's given. And that's what 00:16:43.029 --> 00:16:47.409 grace is. Grace doesn't eliminate effort in our 00:16:47.409 --> 00:16:52.350 life, but it reorders it. We don't act to earn 00:16:52.350 --> 00:16:54.950 God's favor. We act because we already have his 00:16:54.950 --> 00:16:59.610 favor. So listen to a few scripture passages 00:16:59.610 --> 00:17:02.389 that Apostle Paul lays out, one in Titus and 00:17:02.389 --> 00:17:05.289 the other in 1 Timothy. He says, he saved us, 00:17:05.309 --> 00:17:08.269 Jesus saved us, not because of works of righteousness 00:17:08.269 --> 00:17:11.710 that we had done, but according to his mercy. 00:17:12.710 --> 00:17:15.309 According to his mercy, he saved us, not because 00:17:15.309 --> 00:17:19.130 of works of righteousness we did. 2 Timothy 1 00:17:19.130 --> 00:17:22.029 says, he has saved us and called us, not according 00:17:22.029 --> 00:17:25.049 to our works, but according to his own purpose. 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:31.079 and grace. God didn't look down at your resume 00:17:31.079 --> 00:17:34.160 or my resume and say, I got to get this guy on 00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:36.779 the team. Let's pull out all the stops. We got 00:17:36.779 --> 00:17:41.519 to get this guy. He looked down and what he saw 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:46.359 was someone who was dead in their sins. And God 00:17:46.359 --> 00:17:51.740 said, I'll make them alive in Christ. Grace doesn't 00:17:51.740 --> 00:17:56.839 wait for you to get it all together. Amen? It 00:17:56.839 --> 00:18:02.599 meets you right where you're at. Pastor Timothy 00:18:02.599 --> 00:18:06.119 Keller once said, the gospel is not advice about 00:18:06.119 --> 00:18:09.279 what we must do to reach God. It is the good 00:18:09.279 --> 00:18:12.359 news, the gospel news of what God has done to 00:18:12.359 --> 00:18:17.900 reach us. And because of that, Paul says, so 00:18:17.900 --> 00:18:22.119 no one can boast. No one can boast in their work. 00:18:22.180 --> 00:18:24.539 No one can boast in what they did or all the 00:18:24.539 --> 00:18:27.700 skills that they bring to the table. The only 00:18:27.700 --> 00:18:29.740 bragging rights in the Christian life belong 00:18:29.740 --> 00:18:34.099 to Jesus. He's the only one. And if we boast, 00:18:34.099 --> 00:18:36.920 we boast in what he has done, not what we brought 00:18:36.920 --> 00:18:41.380 to the table. Because you and I, we are not self 00:18:41.380 --> 00:18:46.980 -made. We are grace -made. If you think that 00:18:46.980 --> 00:18:50.400 your purpose in this discipleship relationship 00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:54.160 is about earning your place, you're going to 00:18:54.160 --> 00:18:57.920 spend your whole life striving and never resting 00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:02.660 in what God has done. But if you know that your 00:19:02.660 --> 00:19:06.039 purpose flows from his grace, then you'll finally 00:19:06.039 --> 00:19:11.480 live from love and not for love. And that's what 00:19:11.480 --> 00:19:17.000 God wants for us. But God doesn't stop. It doesn't 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:20.880 just end with what God works for us. It also 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:23.759 moves on from there. God works for you, but he 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:26.519 also then begins to work in you. And number two, 00:19:26.539 --> 00:19:30.380 write down, God works in you. The next part of 00:19:30.380 --> 00:19:35.819 Ephesians chapter two says, for we are his workmanship. 