Good Shepherd Community Church

Sermon Text: Galatians 2:20 Sermon Title: "Apprehending Our Union with Christ" The theme of being "in Christ," central to Paul's epistles, describes the believer's profound union with Christ, drawing us into the intimate fellowship of the Father and Son. Through the Holy Spirit, we are united with Christ by repentance and faith, becoming justified, sanctified, and glorified in Him—spiritual realities that transform and empower our Christian lives. When Christ died, our old sinful self died with Him; when He rose, our new self in Christ rose, so that "it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). Living by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us, makes all things new. In today's sermon, "Apprehending Our Union with Christ," we explore this transformative union. By understanding Scripture's truth, we uncover the benefits of salvation—not just deliverance from hell but freedom from this evil age, bringing peace, joy, and harmony with God. Yet, a warning remains: we

Early believers in the Lord Jesus as the Christ or Messiah did not called themselves Christians. Paul never referred to himself as a Christian! How did he called himself and what name did he used to referred to believers. You discover this by looking at his salutations in his letters- he addresses them to the believers and gives them a designation.

The word Christian, while meaning many things to many people in our modern world, has one essential meaning: "to be in union with Christ." The apostle Paul repeatedly uses the term "in Christ" in the introductions to his letters to the Romans, Thessalonians, Colossians, Philippians, and Ephesians, where the doctrine of union with Christ is plainly evident. These greetings highlight the truth of Christ's incarnation and His indwelling presence in believers. John Calvin captures this, stating, "We do not, therefore, contemplate him outside ourselves from afar in order that his righteousness may be imputed to us but because we put on Christ and are engrafted into his body—in short, because he deigns to make us one with him" (Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book III, Chapter 2, Section 24). In the reality of union with Christ, we find the external work of His incarnation. This work is applied internally to us through the Holy Spirit, what we have termed "one-inness in Christ," the center of our salvation an

Early believers in Messiah Jesus were known as Followers of the Way and Nazarenes, treated as a sect within Judaism . They were first called Christian as a pejorative term Acts 16 but the term given in derision stuck. However the term that the Apostle Paul used for believers was the "in Christ". This sermon begins the exploration of union with Christ.

Sermons on the wrath of God and the final judgment and hell are missing today. This has been true for several decades. But we avoid the message at our own peril and of those who most need to hear God's summons to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus. Revelation 6 contains the vision of the six seals of Revelation. The fifth seal is that of the martyrs calling for vindication and the sixth seal is the response. Consider the wrath to come from the holy God against all who do not know him and do not obey the gospel by belief in the Son. He who is the Lamb of God that bore the sins of his people and took their punishment is also the One to whom judgment is given. "the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. John 5:22f Peter preached to Cornelius that God appointed Christ to be the judge of the world. "[Christ] is the one appointed by God to be judge of the livi

The Lord Jesus Christ is not only the promised Savior of his people but he is also the coming Judge. The one who bore the wrath of God against our sin is also the one who will mete out his wrath on sinners when he returns. The wrath of God is a reality revealed in the scriptures that we need to be reminded of. It is a terrifying prospect for those outside of Christ, but there is escape from this wrath when a person flees to Christ in repentance and faith. In Christ is refuge, life and never-ending joy and fellowship with God.

What happens when a human dies? Many ideas have been suggested. However, the Bible gives a clear but reserved answer. The focus in the Scripture is on the believer in Christ Jesus. Jesus gives a story of the rich man and Lazarus to warn us to heed the words of God now in order to prepare. Jesus also gives great assurance to those who believe on him. He says he gives them eternal life and will raise them from the dead on the last day. Until then he is with them even in death and they enjoy his presence while they await the day of his return to earth. Paul states that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, indicating a conscious and immediate presence with Christ after death. 2 Corinthians 5:8

The great awaited "tsunami of salvation" broke out 2,000 years ago with the advent of Messiah Jesus, his death, resurrection and the outpouring of the Spirit. But the thousands gathered into the kingdom of God needed training and discipleship. So the Lord Jesus led the apostles to form groups of believers around Jerusalem. Acts 2:42 describes the holy activities of these discipleship groups: "they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." Why do Christ's churches gather weekly? It is to be instructed in the faith as Jesus passed it on through his apostles, it is to fellowship with Christ and his people by the Holy Spirit, it is to be reminded of Christ's suffering for our sins at the Table of the Lord, and it is to present our praises and petitions to our God in prayer with one mind and heart. The local church gathering is the only place on earth where this happens - it's why the Christian needs to be there and must be there when the saints gather

The church, those people who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and gather to worship him, are very important to God. This message sets forth the importance of the church to God the Father, to Jesus the Son and to the Holy Spirit. In light of these facts how important is the church to us, to you?

