Jason Sneed Ephesians Series

Ephesians: Your Identity In Christ – Part 3

ephesians-identity

As we delve back into the Ephesians series, I want to remind each of us that in order for us to follow Jesus as a true disciple, we must be able to see Him for who He really is. Once we have a clear picture of Jesus, then we can truly understand who we are.

One of the truths that Tony Merida has already brought out in this study of Ephesians is that Jesus died in order to reconcile us to God. But Tony also points out, that another facet of Jesus’ death was to reconcile us to others.

Tony says,

As important as it is for us to live at peace with God (our vertical relationship), it’s vital for us to live at peace with others (our horizontal relationships). If that challenges you already, then good!

New Life In Community

When I think of rivalries, I begin to think sports. Yankees vs. Redsox. Auburn vs. Alabama. North Carolina Tarheels vs. the Duke Blue Devils. Rivalries! These are groups of people who don’t like each other. I’ll just say it out loud – they sometimes HATE each other.

When I think of rivalries, I don’t think of the church, but as some of you can attest, rivalries do happen inside the church and this weakens the church to do its purpose.

Anytime you bring people together there will be conflict, even in the church. Paul was explaining this to the church at Ephesus because there was conflict between two groups: The Jews & the Gentiles. (Gentiles are non-Jews).

Yet, because of what Christ did for them, these two groups of people had become friends. We see this in Ephesians 2:13-14:

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility…

What we have to understand is that it is the gospel that brings different groups of people together. Especially inside the church!

Tony points out that if we are in Christ, we not only have a new identity but we also have a new community – made up of new brothers and sisters in Christ. And we all make up the household of God.

That reminds me of the song by Bill Gather entitled “The Family Of God”. The chorus says:

I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God.

I’ve been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!

Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,

For I’m part of the family, the family of God.

Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross of Calvary, we get to be part of God’s family!

Tony goes on to say:

Being reconciled with God doesn’t mean that working in unity with people is easy. But even though it’s not easy to live in unity with other believers, Jesus died to bring us together. So it must be important!

Jesus died for the church. That’s all of us – you, me, people who are different from us, and even people who are legitimately hard to get along with.

The church is made up of all different kinds of people with all different kinds of interest and will all different kinds of likes and dislikes. But it is the gospel that unites us and makes us One in Christ!

Galatians 3:28 says, “There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:11 states, “In Christ there is not Greek or Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.

Diversity in the church is a glorious demonstration of the work of Christ. it is to be celebrated as it pictures heaven. – Tony Merida

So we come to the application part. Is there a conflict in your life with another Christian? Here are some practical steps to take:

  1. Pray for that person
  2. Ask God to soften your heart toward them
  3. Call, write, email or text them
  4. Talk with them face-to-face

Remember that no matter the circumstance or how different they are from you – if both parties are Christians, it is the gospel that brings us all together. 

 

 

 

Jason Sneed Great Quotes

Great Quotes by David Platt

david-platt-banner

David Platt was elected International Missions Board president in August 2014. He previously served as pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama. David earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia, followed by master’s degrees of divinity and theology and a doctorate of philosophy from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, and Counter Culture. David also is the founder of Radical, a ministry devoted to disseminating disciple-making resources so the gospel can be made known to the ends of the earth. *

The following are some of my favorite quotes by David Platt:

“Radical obedience to Christ is not easy… It’s not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than enough for us.”
― Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

“Somewhere along the way we have subtly and tragically taken the costly command of Christ to go, baptize, and teach all nations and mutated it into a comfortable call for Christians to come, be baptized, and listen in one location.”

“A materialistic world will not be won to Christ by a materialistic church.”

“We are settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.”                        ― Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

“Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell.”

“Instead of imagining all the things we can accomplish, we ask God to do what only he can accomplish. Yes, we work, we plan, we organize, and we create, but we do it all while we fast, while we pray, and while we constantly confess our need for the provision of God.”

“Ultimately, tragedy on earth can only be understood rightly from the perspective of heaven.”

“When we realize we have the responsibility to teach the word, it changes everything about how we hear the Word.”

“You and I can choose to continue with business as usual in the Christian life and in the church as a whole, enjoying success based on the standards defined by the culture around us. Or we can take an honest look at the Jesus of the Bible and dare to ask what the consequences might be if we really believed him and really obeyed him.”

“The question therefore is not, “Can we find God’s will?” the question is, “Will we obey God’s will?”

“The sovereignty of God is the only foundation for worship in the midst of tragedy.”

I would love to hear your favorite quote by David Platt, so just leave it in the comment section below!

 

* David Platt’s bio was taking from the IMB website

Jason Sneed Simple Thoughts

The Church’s One Foundation

I came across this old hymn today by Samuel J. Stone entitled “The Church’s One Foundation”. Here are the words to the first verse:

The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ Her Lord

She is His new creation by water and the Word.

From heaven He came & sought her to be His holy bride;

With His own blood He bought her and for her life He died.

Colossians 1:18 says, “And HE is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might have preeminent.”

The authors of the book “Christ-Centered Exposition: 1 & 2 Timothy & Titus” make the following statement:

The church belongs to Jesus Christ. He founded it by His life, death, and resurrection, and since Pentecost He has continued to build it by His Spirit (Acts 2). Therefore, what matters most in the life of the church is not the church’s website or the latest statistics on what visitors are looking for in a worship experience. What matters most is what the Lord of the church has said.

Christ, and Christ alone, is our ONE FOUNDATION!