00:19:37.480 --> 00:19:40.140 We are his workmanship. So Paul kind of shifts 00:19:40.140 --> 00:19:42.359 gears here. And after reminding us that salvation 00:19:42.359 --> 00:19:45.099 is by grace alone through faith alone and not 00:19:45.099 --> 00:19:48.900 by works, he then immediately says, for we are 00:19:48.900 --> 00:19:52.779 his workmanship. It's not our works that earn 00:19:52.779 --> 00:19:55.559 us a place. It's all about what he's doing in 00:19:55.559 --> 00:19:59.259 us. And that word workmanship, man, that's rich. 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:03.079 It's this Greek word that I slaughtered in first 00:20:03.079 --> 00:20:10.079 service. It's that word right there. Poema. Poema. 00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:13.819 Gotta say it quick. Poema. And it's where we 00:20:13.819 --> 00:20:17.579 get our English word poem from. And it means 00:20:17.579 --> 00:20:20.859 something that is carefully crafted. Something 00:20:20.859 --> 00:20:23.559 that is intentionally designed. Something that 00:20:23.559 --> 00:20:27.539 is skillfully formed. We are God's carefully 00:20:27.539 --> 00:20:30.460 crafted, intentionally designed, skillfully formed 00:20:30.460 --> 00:20:36.779 workmanship. We are his masterpiece. And some 00:20:36.779 --> 00:20:39.420 of you need to sit in that for a second. You, 00:20:39.700 --> 00:20:42.779 with all of your strengths and flaws, your victories 00:20:42.779 --> 00:20:45.420 and your wounds, are the intentional artistry 00:20:45.420 --> 00:20:49.940 of God. You are not random. You are not mass 00:20:49.940 --> 00:20:52.920 produced. You are a one of a kind creation in 00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:57.180 the hands of a purposeful God. Isaiah 64 said, 00:20:57.319 --> 00:21:01.609 we are the clay. You, God, are the potter. We 00:21:01.609 --> 00:21:07.869 all are the work of your hand. God is the potter. 00:21:07.869 --> 00:21:11.369 You and I, we're the clay. And the potter doesn't 00:21:11.369 --> 00:21:14.009 just throw a lump of clay on the wheel and hope 00:21:14.009 --> 00:21:18.069 for the best, does he? What does he do? He presses. 00:21:18.569 --> 00:21:23.009 He shapes. He spins. Sometimes it feels like 00:21:23.009 --> 00:21:26.440 pressure, doesn't it? Sometimes it feels like 00:21:26.440 --> 00:21:29.940 spinning out of control. Sometimes it feels like 00:21:29.940 --> 00:21:34.700 it's without purpose. But every moment and every 00:21:34.700 --> 00:21:37.559 movement of his hand is intentional in your life. 00:21:39.059 --> 00:21:42.400 You may not like the pace. You may not like the 00:21:42.400 --> 00:21:45.940 process. But you can trust the potter's purpose. 00:21:48.500 --> 00:21:50.960 And you can know that he is not destroying you. 00:21:51.339 --> 00:21:58.220 He is shaping you. The psalmist said of God, 00:21:58.319 --> 00:22:02.839 you knit me together in my mother's womb. Your 00:22:02.839 --> 00:22:06.960 works are wondrous, and I know this very well. 00:22:08.839 --> 00:22:12.180 But before you took your first breath, God was 00:22:12.180 --> 00:22:15.640 at work. He was weaving together your very DNA, 00:22:15.740 --> 00:22:20.910 your story, your wiring, your personality. He 00:22:20.910 --> 00:22:23.710 didn't just make you to exist. He made you to 00:22:23.710 --> 00:22:26.789 reflect his glory in a one of a kind, beautifully 00:22:26.789 --> 00:22:31.750 unique way that only you can. And remember that 00:22:31.750 --> 00:22:35.349 God even redeems and uses our wounds and brings 00:22:35.349 --> 00:22:39.650 them into the masterpiece too. He uses our pains. 