SCRIPTURE
1 Corinthians 15:21-22
21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
Ephesians 1:1-14
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should beholy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will,according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
BIG IDEA
There are only two categories of human beings: those who are in Adam, and those who are in Christ. Are you in Adam or in Christ? If you are not in Christ, or don’t understand your true identity in Him, you will try and achieve your identity through creation rather than receive it from your Creator. This is idolatry. An idol is anything other than Jesus, that if you got it, you would be complete, or if you lost it, you would be destroyed. Idols always promise great things, but they never deliver and they always leave you broken. Identity idols include such things as items, duties, others, longings, and sufferings. In Ephesians 1, Paul says that if you are in Christ, you can be faithful, you are blessed, you were chosen and made blameless, you are redeemed and forgiven, you can know the will of God, you are reconciled, you have an inheritance, you have hope, and you have the Holy Spirit.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Q.1 Was there anything from Sunday’s Sermon or the Big Idea that was new to you or had an affect on you? Did you hear anything that raised more questions in your mind?
Q.2 What stands out to you in 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 and why?
Q.3 What stands out to you in Ephesians 1:1-14 and why?
Q.4 What Identity Idols are you most tempted to find your identity in? Try and be specific.
*Items, Duties, Others, Longings, Sufferings
*Pray for one another as each person answers
Q.5 “In Ephesians 1, Paul says that if you are in Christ, you can be faithful, you are blessed, you were chosen and made blameless, you are redeemed and forgiven, you can know the will of God, you are reconciled, you have an inheritance, you have hope, and you have the Holy Spirit.”
Discuss any of these that stand out to you, give you great joy, or confuse you.
*Pray for one another as each person answers
GOOD WORD
Take heart. Because Jesus is unshakeable- having died for sin, arising from the dead, and ruling and reigning over all things- your identity is unshakeable in Him.
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