"Who Are We?" - Preaching at Harderwyk - Ephesians 2:1-10 - October 24, 2010

Resources For "Who Are We? - The Vision Series" From Each Harderwyk Preacher

I. New For This Week

Christian Aid Mission Workers Kidnapped For Ransom in Haiti - There is a lot to learn, ponder and pray for connected with this news event that is deeply related to today's sermons on the call to be "Following Christ."  Here are some links to get further information to that end:

• This organization and these missionaries are from the Anabaptist tradition; a Christian tradition that historically is pacifist.  For example, their statement of faith includes this: 24. We believe that Christians should live a nonresistant life style, without any acts of retaliation, demonstrating the love of Christ in our daily walk. (Matthew 5:39-46; John 18:36; Romans 12:19-21) - CLICK HERE for their complete Statement of Faith.
• CLICK HERE for their own updates on circumstances surrounding the kidnapping.
• It has been hard to find insightful reporting on these events in many news sources.  The best to my mind (Pastor Bill) have been with ChristianityToday.com  CLICK HERE or HERE and follow any links as they are updated.
• In the meantime, join together as Christian Aid Mission asks:  Join us in prayer that God’s grace would sustain the men, women, and children who are being held hostage. In a world where violence and force are seen as the solution to problems, we believe in God’s call to Christians to “…not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Pray that those being held hostage could find strength to demonstrate God’s love. The kidnappers, like all people, are created in the image of God and can be changed if they turn to Him. While we desire the safe release of our workers, we also desire that the kidnappers be transformed by the love of Jesus, the only true source of peace, joy, and forgiveness. - October 18

From the Heidelberg Catechism: Q&A 86 - Since we have been delivered from our misery by grace through Christ without any merit of our own, why then should we do good works?

A. Because Christ, having redeemed us by his blood, is also restoring us by his Spirit into his image, so that with our whole lives we may show that we are thankful to God for his benefits,1 so that he may be praised through us,2 so that we may be assured of our faith by its fruits,3 and so that by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ.4

1. Rom. 6:13; 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:5-10
2. Matt. 5:16; 1 Cor. 6:19-20
3. Matt. 7:17-18; Gal. 5:22-24; 2 Pet. 1:10-11
4. Matt. 5:14-16; Rom. 14:17-19; 1 Pet. 2:12; 3:1-2

From St. Teresa of Avila:

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

    Yours are the eyes with which He looks

Compassion on this world,

    Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good,

    Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world.

    Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,

    Yours are the eyes, you are His body.

Christ has no body now but yours,

    No hands, no feet on earth but yours,

Yours are the eyes with which he looks

    compassion on this world.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

A Prayer Meeting That Lasted One Hundred Years - CLICK HERE for a brief post on the the Prayer Meeting that gave impetus to the Moravian Missionary Movement.

John Wesley's Journals - This is a collection of his references to the Moravians from his own daily diary.  CLICK HERE  A fascinating look at the Moravian impact on what would become the worldwide Methodist Movement.

Missionaries Against Terrible Odds - CLICK HERE to learn more about the experience, life and ministry of Moravian Missionaries Johann Dober & David Mitschmann

Dr. Ralph Winter's Sermon calling believer's to a focused and missional lifestyle - "Re-consecration to a Wartime Lifestyle" - was referred to in both Celebration and Fusion this morning.  CLICK HERE to read the entire sermon.

II. From The Commentaries On This Passage

Thoughts from Andrew Lincoln T. Lincoln in Ephesians (Word Biblical Commentary)

“The thought of 2:10 is that the good works were already there, and when, through his grace, God made believers alive, raised them up, and seated them with Christ, he created them for these works.”

“In the writer’s attempt to deepen the awareness of their calling by reminding them of the change God has brought about and by using language which would recall the significance of their baptism there lies an implicit exhortation to them to live out their calling in a way that is appropriate to the distinctive work of God on their behalf (cf. also 4:1). After all, they are now part of the new dominion; they are a new creation that has been designed to have the distinctive quality of goodness (v 10).”

“It is grace that enables people to play their roles in the Church’s life (cf. 4:7), and grace that is the only adequate resource for a life of good works in this world, as v 10 already indicates so plainly.”

III. Ongoing Resources

1) Spiritual Formation Resources Page - CLICK HERE - This is still a work in progress, but be a part as we look to build

2) Scotty Smith’s Heavenward Daily Prayers - CLICK HERE - to see the daily prayer blog of Scotty Smith.  You will see an option to have them delivered to your email inbox each day as well.  

3) Simple Lectio Divina Overview - CLICK HERE - for a simple introduction of the spiritual practice of a more personal way of experience the Word through contemplation and reflection.