00:22:39.730 --> 00:22:42.289 He uses our failures. He uses our struggles, 00:22:42.349 --> 00:22:48.119 not to shame us, but to shape us. If you're writing 00:22:48.119 --> 00:22:50.920 things down, write this down. Nothing is wasted 00:22:50.920 --> 00:22:56.019 in the hands of the potter. Nothing is wasted 00:22:56.019 --> 00:23:01.539 in the hands of the potter. Paul reminds us in 00:23:01.539 --> 00:23:04.259 Philippians that the one who began a good work 00:23:04.259 --> 00:23:08.299 in you, he's going to carry it on to completion, 00:23:08.579 --> 00:23:13.839 on to fullness, on to perfection until the day. 00:23:14.490 --> 00:23:17.910 of Christ Jesus, meaning God isn't finished with 00:23:17.910 --> 00:23:22.210 you yet. You may not see progress the way that 00:23:22.210 --> 00:23:25.230 you want to, but he's still forming and shaping 00:23:25.230 --> 00:23:30.690 you. He's sanding off pride. He's sculpting humility. 00:23:30.990 --> 00:23:34.329 He's firing your faith in the kiln of trial and 00:23:34.329 --> 00:23:38.289 suffering. And if you've ever felt like life 00:23:38.289 --> 00:23:42.529 is just too messy for God to use you, well, remember, 00:23:43.630 --> 00:23:48.589 There's a kind of a famous philosophy that Michelangelo 00:23:48.589 --> 00:23:51.410 had when he would sculpt, you know, when he would 00:23:51.410 --> 00:23:54.250 bring out the David, right, out of the block 00:23:54.250 --> 00:23:57.930 of marble. Michelangelo would say, I saw the 00:23:57.930 --> 00:24:01.109 angel in the marble and I kept carving until 00:24:01.109 --> 00:24:05.769 I set him free. And that's what God is doing 00:24:05.769 --> 00:24:10.880 in you. He sees who you are becoming. And even 00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:15.640 when you can't see that in yourself, God's working 00:24:15.640 --> 00:24:19.960 to make you holy, to make you Christ -like, to 00:24:19.960 --> 00:24:24.380 make you useful in his hands. And as John Stott 00:24:24.380 --> 00:24:27.980 says, God's work of making us holy is slow. We 00:24:27.980 --> 00:24:31.160 hate that, don't we? Slow. But you know what? 00:24:31.180 --> 00:24:34.160 If it was fast, we'd hate that too. So what are 00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:36.740 you going to do, right? It's slow or it's fast, 00:24:36.900 --> 00:24:42.329 whatever, right? It's slow. It's deep and it's 00:24:42.329 --> 00:24:46.369 beautiful. It's like the growth of a tree or 00:24:46.369 --> 00:24:51.049 the forming of a sculpture. And that's what sanctification, 00:24:51.230 --> 00:24:53.250 sanctification is just a big churchy word, right? 00:24:53.970 --> 00:24:56.170 But what does it mean? It means that the spirit 00:24:56.170 --> 00:25:01.509 of God, God is patiently forming Christ in us 00:25:01.509 --> 00:25:07.130 until Christ's character shows through us every 00:25:07.130 --> 00:25:10.230 contour of our lives. That's sanctification. 00:25:10.509 --> 00:25:16.210 Christ in me. Christ in me. His shape. His form. 00:25:16.269 --> 00:25:22.369 His character in me. You are not an accident. 00:25:23.609 --> 00:25:28.170 You're an assignment in progress. Just like all 00:25:28.170 --> 00:25:32.960 of us. And God works for you. That's his salvation. 00:25:33.099 --> 00:25:36.480 And God works in you. That's his transformation, 00:25:36.799 --> 00:25:39.240 his sanctification, grace at work in you. And 00:25:39.240 --> 00:25:41.660 every day through his spirit, through his word, 00:25:41.779 --> 00:25:44.339 through your circumstances, through community, 00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:48.380 he's shaping your life into a reflection of his 00:25:48.380 --> 00:25:53.579 grace. But there's more because God doesn't just 00:25:53.579 --> 00:25:56.960 work for you and he doesn't just work in you. 00:25:57.079 --> 00:26:00.460 He works for you and in you so that he can work 00:26:00.460 --> 00:26:04.660 through you. And that's number three, God works 00:26:04.660 --> 00:26:11.279 through you. We are his workmanship. And