Jason Sneed Points To Ponder

Points To Ponder: July 13

Points To Ponder

If someone were to pole 10 people on defining the term discipleship you will be hard-pressed to get the same definition. In fact, you might leave more confused. I have noticed, over the years, the same thing with the term faith. A word often spoken about in Christian circles everywhere. Faith, however, is a word that can be one of the most difficult to define for many Believers. Greg Gilbert affirms this when he says, “Faith is one of those words that’s been misused for so long that most people have no idea what it really means. Ask someone on the street to describe faith, and while you might get some respectful-sounding words, the heart of the matter will most likely be that faith is belief in the ridiculous against all evidence.” To be fair to those who are outside of the faith they shouldn’t have to provide an exact definition of faith (much less a Biblical one). We as Believers know far too well that our faith isn’t belief in the ridiculous, yet why do we struggle so much to define what is such a cornerstone to our faith?

So, for the record, “What is Faith?” And/or, “How would we/you define it?”

If you consider yourself a Bible-believing Christian, a follower of Jesus whose chief aim is to glorify God and enjoy him forever, there are important questions I hope you will consider before picking up your flag and cheering on the sexual revolution. These questions aren’t meant to be snarky or merely rhetorical. They are sincere, if pointed, questions that I hope will cause my brothers and sisters with the new rainbow themed avatars to slow down and think about the flag you’re flying.

Your church is broken because it’s made up of broken people, including yourself. Abandoning the local church is only acceptable under a few extreme circumstances. Other than in certain circumstances, the people of God have the responsibility to sacrificially love their local churches as Jesus has.

If anyone has the right to abandon the adulterous, idolatrous bride called “Church,” it’s God, and he hasn’t, so we need to be careful how quick we are to bail when the going gets tough.

Here are three bad reasons to leave the local church:

Writing to Timothy, his son in the ministry, Paul balanced warning and instruction. Paul reminded his protégé to continue engaging God’s Word like he had done since childhood. Paul emphasized that the Bible was inspired by God to equip Christ’s followers for their work.

Jason Sneed Simple Thoughts

Live Your Life Worthy

The Philippians knew very well that they were a Roman colony, with all of the privileges and rights of being full citizens of the Empire. But, Paul reminds them, your king is not Caesar, and Rome is not your citizenship; your king is Jesus Christ, and Heaven is your citizenship. Live, therefore, in a manner worthy of that citizenship. Stand side by side as a united army fighting for that king, to his honor and glory.

(Philippians 1:27-30)

Colin Marshall & Tony Payne – The Trellis and the Vine

Jason Sneed Simple Thoughts

Weekly Points To Ponder – June 20, 2014

Points To Ponder

Should We Pray for Revival? – desiringGod.org

Ours is not the first generation to recognize the spiritual declension among us, or to see the need for God to awaken his church and touch our land. From the saints of the Old Testament to leaders in our time, prayer for revival has marked believers who understand the need for the Spirit surpasses our ability and intelligence.

Read full article…

 3 in 4 in U.S. Still See the Bible as Word of God – Gallup.com

PRINCETON, NJ — Twenty-eight percent of Americans believe the Bible is the actual word of God and that it should be taken literally. This is somewhat below the 38% to 40% seen in the late 1970s, and near the all-time low of 27% reached in 2001 and 2009. But about half of Americans continue to say the Bible is the inspired word of God, not to be taken literally — meaning a combined 75% believe the Bible is in some way connected to God. About one in five Americans view the Bible in purely secular terms — as ancient fables, legends, history, and precepts written by man — which is up from 13% in 1976.

Read full article…

7 Biblical Tests for Christians and Music – TheExchange.com

Christians disagree about music style as much as any other issue in the body of Christ. More than likely, you’ve experienced this firsthand. As I’ve already written, conflicts over music have been common through out church history. Christians have listened to and enjoyed all of kinds of music. But should they?

In seeking to determine what is the right music for a church, it’s important that we use biblical principles in our evaluation. That’s not always easy—the Bible doesn’t contain music notes. God never gives us His musical preferences.
While it may be difficult, I do believe it’s possible to evaluate musical preferences using God’s word. The following seven tests each relate to biblical principles that we can apply to our music to determine its suitability.

Read Full Article…

Salvation Before the Cross – Answers In Genesis

How were people saved before Jesus Christ died on the Cross? The answer is easy, once you realize that nothing happens by chance—the solution was already in place even before the world began.

The Bible record presents two dominant themes: promise and fulfillment. Over and again we see God promising and then, true to His word, fulfilling. Even at the very beginning, when the fall of man first brought sin and death into the world, God graciously promised that one day Christ would step into history, as a “lamb . . . foreordained before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1:19–20), to shed His blood to save a fallen humanity.

Read Full Article…

GREAT RESOURCE – Proverbial Thought (Amazon.com)

Proverbial Thought is a collection of commentary and personal reflection on the wisdom of each and every individual proverb through the entire book of Proverbs. However, the commentary and personal reflection contained in this work are in no way exhaustive. For that matter, even if we were to attempt to plumb the depths of Proverbs, “the world itself could not contain the books that should be written” (John 21:25). It is up to you, the reader, how to use this book (and the ones to follow). You could use it as a devotional, reading an entry a day as you seek to start your day in the wisdom of the Lord. You could use it as an additional commentary as you study God’s Word for a lesson or sermon. You could even use it to gain insight into that occasionally difficult passage that has you stumped. But no matter how you use it, always make sure to first ask the Holy Spirit for enlightenment when you study Scripture.