First Things First Lesson 3: "Being Jesus" by Michael Lewis September 19, 2010

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First Things First
Lesson 3: "Being Jesus"
by Michael Lewis
Dalton Gardens Church of Christ
September 19, 2010

1. The first priority of the church is to be  Jesus  in our time and place.

1 Cor. 12:27; Eph 5:30

2. Jesus makes the church a very  different  group.

the ekklesia = The “Called Out”; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Cor. 3:18; Rom 12:1, 2; Eph. 5:8

We need to stop telling people to  come  to church and start telling people they need to  become  more like Jesus.

2A. It is impossible without the  Spirit .

2B. It is a  process .

2C. Transformation is a process that is aided by certain  disciplines  and  commitments , which often provide a context for the Holy Spirit to work within us.

Acts 2:42-47… They were devoted to:

• Coming together to  learn  about and  teach  Christ.

• Being with each other to  practicing  their faith together.

• They were fanatical in  generosity  and in taking care of  each   other's  needs.

• They had a great  reputation  in the  community  because of how they lived as a  group .

• They had a  contagious  attraction that  drew  others to their group.

3. The number one  accelerant  to spiritual growth is being highly  involved  in congregational life.

3A. The church is the  reincarnation  of Jesus on earth (Col.1:18).

3B. The church helps us to remain connected with the source of spiritual  health  and  holiness . (John 15, Eph 5)

3C. The church provides  stability  and  triggers  spiritual growth (Eph. 4).

3D. The church helps us discover our spiritual  gifts  and then is a  launching   pad  for using them (Rom 12)

3E The church together is an  irreplaceable  message to  others  about how Christ changes lives.

Summary: We can’t be Christ’s church unless we are devoted to  being   together .

We can’t be the church of the New Testament unless we have a strong sense of  community  with one another.

The church is not a place you  go   to ... It is a  family  you  belong  with.

Heb 10:25: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another"