then 00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:13.779 the next part of Ephesians 2 .10 says, created 00:26:13.779 --> 00:26:18.480 in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared 00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:23.490 ahead of time. for us to do. And notice the word 00:26:23.490 --> 00:26:27.430 that Paul uses there. He uses us. He uses us. 00:26:27.509 --> 00:26:29.730 He doesn't say, which God prepared for you to 00:26:29.730 --> 00:26:32.170 do or for me to do. He says, for us to do. In 00:26:32.170 --> 00:26:35.650 other words, this isn't a solo calling. It's 00:26:35.650 --> 00:26:40.170 a shared one. God doesn't just shape individuals. 00:26:40.670 --> 00:26:46.980 God builds a people. Leslie Newbigin, he said 00:26:46.980 --> 00:26:49.099 once that the church is not a religious organization. 00:26:49.480 --> 00:26:53.099 It's a people through whom Jesus continues his 00:26:53.099 --> 00:26:59.140 work on earth. He forms us uniquely and individually 00:26:59.140 --> 00:27:03.079 so that together we can reflect the fullness 00:27:03.079 --> 00:27:05.359 of Jesus Christ. That's what Ephesians says right 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:09.660 in the next chapter. He forms us uniquely and 00:27:09.660 --> 00:27:13.480 individually so that together we can. reflect 00:27:13.480 --> 00:27:15.319 the fullness of Christ. You were never meant 00:27:15.319 --> 00:27:18.819 to follow Jesus in isolation. You were designed 00:27:18.819 --> 00:27:22.539 to belong to a body, to a family, to a fellowship 00:27:22.539 --> 00:27:24.900 of believers where your gifts and your story 00:27:24.900 --> 00:27:27.380 matter and where you're shaped for a purpose. 00:27:29.519 --> 00:27:33.440 Romans chapter 12 says that now as we have many 00:27:33.440 --> 00:27:36.460 parts in one body, like you guys know your body, 00:27:36.539 --> 00:27:39.599 right? Not just one part. That'd be weird. It'd 00:27:39.599 --> 00:27:42.869 be super weird. Just a hand walked in here or 00:27:42.869 --> 00:27:46.309 something. Like, you know, we're many parts in 00:27:46.309 --> 00:27:50.269 one body and all the parts do not function the 00:27:50.269 --> 00:27:54.930 same, right? Paul's hitting biology pretty good 00:27:54.930 --> 00:27:59.630 right now, right? One body, many parts. Parts 00:27:59.630 --> 00:28:02.490 don't all function the same. In the same way, 00:28:02.630 --> 00:28:08.170 we who are many are one body in Christ and individually. 00:28:09.979 --> 00:28:12.980 Any individuals in here? Yeah. Individually members 00:28:12.980 --> 00:28:20.960 of one another. So what is God doing in this 00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:23.339 body? What is he doing in this togetherness, 00:28:23.500 --> 00:28:26.299 this work, these works that he's prepared? Well, 00:28:26.359 --> 00:28:28.420 these good works, they're not just random acts 00:28:28.420 --> 00:28:31.039 of kindness. It's kind of the popular thing of 00:28:31.039 --> 00:28:33.549 the last 20, 30, 40 years, right? Do your random 00:28:33.549 --> 00:28:35.690 acts of kindness. That's not what he's talking 00:28:35.690 --> 00:28:38.549 about. The good works, the God works that are 00:28:38.549 --> 00:28:42.289 prepared for us in advance, they are spirit -empowered 00:28:42.289 --> 00:28:46.630 acts of love. Hear me out. Spirit -empowered 00:28:46.630 --> 00:28:51.410 acts of love that stretch our faith and force 00:28:51.410 --> 00:28:55.869 us to depend on God as he builds up his people 00:28:55.869 --> 00:29:00.069 and advances his mission here on earth. There's 00:29:00.069 --> 00:29:04.089 a lot there. Spirit -empowered, they're acts 00:29:04.089 --> 00:29:08.849 of love that stretch our faith. They're not things 00:29:08.849 --> 00:29:10.990 that you can go back and go, man, I could have 00:29:10.990 --> 00:29:12.789 done that on my own. I didn't need God for it. 00:29:13.809 --> 00:29:16.990 I had all the skills and knowledge and gifting. 