LEGACY BIBLE CHURCH > Embrace, Embody, Entrust, & Engage the Gospel

Living out the gospel requires us to be in community, we cannot do it by ourselves. How then can we live out the gospel in community while overcoming the our worldly desires that seek to destroy that community and our witness to the unbelieving world? James tells us we must submit and draw near to the Lord, resist worldly desires, humble ourselves and the Lord will lift us up.

Can a genealogy provide transformation? Yes, it can. As we look at the genealogy of Christ we can see four nuggets of truth that can transform our lives. We see that God keeps His promises, the story of Christ is true and was lived out in history, it turned the world upside down and Christ gives us rest.

At Christmas Christ who possessed none of the things this world values (money, position, education, looks, etc) came and turned the wisdom of this world upside down. The "wise men" of today look at the Christmas story and say, "It doesn't make sense" and yet today God's wisdom through Jesus Christ is changing lives around the world.

Is your life a Bible study or a Bible living? A wise life is demonstrated by purity, peace, gentleness, and mercy. Does your life reflect God's balance and beauty or does it reflect chaos? When we come humbly before God crying out for His wisdom He will transform our lives.

Communication is a powerful tool that can be wielded to bring life or death as Proverbs 18:21 states. Often times we damage and splinter relationships, churches, and work places, simply by allowing our tongue to express what is in our hearts. Let's consider where the source of power comes from so that we may use our words to build up, instead of tearing down.

Do you have a living faith? A living faith shows itself; it loves, it is courageous even to death or the sacrifice of something you love dearly. It is lived out to an unbelieving world by showing love to those who persecute, hate, and slander. This is how Christ loved us. Does the way you love others reflect Christ's love for you?

Do you love the unlovely? Do you see them as Christ saw them? Convictions are not enough, they don't feed people, keep them warm or encourage them. Our convictions must lead us to action. We must deliberately seek after the poor, following the example Christ gave us. The gospel tells us we are all poor, crying out, beggars before God. As we have been shown mercy and compassion let us live that out to others.

How does God view you? Why is Jesus key to answering this question? What part do I play in how God views me? In this message, you'll hear how believing that you are in Christ changes and transforms who you are and the way you live.

Do you show favoritism? When we show favoritism we are judging people on what we perceive to be their "worth." When we reject them because they are poor or have no perceived value to us, we are in fact rejecting God's children and ultimately God Himself. We are called to show mercy as we have been shown mercy. Does your heart break for those who have no food either literally or spiritually?

Does your pride leave God's word standing outside the door, turned away like an unwanted salesman that you don't want to invite in? A changed life and consequently changed actions flow out of a radical transformation in the understanding of ourselves and who we really are. God's word is the mirror which first tells me who I am and then what to do.