Stones Hill Community Church
Ephesians - Finding Our New Identity
Welcome to an exciting new sermon series on the Book of Ephesians, one of the Apostle Paul’s most profound letters. Paul proposes that we are "in Christ." We have a new identity. In a sense, he encourages us to become what we already are!
Locations & Times
Ligonier, IN
151 W Stones Hill Rd, Ligonier, IN 46767, USA
Saturday 5:00 PM
MESSAGE TEXT
Ephesians 1:1-2
*
INTRODUCTION
This phrase in Christ is used about 140 times in the Bible. We are said to be in Christ. It's the most used term to describe a disciple, a believer - somebody in the family of God. The word Christian is only used a couple times in the Bible. Instead of the word Christian, the Bible says you are in Christ and this is how Paul begins his letter to the Ephesians. God says because you're in Christ, here is your true identity; here's who you were made to be; here's the real you now. What is your core identity? Where do you get your sense of worth from? How does this impact what you do? Paul's message is that you've been saved and rescued. You've been stamped with a new identity. So now, live in light of this new reality. Every day, people are being fed messages about their identity and self-worth, through social media, peers, and self-condemning thoughts. The basic message “Never enough. I’ll never be enough.”
*
BACKGROUND
In this series, we are stressing that the beginning point of new life in Christ is not a matter of trying to do things for Jesus but of claiming and resting in what He has already done for us (Boa). As you get to know Jesus, your practice will change. That’s what Paul believed.
*
The book of Ephesians is a fascinating book, and sometimes unless you stand back you can’t see some of its teaching. It matters what you believe! We talked about Ephesians being our video tape that we play often to remind ourselves who we are. We talked about the “carnival funhouse mirrors” of culture that often distort our identity – magnifying hurts or failures or things in our lives that dominate everything else. The carnival mirrors of peer opinion, personal evaluation, and cultural values - in those mirrors you do see yourself, but what you see is distorted.
*
We talked about how God’s Word, namely Ephesians is the corrective to the carnival mirrors of culture – the corrective that tells us who we really are and what we need to value. God's Word says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are made to mirror God – his love, beauty, grace, truth, adventure, romance, purpose. But the carnival mirror of culture distorts all of that. The carnival mirrors say you aren't worth anything unless you have _______. God's Word says he has a plan for your life. The carnival mirrors say you'll never amount to anything. God's Word says purpose and meaning are found in relationship with Jesus Christ. The carnival mirrors say you better chase what everyone else is chasing. God’s Word says “Let me show you what to pursue that has true value.”
*
PROPOSITION
I suspect that we all have based our worth and our identity on some falsehood our counterfeit idea. The Ephesian believers were into all these counterfeit identities at one time, but the Gospel had set them free. Bryan Chapell calls Ephesians a “U-Turn Letter”. It’s a “U-Turn Letter” with “Formerly…but now” Expressions (see slides). And in keeping with Paul’s “true identity” theme – it’s time to do a U-Turn and to see yourself as God sees and defines you.
*
CONCLUSION
Paul’s “Summer of ‘62” can be your “Spring of ’25”. Jesus says, “When you look at the gospel, you see something. I went to the cross. On the cross, I lost my identity in a sense, so you could have one. On the cross, I lost my relationship with my Father,” which was the source of his identity. That’s why on the cross he quotes Psalm 22. Part of Psalm 22 says, “…I am a worm, and no man…” On the cross, Jesus Christ lost his identity, his relationship with his Father. Why? To pay the price of sin so we could have, by free grace, the adoption as sons and daughters of the Father. That’s love. This is what Christianity offers, something no other religion dares to offer. It says when you join to God through Jesus Christ, the verdict is in, now. You have the applause, the praise, the delight of God. The great paradox is that we “find” ourselves, this lasting identity in Christ, only when we “lose” ourselves in Him.
*
So Jesus comes and says, “I have the answer to the ‘Who am I? question. I have the answer!’” And He laid down and died for you so that Father-God could reclaim you as His Own, even though we humans decided to go our own way. You belong to God. He made you. Jesus redeemed you. The Spirit pursues you. The key to identity is not to go find yourself. The key to identity is to come to Jesus and lose yourself in Him. And if you want a new identity, take up your cross, and follow Him. Make Him your center. Stop creating your own identity and allow Him to stamp you as His own.