00:29:17.029 --> 00:29:18.609 I could have just gone out and done. No, they're 00:29:18.609 --> 00:29:22.630 spirit -empowered acts of love that stretch our 00:29:22.630 --> 00:29:26.450 faith and force us to depend on God as he builds 00:29:26.450 --> 00:29:31.470 up his people and advances his mission. Kids 00:29:31.470 --> 00:29:34.809 are being taught here at Village. Our Village 00:29:34.809 --> 00:29:37.829 kids and our teachers, they're not just babysitting. 00:29:39.549 --> 00:29:41.289 That's not what they're doing over there. If 00:29:41.289 --> 00:29:42.950 they were, they'd just throw crackers at your 00:29:42.950 --> 00:29:46.269 kid all day long, right? While they scrolled 00:29:46.269 --> 00:29:47.950 on their phone and just threw crackers. Just 00:29:47.950 --> 00:29:50.329 keep the crackers coming. They're not babysitting 00:29:50.329 --> 00:29:55.250 over there. They are in the trenches. Faith, 00:29:55.430 --> 00:29:57.450 their faith is being stretched, I promise you. 00:29:58.759 --> 00:30:01.720 And their dependence on God, man, they're leaning 00:30:01.720 --> 00:30:04.720 into God every time. I promise you, some of them 00:30:04.720 --> 00:30:06.480 are probably praying on the way here the whole 00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:09.140 time, right? Maybe fasting Saturday night. I 00:30:09.140 --> 00:30:14.460 don't even know. I can only imagine. But it's 00:30:14.460 --> 00:30:16.819 stretching their faith and it's forcing them 00:30:16.819 --> 00:30:20.140 to lean in and depend upon God for another one, 00:30:20.140 --> 00:30:22.839 especially if your kid shows up. I'm not looking 00:30:22.839 --> 00:30:32.049 at anyone. I'm just glancing, right? God is using 00:30:32.049 --> 00:30:37.509 them through that faith stretching and through 00:30:37.509 --> 00:30:41.670 being forced to depend on him. What's happening 00:30:41.670 --> 00:30:45.490 there? A spirit -empowered act of love on behalf 00:30:45.490 --> 00:30:49.509 of these kids that doesn't feel good all the 00:30:49.509 --> 00:30:53.549 time. But what is it doing? It's producing young 00:30:53.549 --> 00:30:57.519 disciples. The work of the kingdom is happening 00:30:57.519 --> 00:31:00.180 as their faith is stretched, as their dependence 00:31:00.180 --> 00:31:04.220 is stretched. God is using them to build young 00:31:04.220 --> 00:31:09.980 disciples. God is using people in all kinds of 00:31:09.980 --> 00:31:14.559 ways, both in serving the body as well as in 00:31:14.559 --> 00:31:16.099 their homes and in their neighborhoods and their 00:31:16.099 --> 00:31:18.940 workplaces and among their family. God is using 00:31:18.940 --> 00:31:21.579 people here to... greet others at the door and 00:31:21.579 --> 00:31:23.720 to make them feel welcome with the same love 00:31:23.720 --> 00:31:26.079 that they've received in Christ, to be there 00:31:26.079 --> 00:31:28.339 at the doorway to make sure that you are seen, 00:31:28.559 --> 00:31:31.359 make sure that you know that Jesus loves you 00:31:31.359 --> 00:31:33.539 and that someone else is here. The embodiment 00:31:33.539 --> 00:31:37.480 of the gospel is present in receiving you every 00:31:37.480 --> 00:31:41.380 single Sunday. There are people on Sundays who 00:31:41.380 --> 00:31:44.539 run sound or who play guitar or who serve coffee. 