Note: Select one of the audio-only options if you need to download, rather than stream, the chapel.
The Transforming Power of Christ — 10/23/2024 10:00 AM
Today's speaker is Brent Miller, Senior Pastor of Linworth Baptist Church in Worthington, OH. Speaking from Ephesians 1:15-23, Pastor Miller wants us to get what it means to know God, to know the hope we have in Christ, to realize the inheritance we are in Christ, and to understand the transformative power of Christ in us.
Notes
Pastor Brent Miller from Linworth Baptist Church led chapel through Ephesians 1:15–23. Miller emphasized the point of “getting it.” There are many scenarios in which you would use the phrase “I don’t get it.” You may use it when your parents want you to do something and you don’t understand why. Maybe you are sitting in a hard class where the material seems impossible. Maybe you are training for a new job and are reconsidering if you’re in the right field. In all of these situations, you may feel like you don’t get it. On the contrary, as a Christian, you need to get it. Paul writes a prayer in Ephesians 1:15–23 that outlines four things that we must get.
We need to “get it” in four areas:
- Get what it means to know God.
- Get the hope we have in Christ.
- Get that we will receive treasure in Christ.
- Get the transformative power of Christ in us.
The first thing that we need to get is what it means to know God. To know God, you need to be known by Him. You need to have a relationship with Jesus Christ in which you are actively seeking Him through prayer and reading His Word. God graciously gifted the Holy Spirit to all who believe in Him. We can know Him deeper through the power of His Holy Spirit.
The second thing we need to get is the hope we have in Christ. It can be easy to look around and feel hopeless. On a global scale, you see wars and rumors of wars. On a national scale, you see problems with social media and are often fed lies that can harm you mentally, physically, and spiritually. On a personal scale, you may see financial concerns, occupational troubles, sickness, and death. No matter where you look, you will see some form of pain and suffering.
Despite such sadness, there is hope in the Lord. Not only is there hope, but He graciously gifts that hope to us. We just need to get it. Hope is having faith even when all you see is darkness. Hope is trusting in God even when you can’t see what He’s doing.
The third thing we need to get is the treasure in Christ. The glorious inheritance that is in Christ Jesus and what He’s done is in us. Everyone who has ever lived deeply wants to be valued and loved. The New Testament confirms to us that we are Christ’s inheritance and that we are valued.
Lastly, we need to get the transformative power of Christ in us. There is a transformative power for those who believe in Christ. It’s not a small or insignificant power. If we ask the New Testament what kind of power the believer has, it is resurrection power. We have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at the right hand of God. That is the kind of power that is available to us. The power doesn’t remove us from all difficulty, but it does work in us. It’s a transforming power that can and will transform us to be more like Jesus.