Series: Undeserved Grace

Scripture: Titus 1:1-4

Title: “Sons & Daughters, Saved, Selected, & Sent to Serve”

Episode 1 - Introduction

Today’s message is entitled: “Sons & Daughters, Saved, Selected, & Sent to Serve”

Our bottom line (and prayer) today is that we would recognize that (in Christ) we are sons and daughters of God who have been saved, selected, and sent to serve God and people. This is undeserved grace.

This is true of those who are “in Christ”. Share illustration.

Episode 2 - Who are we?

Illustration: 

Understand Your Value

https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/13685/day/265?segment=0

Have you ever felt like a failure, or of no use to God, or thought that God wouldn’t want to answer your prayers?

Until I first read Colin Urquhart’s book, In Christ Jesus, I had never realized how significant that little word ‘in’ is in the New Testament. Understanding that, as a Christian, you are ‘in’ Christ Jesus revolutionizes how you see yourself, your self-image, your identity and how you understand your value to God.

Write your name on a piece of paper. Take hold of your Bible to represent Christ. Place the paper in the book and close it. You are in Christ. Where the book goes you go. Where the paper goes he goes. You are not part of the book, but you are now identified totally with the book.

Paul uses this expression, ‘in Christ Jesus’, over and over again. God has taken hold of you and placed you inChrist. In Christ, you have received ‘every spiritual blessing’ (Ephesians 1:3). All of the blessings, including those that the Old Testament speaks about, are yours in Christ.

Who are we? Why are we (still) here?

Root to Fruit

1. Who is God?

2. What has he done?

3. Who am I? (In light of who God is)

4. What do I get to do as a result?

Who are we? What do we get to do?

We are sons and daughters of God who have been saved, selected, and sent to serve God and serve people. Let me show you where I see this.

Episode 3 - We are Servants of God

Servants or bond slaves meaning we willfully surrender our rights, preferences and dreams to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We do this because he freed us from being enslaved to sin and death, shame and guilt, and hell itself.

Episode 4 - We are Sent-ones (Apostles) of Jesus Christ.

Like an email, we carry a message (hopefully one written in grace and truth) that is for the world to see and read in us as we show and tell the good news that the kingdom of God is near.

Episode 5 - We are selected-ones of God.

None of us deserve to be chosen or elected into his family. Some are. 

• It still is incumbent on me to freely respond by grace through faith. 

• But remember that God provides the faith. We are called to exercise it.

• As selected ones, what do we do?

• We live sent with great confidence that this was no accident.

Episode 6 - We are sons and daughters of God the Father.

As family, we’re living in the community of God reaching out to the community around us. And we must do this together!

As family, we are reminded that we are beloved no matter what we do nor how we live. But the family business is to rescue others as we have been rescued.

Dave Dravecky story on identity and how it affects how we live.

Episode 7 - What now?

Grace = getting what you don’t deserve. 

G.R.A.C.E. = God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense

Do you recognize your undeserved grace? 

(Bottom line) Do you recognize that (in Christ) you are a son or daughter of God, saved, selected, and sent into the world to serve God and to serve people undeserved grace?

This is why we are still here. 

Will you exchange your worldly identity for the one God selected you to flesh out? Will you live as his selected sent servant and son/daughter?

Other

“Root to Fruit” comes from Jeff Vanderstelt of Soma. @jeffvanderstelt on Twitter.com.

Root to Fruit

1. Who is God?

2. What has he done?

3. Who am I? (In light of who God is)

4. What do I get to do as a result?