Faith Baptist Church
We Are God's Project
As we think about the end of a year and look forward to the beginning of a new one, where do you stand in your commitment to your Savior? Join us as Pastor Coppock presents a challenge that we would see ourselves as belonging to God in a message titled, "We Are God's Project."
Locations & Times
Faith Baptist Church
1220 N Carpenter Rd, Titusville, FL 32796, USA
Saturday 4:00 PM
“Have you ever experienced the satisfaction of serving something greater than yourself?”
I. The Project
A. Ephesians 2:10, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus….
1. 2:10 Workmanship. NT:4161 poiema; <NT:4160; a product, i.e. fabric: KJV- thing that is made, workmanship.
2. A God-project. The English word is “poem.”
B. We are God’s poem!
1. God made us. Psalm 100:3, Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. (God made me!)
2. We have no business resisting God’s design on our lives or ministry. Romans 9:20, Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, Why hast Thou made me thus? (Like this?)
3. It would be dangerous to fight against our Maker. Isaiah 45:9, Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! …Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? 10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth? (Disrespectful children!)
4. God wants to finish the work that He has started in us. Philippians 1:6, Being confident of this very thing, that He Which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Fred Hoyle (the astronomer who coined the term “big bang”) was overwhelmed by how unlikely it is that life could exist anywhere else; he said that his atheism was “greatly shaken” at these developments. “A common-sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a super-intellect has monkeyed with the physics, as well as with chemistry and biology…. The numbers one calculates from the facts seem to me so overwhelming as to put this conclusion almost beyond question.” (Wall Street Journal, 12/2014, quoted by Eric Mataxas.)
“It is as if we are having a matrix moment, only the Guy behind the scenes is a good-guy, not a bad one, and He is God!”
“I belong to God, and He can use me however He wants.”
II. The Purchase (How DID we get here?)
A. Ephesians 2:8, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast.
1. 2:8 We are saved by grace (the instrument of salvation.)
2. 2:8 We are saved through faith (the channel of salvation.)
3. 2:8 Salvation is a gift; it is not a payment for our works.
4. 2:9 If our works saved us or even made a positive difference—we would take the credit. (Disrespecting the cross.)
B. “The relationship that we have with God is based upon grace.”
C. Christians have been redeemed by Jesus.
1. Jesus purchased us at the cross. Galatians 3:13, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.
2. The work of Jesus in redemption makes Him worthy to do the work of God. Revelation 5:9, …Thou art worthy…: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.
3. We should live cleaner lives because we have been bought by Jesus. 1 Corinthians 6:18, Flee fornication…. 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy [Spirit Who] is in you, Which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
“A warning to all of the cool Christianity out there: Being purchased by Jesus means freedom FROM sin—not freedom TO sin.” (We are purchased BY Jesus, FOR Jesus!)
“The great unfortunate reality of many of today’s Christians is that they think they belong to themselves.”
III. The Presentation
A. Ephesians 2:10, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (This was the plan from the beginning.)
1. 2:9-10 We are saved NOT of works, UNTO good works.
“God, I commit myself to serving you with good works.”
B. God explains Israel’s captivity in Isaiah 5:11-13.
1. “Life is hard for those that pursue drink and pleasure but do not show respect for God’s work.”
2. “Even the best people are limited, depleted, and empty if they
have not considered God’s operations and agenda.”
C. The disciplines of the serving Christian: (Romans 12)
1. Present yourself to God for service. Romans 12:1, [I beg you]by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Now!)
2. Detach yourself from the world. Romans 12:2, Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…. “Get your cues from the Bible instead of from this world!”
3. Get over yourself. Romans 12:3, For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4. Don’t try to be what you are not. Romans 12:4, As we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: (Respect and be respected! Appreciate other servants!)
5. Join the body. Romans 12:5, So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6. Use your gifts for God. Romans 12:6, Having [gifts] …according to the grace that is given to us, [prophecy, ministry, [teaching, exhortation, giving, ruling, mercy.] (Generously, humbly, intensely.)
“God, I offer myself to You to serve You with my gifts.”
I. The Project
A. Ephesians 2:10, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus….
1. 2:10 Workmanship. NT:4161 poiema; <NT:4160; a product, i.e. fabric: KJV- thing that is made, workmanship.
2. A God-project. The English word is “poem.”
B. We are God’s poem!
1. God made us. Psalm 100:3, Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. (God made me!)
2. We have no business resisting God’s design on our lives or ministry. Romans 9:20, Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, Why hast Thou made me thus? (Like this?)
3. It would be dangerous to fight against our Maker. Isaiah 45:9, Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! …Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? 10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth? (Disrespectful children!)
4. God wants to finish the work that He has started in us. Philippians 1:6, Being confident of this very thing, that He Which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Fred Hoyle (the astronomer who coined the term “big bang”) was overwhelmed by how unlikely it is that life could exist anywhere else; he said that his atheism was “greatly shaken” at these developments. “A common-sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a super-intellect has monkeyed with the physics, as well as with chemistry and biology…. The numbers one calculates from the facts seem to me so overwhelming as to put this conclusion almost beyond question.” (Wall Street Journal, 12/2014, quoted by Eric Mataxas.)
“It is as if we are having a matrix moment, only the Guy behind the scenes is a good-guy, not a bad one, and He is God!”
“I belong to God, and He can use me however He wants.”
II. The Purchase (How DID we get here?)
A. Ephesians 2:8, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast.
1. 2:8 We are saved by grace (the instrument of salvation.)
2. 2:8 We are saved through faith (the channel of salvation.)
3. 2:8 Salvation is a gift; it is not a payment for our works.
4. 2:9 If our works saved us or even made a positive difference—we would take the credit. (Disrespecting the cross.)
B. “The relationship that we have with God is based upon grace.”
C. Christians have been redeemed by Jesus.
1. Jesus purchased us at the cross. Galatians 3:13, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.
2. The work of Jesus in redemption makes Him worthy to do the work of God. Revelation 5:9, …Thou art worthy…: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.
3. We should live cleaner lives because we have been bought by Jesus. 1 Corinthians 6:18, Flee fornication…. 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy [Spirit Who] is in you, Which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
“A warning to all of the cool Christianity out there: Being purchased by Jesus means freedom FROM sin—not freedom TO sin.” (We are purchased BY Jesus, FOR Jesus!)
“The great unfortunate reality of many of today’s Christians is that they think they belong to themselves.”
III. The Presentation
A. Ephesians 2:10, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (This was the plan from the beginning.)
1. 2:9-10 We are saved NOT of works, UNTO good works.
“God, I commit myself to serving you with good works.”
B. God explains Israel’s captivity in Isaiah 5:11-13.
1. “Life is hard for those that pursue drink and pleasure but do not show respect for God’s work.”
2. “Even the best people are limited, depleted, and empty if they
have not considered God’s operations and agenda.”
C. The disciplines of the serving Christian: (Romans 12)
1. Present yourself to God for service. Romans 12:1, [I beg you]by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Now!)
2. Detach yourself from the world. Romans 12:2, Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…. “Get your cues from the Bible instead of from this world!”
3. Get over yourself. Romans 12:3, For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4. Don’t try to be what you are not. Romans 12:4, As we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: (Respect and be respected! Appreciate other servants!)
5. Join the body. Romans 12:5, So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6. Use your gifts for God. Romans 12:6, Having [gifts] …according to the grace that is given to us, [prophecy, ministry, [teaching, exhortation, giving, ruling, mercy.] (Generously, humbly, intensely.)
“God, I offer myself to You to serve You with my gifts.”