00:31:44.700 --> 00:31:48.960 They're not just filling volunteer slots. No, 00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:51.420 these are labor of love that is forcing them 00:31:51.420 --> 00:31:54.720 into faith and dependence upon God in order to 00:31:54.720 --> 00:31:57.779 serve the body. And the fruit of it is the love 00:31:57.779 --> 00:31:59.700 of God abounding in the building up of the body 00:31:59.700 --> 00:32:02.599 here. We see it every single week. We hear it 00:32:02.599 --> 00:32:04.759 in the stories of what God is doing through the 00:32:04.759 --> 00:32:09.019 community of saints. They're helping to shape 00:32:09.019 --> 00:32:12.319 a spiritual environment where people can meet 00:32:12.319 --> 00:32:19.160 Jesus. Every act of service matters because it 00:32:19.160 --> 00:32:23.420 reflects the grace that has shaped you. Ephesians 00:32:23.420 --> 00:32:25.880 4, a little bit later, says he gave some to be 00:32:25.880 --> 00:32:28.259 apostles, some to be prophets, some evangelists, 00:32:28.259 --> 00:32:31.299 some pastors and teachers. Why? To equip the 00:32:31.299 --> 00:32:34.640 saints for the work of ministry to build up the 00:32:34.640 --> 00:32:38.369 body of Christ. And that's God's design. Ministry 00:32:38.369 --> 00:32:41.609 isn't done for the church by a few. Ministry 00:32:41.609 --> 00:32:44.569 isn't done in the world by a few or a few professionals. 00:32:44.690 --> 00:32:49.730 It's done through the church by all. Every believer 00:32:49.730 --> 00:32:52.950 is a minister. Every believer is a missionary. 00:32:53.789 --> 00:32:57.190 Every believer, every disciple is a builder in 00:32:57.190 --> 00:33:00.230 the kingdom of God. And many people think of 00:33:00.230 --> 00:33:03.930 the church, the gathering, the people of God 00:33:03.930 --> 00:33:07.609 like it's a cruise ship. Anyone been on a cruise 00:33:07.609 --> 00:33:10.910 ship before? Yeah? Been on a cruise ship, right? 00:33:10.930 --> 00:33:14.049 It's a place that's designed for comfort, where 00:33:14.049 --> 00:33:17.089 a small crew serves the needs of the passengers. 00:33:18.490 --> 00:33:20.970 That's a cruise ship, but the church was never 00:33:20.970 --> 00:33:25.369 meant to be a cruise ship. It's a battleship. 00:33:26.910 --> 00:33:30.210 Every person has a role. Every believer has an 00:33:30.210 --> 00:33:32.789 assignment, and the mission moves forward only 00:33:32.789 --> 00:33:36.839 when everyone is at their post. On a cruise ship, 00:33:36.880 --> 00:33:40.099 it's about being served. On a battleship, it's 00:33:40.099 --> 00:33:44.480 about being on mission. And that mission is to 00:33:44.480 --> 00:33:49.500 serve others. On a cruise ship, you ask, am I 00:33:49.500 --> 00:33:53.440 comfortable? On a battleship, you ask, am I contributing? 00:33:55.319 --> 00:33:58.099 And that's what it means to be shaped for purpose, 00:33:58.180 --> 00:34:00.920 to recognize that you've been equipped by God, 00:34:00.980 --> 00:34:06.349 not for a vacation. But for a vocation, a work 00:34:06.349 --> 00:34:09.550 that God has prepared. I love this quote from 00:34:09.550 --> 00:34:12.449 Charles Spurgeon. He said, every Christian is 00:34:12.449 --> 00:34:18.130 either a missionary or an imposter. Every Christian 00:34:18.130 --> 00:34:22.519 is either a missionary or an imposter. If you 00:34:22.519 --> 00:34:25.420 are in Christ, you are God's workmanship, and 00:34:25.420 --> 00:34:28.380 the mission field is first and foremost your 00:34:28.380 --> 00:34:30.840 brothers and sisters for their building up, for 00:34:30.840 --> 00:34:33.519 their pouring into them, for sowing into them 00:34:33.519 --> 00:34:35.900 the seeds of life, and for helping them to be 00:34:35.900 --> 00:34:38.159 renewed in grace. But that's not where it ends, 00:34:38.400 --> 00:34:42.099 because it moves from there as we are equipped 00:34:42.099 --> 00:34:44.039 and grown up and built up. Where does it move 00:34:44.039 --> 00:34:48.519 to? Where does it move to? Anyone? Out there! 