Ephesians 1:1-2
*
INTRODUCTION
This phrase in Christ is used about 140 times in the Bible. We are said to be in Christ. It's the most used term to describe a disciple, a believer - somebody in the family of God. The word Christian is only used a couple times in the Bible. Instead of the word Christian, the Bible says you are in Christ and this is how Paul begins his letter to the Ephesians. God says because you're in Christ, here is your true identity; here's who you were made to be; here's the real you now. What is your core identity? Where do you get your sense of worth from? How does this impact what you do? Paul's message is that you've been saved and rescued. You've been stamped with a new identity. So now, live in light of this new reality. Every day, people are being fed messages about their identity and self-worth, through social media, peers, and self-condemning thoughts. The basic message “Never enough. I’ll never be enough.”
*
BACKGROUND
In this series, we are stressing that the beginning point of new life in Christ is not a matter of trying to do things for Jesus but of claiming and resting in what He has already done for us (Boa). As you get to know Jesus, your practice will change. That’s what Paul believed.
*
The book of Ephesians is a fascinating book, and sometimes unless you stand back you can’t see some of its teaching. It matters what you believe! We talked about Ephesians being our video tape that we play often to remind ourselves who we are. We talked about the “carnival funhouse mirrors” of culture that often distort our identity – magnifying hurts or failures or things in our lives that dominate everything else. The carnival mirrors of peer opinion, personal evaluation, and cultural values - in those mirrors you do see yourself, but what you see is distorted.
*
We talked about how God’s Word, namely Ephesians is the corrective to the carnival mirrors of culture – the corrective that tells us who we really are and what we need to value. God's Word says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are made to mirror God – his love, beauty, grace, truth, adventure, romance, purpose. But the carnival mirror of culture distorts all of that. The carnival mirrors say you aren't worth anything unless you have _______. God's Word says he has a plan for your life. The carnival mirrors say you'll never amount to anything. God's Word says purpose and meaning are found in relationship with Jesus Christ. The carnival mirrors say you better chase what everyone else is chasing. God’s Word says “Let me show you what to pursue that has true value.”
*
PROPOSITION
I suspect that we all have based our worth and our identity on some falsehood our counterfeit idea. The Ephesian believers were into all these counterfeit identities at one time, but the Gospel had set them free. Bryan Chapell calls Ephesians a “U-Turn Letter”. It’s a “U-Turn Letter” with “Formerly…but now” Expressions (see slides). And in keeping with Paul’s “true identity” theme – it’s time to do a U-Turn and to see yourself as God sees and defines you.
*
CONCLUSION
Paul’s “Summer of ‘62” can be your “Spring of ’25”. Jesus says, “When you look at the gospel, you see something. I went to the cross. On the cross, I lost my identity in a sense, so you could have one. On the cross, I lost my relationship with my Father,” which was the source of his identity. That’s why on the cross he quotes Psalm 22. Part of Psalm 22 says, “…I am a worm, and no man…” On the cross, Jesus Christ lost his identity, his relationship with his Father. Why? To pay the price of sin so we could have, by free grace, the adoption as sons and daughters of the Father. That’s love. This is what Christianity offers, something no other religion dares to offer. It says when you join to God through Jesus Christ, the verdict is in, now. You have the applause, the praise, the delight of God. The great paradox is that we “find” ourselves, this lasting identity in Christ, only when we “lose” ourselves in Him.
*
So Jesus comes and says, “I have the answer to the ‘Who am I? question. I have the answer!’” And He laid down and died for you so that Father-God could reclaim you as His Own, even though we humans decided to go our own way. You belong to God. He made you. Jesus redeemed you. The Spirit pursues you. The key to identity is not to go find yourself. The key to identity is to come to Jesus and lose yourself in Him. And if you want a new identity, take up your cross, and follow Him. Make Him your center. Stop creating your own identity and allow Him to stamp you as His own.