The Nicene Creed's statement regarding the church is taken directly from Scripture: it is the one holy, catholic, and apostolic church. The New Testament epistles show the vital connection between Christ and his church. To be a Christain is to be intimately involved in the life of a local assembly. A New Testament church is a gathering of regenerated people who belong to the Lord Jesus by the ministry of the one Holy Spirit and who are summoned to belong to the one Lord to commune with him and to mutually upbuild one another. It is "holy" because it is separated from the world and separated unto God as his holy people. The church is "catholic", meaning it is trans-historical and trans-cultural - comprising all who are cleansed by Jesus' blood and inhabited by the Holy Spirit. The church is "apostolic," meaning it exists under the teaching authority of the apostles as expressed in the New Testament. The church is composed of those who are baptized "for the forgiveness of sins." Baptism is the initiation r

Happy Independence Day/ Happy Birthday to America There is a greater freedom than political independence from a foreign power. It is the spiritual freedom that Jesus accomplished for those who believe on him. He came on the divine mission of the rescue of rebel sinners from the slavery of Satan and sin and its consequence of death and hell. (Genesis 3:13-15) His incarnation- the Word, the eternal Son taking mortal flesh - was necessary to free us from slavery to sin, death and ultimate hell. (Hebrews 2:14) He did this by undergoing, submitting himself to the suffering, death on the cross in our behalf in our place. (Colossians 2:15) For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death! He is the true Liberator who fought and won the battle for all who place their faith, their trust in Him. If the Son sets you free you are free indeed! (John 8:36)

How important is the church to God? To answer the question we will need to understand what is meant by the word "church". There are many misconceptions. However the Bible in both New and Old Testaments define the church. The world and time spanning company of believers take visible forms. How important is the assembly of Christians in particular places and time?

Paul and his two companions wanted to clear up any doctrinal cloudiness that the believers at Thessalonica needed in regards to the events that would occur at Christ's return. Some were evidently confused about the fate of loved ones who had already died in Christ. So in this passage Paul gives four basic reasons that they should take great comfort in Christ's coming: I. The Fundamental Fact of Jesus' Death and Resurrection II. II. The Happy Fate of Those who Had Previously Died in Christ III. III. The Good Fortune of Those who Will Be Alive at Christ's Return IV. IV. The Never-ending Face-to-Face Fellowship of All Believers with Their Lord will take place. For all believers, deceased or living, Christ's return will commence blessed resurrection life with the Savior.

The Holy Spirit is called the lifegiver in the Nicene Creed that was published 1700 years ago. This universal creed of the Christian church is thoroughly biblical. I considering its declaration concerning the Spirit as the giver of life we noted this points to his regenerating work of giving spiritual life to dead sinners followed by his indwelling presence in the lives of believers corporate and individual. We are made the temple of the Lord. Also his presence in our mortal bodies in the reason for our resurrection from the dead with immortal bodies like our Lord Jesus at his return.

Jesus' constant companion was the Holy Spirit. He told his disciples that he would send another person "just like me to be right beside you forever." His own presence would be communicated to them by the Holy Spirit. His Spirit was Christ's greatest gift to all God's people. The Holy Spirit is so necessary to us, we need to be aware of him, and to know him. He is not impersonal energy but a person; he is, in fact, God. He is the "life-giver;" we owe our lives to him.

The Holy Spirit is essential to the existence and reality of the church. Jesus makes this truth clear to his apostles in the Upper Room just hours before his arrest and an execution o the cross. John 14 records Jesus promise to return to the disciples after he goes away. His first return was his post resurrection appearances and after he return to the Father he promises to send the Helper, the Comforter who is the Holy Spirit. John 14:18-24 contains the great truth of the Tri-unity of God and the essential ministry of the Holy Spirit to make the ones believing in Jesus a dwelling place of God. By the Holy Spirit Jesus said "will come to him and make our home with him."

In June of 325 AD the Roman emperor Constantine called 318 bishops of Christian churches scattered throughout the Roman Empire to convene at Nicaea (in present day Turkey). The purpose of their gathering was to discuss a thorny theological controversy regarding the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. After two months of careful discussion the bishops wrote the Nicene Creed, a short document of about 35 lines in careful and concise language describing the Biblical doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the One God revealed in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The majority of the Creed is given over to a delineation of the divinity and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, him being equal in all the divine attributes with the Father and the Holy Spirit. For 1,700 years this Creed has been the cornerstone of the Church's confession of the being of God, especially as regards the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus is known to refer to himself under a number metaphors that usually pertain to something in the history of Israel or to its system of laws. Leviticus 23 lists the festivals and among them are the Feast of Firstfruits and the Feast of Weeks, known as Pentecost. Both of these festivals concern the firstfruits of a harvest. The first one relates to the barley harvest but the second one relates to the wheat harvest. Jesus in John 12 says that he is the kernel of wheat that falls into the ground and sprouts as a new plant bearing much fruit. His death by crucifixion, burial, and resurrection on the third day was prefigured by the wheat harvest of the Feast of Completion. It is for this purpose he came into the world.

What is the relationship of the Christian to the kingdom of God? The New Testament has a lot to say about the kingdom. John announces it soon arrive in the Christ. Jesus came preaching the kingdom. He was going around from one city and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him. Luke 8:1 And he asserted to a group of Pharisees in Luke 11:20 if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. and in Luke 17:20f, Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, 'Look, here!' or, 'There!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst." He as God's appointed King was there in their midst, among there. Where the king is there is the kingdom. How do people enter the kingdom of God? It is through the new birth, the supernatural birth of the Spirit. John 1:12 and John 3:3,5 1