Transcript 03162008
GOD’S MISSION STATEMENT ROMANS 8:28-30 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, he also glorified.” God’s Mission Statement (called according to His purpose) “For whom He foreknew…” Foreknew means “to know intimately beforehand”. Salvation is initiated by God who knows you very well…even before you were born. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you…” Jeremiah 1:5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.” Ephesians 1:3-4 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined Predestined means to mark out, appoint, or determine beforehand. What exactly has God predestined? Conformed to the image of His Son OUR GOOD He might be the first-born among many brethren HIS GLORY Those He predestined, He also called There is a type of calling that is in the Gospels; is external, universal, and general in nature. There is another type of calling that is in the Epistles; is internal, effectual, and specific in nature. A SUMMONS….A DRAFT PICK…YOU! Those whom He called, He also justified Being made right with God…being made right by God. Being declared righteous. A state that can only be brought about by God. Those whom He justified, these He also glorified. Glorification of the believer is the final state of everyone who receives salvation. It is a state that we will experience in the future when we get to heaven. Foreknew, predestined, called, and justified are all past tense verbs. These issues are settled. Glorified is also a past tense verb. Salvation is a settled issue! A Mission “And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those that love God and are called according to His purpose.” God is working on you “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:2-5 God is working through you “It’s about remembering who you are…and Whose you are. It’s the knowledge of where you come from and where you are going that’s essential for practical, day-to-day Christian faith. When you have clearly settled the answers to these questions, you can be spiritually aggressive without apology…even ruthless with respect to personal commitments and boundaries. God’s man can risk mightily for his hopes and dreams…but always in the direction of home (heaven).” ~Ken Luck “Dream”