State of the Church: Identity in Christ

As we grow together in grace this year, we are committed to being the body of Christ. Good news! Our Lord Jesus is the head of the body, the church. Great news! He includes us in his body. Like the church at Antioch, the Lord has placed his hand on this church.  Let’s grow. How? In grace. This message is based on Acts 11:19-26.Quotes:Duane Brooks: We are being formed – either by the world, or by the living Word who is Christ.James Boice: This is the first example in human history of people in a different part of the world taking up an offering to help people in another part of the world.  Why would Gentiles in Antioch give to people in Judea?  They had not one cultural thing in common – except Jesus. John Ortberg: Am I growing more loving toward God and toward people?William Wilberforce:  Instead we should allow the name of Jesus to be engraved deeply on the heart, written there by the finger of God himself in everlasting characters. It is our sure and undoubted title to present peace and future glory.C. S. Lewis: In the same way the Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose.Philip Yancey:  When I walk into a new church, the more its members resemble each other—and resemble me—the more uncomfortable I feel.Emil Bruner: The church exists by mission as a fire exists by burning.Duane Brooks: We have it written on our wall . . . but unless it is written on our lives it will not help us.Bonhoeffer:  Your life as a Christian should make non-believers question their disbelief in God. Horace Greeley received a letter from a woman seeking his advice concerning her church.  She wrote:  “Our church is in dire financial straits.  We have tried everything to keep it going:  a strawberry festival, an oyster supper, a donkey party, a turkey dinner, and finally a box social.  Will you please tell us, Mr. Greely, how to keep a struggling church from disbanding?”  Greeley answered her in a message of two words:  “Try Christianity.”Russ Blowers:  I’m with a global enterprise.  We have branches in every country in the world.  We have our representatives in nearly every parliament and board room on earth.  We’re into motivation and behavior alteration.  “We run hospitals, feeding stations, crisis pregnancy centers, universities, publishing houses, and nursing homes.  We care for our clients from birth to death.  We are into life insurance and fire insurance.  We perform spiritual heart transplants.  Our original Organizer owns all the real estate on earth plus an assortment of galaxies and constellations.  He knows everything and lives everywhere.  Our product is free for the asking.  (There’s not enough money to buy it.)  Our CEO was born in a hick town, worked as a carpenter, didn’t own a home, was misunderstood by his family, hated by enemies, walked on water, was condemned to death without a trial, and arose from the dead – I talk with him everyday.To discover more messages of hope, go to tallowood.org/sermons/.Follow us on X and YouTube @tallowoodbcFollow us on Instagram @tallowood.baptistFollow us on FaceBook @tallowoodbaptist