00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:52.099 Not just in here and not just the gathering, 00:34:52.199 --> 00:34:54.039 but it's through this equipping and through this 00:34:54.039 --> 00:34:57.300 strengthening that we gather and then we go. 00:34:57.679 --> 00:35:00.780 We gather and we go and we go and we're sent 00:35:00.780 --> 00:35:04.679 to serve a world to bring the message of reconciliation. 00:35:05.340 --> 00:35:08.780 That's what we're doing. And we're going to talk 00:35:08.780 --> 00:35:11.980 about next week and our final point in our discipleship 00:35:11.980 --> 00:35:18.510 framework. The last one is sent to serve. People 00:35:18.510 --> 00:35:22.030 don't just attend church. Believers, disciples 00:35:22.030 --> 00:35:25.929 don't just attend church as if it's an event 00:35:25.929 --> 00:35:29.150 on our schedule, as if it's a religious exercise 00:35:29.150 --> 00:35:33.429 that we drop down on 9 a .m. or 11 a .m. on Sunday 00:35:33.429 --> 00:35:36.230 mornings. That's not what disciples do. They 00:35:36.230 --> 00:35:39.809 don't just attend church. They become the church. 00:35:41.610 --> 00:35:43.789 And you could wipe away the chairs and you could 00:35:43.789 --> 00:35:45.869 take away the building and we could be left with 00:35:45.869 --> 00:35:47.969 asphalt or dirt or down at the park or at one 00:35:47.969 --> 00:35:50.869 of your houses and we can still become the church. 00:35:51.929 --> 00:35:53.889 Praise God we have a building we can get together 00:35:53.889 --> 00:35:56.949 and all be here, right? Not everyone has that. 00:35:58.969 --> 00:36:02.670 Which means we're more responsible. Because we 00:36:02.670 --> 00:36:04.849 do have it. We're more responsible to not make 00:36:04.849 --> 00:36:08.340 this the thing. But to make this the place, the 00:36:08.340 --> 00:36:11.440 equipping place and the preparing and the encouragement 00:36:11.440 --> 00:36:15.920 thing so that we can go and be witnesses to this 00:36:15.920 --> 00:36:19.900 world. But here we're shaped for a purpose. We're 00:36:19.900 --> 00:36:21.619 shaped for a purpose in community. We're shaped 00:36:21.619 --> 00:36:23.940 for a purpose as God works through us in his 00:36:23.940 --> 00:36:27.119 word. We're shaped and shaped and molded. And 00:36:27.119 --> 00:36:29.800 we bring all of us to the table and God won't 00:36:29.800 --> 00:36:34.190 waste any of it. including our gifts. First Peter 00:36:34.190 --> 00:36:36.590 says, just as each one of you has received a 00:36:36.590 --> 00:36:41.190 gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards 00:36:41.190 --> 00:36:45.389 of the varied grace of God so that God may be 00:36:45.389 --> 00:36:49.409 glorified through Jesus Christ. Everyone a gift, 00:36:49.570 --> 00:36:53.730 using it to serve one another as good stewards 00:36:53.730 --> 00:36:57.179 of the gift and of the very grace of God. so 00:36:57.179 --> 00:36:59.440 that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. 00:36:59.579 --> 00:37:02.219 When we serve one another, we display God's grace 00:37:02.219 --> 00:37:05.900 to one another. When we use our gifts, we build 00:37:05.900 --> 00:37:07.920 up the body. And when we do the work that God 00:37:07.920 --> 00:37:10.440 has prepared for us, we show the world what the 00:37:10.440 --> 00:37:16.619 grace of Jesus looks like in motion. You are 00:37:16.619 --> 00:37:21.840 shaped by grace for service. If you thought you 00:37:21.840 --> 00:37:25.190 were shaped by grace for good feelings, Or you 00:37:25.190 --> 00:37:28.510 were shaped by grace for therapy, right? Christian 00:37:28.510 --> 00:37:32.510 church therapy. Nope, sorry. Maybe down the road, 00:37:32.590 --> 00:37:35.989 I don't know. But no, the word is clear. You 00:37:35.989 --> 00:37:42.670 are shaped by grace for service. You signed up 00:37:42.670 --> 00:37:47.150 for something. And so God works for us in salvation 00:37:47.150 --> 00:37:50.469 and God works in us through transformation. And 00:37:50.469 --> 00:37:52.550 then he works through us to build up his body 00:37:52.550 --> 00:37:57.199 and to bless. the world. And that's what it means 00:37:57.199 --> 00:38:02.960 to be shaped for purpose. In conclusion, village, 00:38:03.039 --> 00:38:06.400 you were made for more. You were made to be rooted 00:38:06.400 --> 00:38:10.679 in Christ. You were made to be renewed in grace. 00:38:11.000 --> 00:38:14.019 You were made to be shaped for purpose. And next 00:38:14.019 --> 00:38:16.139 week, we'll look at what it means to be sent 00:38:16.139 --> 00:38:26.179 to serve. He wants to do a work through you, 00:38:26.280 --> 00:38:29.400 using your life to build up his church and to 00:38:29.400 --> 00:38:32.659 bless the world. You matter, your shape matters, 00:38:32.840 --> 00:38:36.260 your story matters. And maybe some of you, you've 00:38:36.260 --> 00:38:38.880 believed in Christ, but never really stepped 00:38:38.880 --> 00:38:43.179 into the why. It has been all therapy for you. 00:38:43.539 --> 00:38:47.260 It has been all religious duty or exercise for 00:38:47.260 --> 00:38:49.579 you. Well, now's the chance. Now's the time for 00:38:49.579 --> 00:38:53.099 you to step into the why, the mission. Of discipleship. 00:38:53.360 --> 00:38:56.380 What this is about. Why you've stepped from darkness 00:38:56.380 --> 00:38:59.199 to light. So that you can now become a light. 00:38:59.960 --> 00:39:05.019 To the world. Ephesians 2 says that every believer 00:39:05.019 --> 00:39:08.340 has been crafted by God for good works. Works 00:39:08.340 --> 00:39:10.539 that he prepared long before you ever existed. 00:39:11.000 --> 00:39:13.960 And that means your life and my life is not accidental. 00:39:14.079 --> 00:39:16.860 But it is intentional. And at Village that's 00:39:16.860 --> 00:39:18.860 what we want to be all about. We want to be a 00:39:18.860 --> 00:39:21.460 church where every person knows their shape. 00:39:21.920 --> 00:39:24.679 uses their gifts and takes their place in the 00:39:24.679 --> 00:39:28.300 story that God is writing here. Because when 00:39:28.300 --> 00:39:31.139 we do that, when every part does its work, the 00:39:31.139 --> 00:39:34.099 body grows stronger and the gospel comes to life 00:39:34.099 --> 00:39:36.760 and our communities are transformed. And praise 00:39:36.760 --> 00:39:42.619 God, that's what we want, amen? Philippians 2 00:39:42.619 --> 00:39:45.840 says, it is God who is working in you both to 00:39:45.840 --> 00:39:48.800 will and to work according to his good purpose. 00:39:50.409 --> 00:39:54.489 And so our invitation today is to ask God to 00:39:54.489 --> 00:40:00.389 show us where he wants to work through us. How 00:40:00.389 --> 00:40:03.630 does he want to work through us? Where is he 00:40:03.630 --> 00:40:08.130 pointing you? Maybe it's in your community. Maybe 00:40:08.130 --> 00:40:10.250 you don't know. And maybe it starts with just 00:40:10.250 --> 00:40:12.809 serving your brothers and sisters in some way. 00:40:12.869 --> 00:40:15.530 Maybe it's with your family or workplace. But 00:40:15.530 --> 00:40:19.800 God has shaped you for a purpose. He shaped you 00:40:19.800 --> 00:40:22.239 through all of your life and your gifts for a 00:40:22.239 --> 00:40:26.260 plan. And if you haven't found it, or you're 00:40:26.260 --> 00:40:27.880 just kind of searching in the dark, now's the 00:40:27.880 --> 00:40:32.159 time to step into that plan and ask God to show 00:40:32.159 --> 00:40:34.239 you where he wants to work through you.