vision series. caroline aherne “whatever attracted you to the millionaire paul daniels?”

Vision Series

Caroline Aherne

“Whatever attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?”

Party

• Having your eyes opened • Seeing the risen Jesus • Vision inspired outreach • Vision inspired worship • Seeing the invisible • Why can't I see? • What does God look for in my church? • What does God look for in my giving? • What will God look for in the end? • What does God see in me?

• Having your eyes opened • Seeing the risen Jesus • Vision inspired outreach • Vision inspired worship • Seeing the invisible • Why can't I see? • What does God look for in my church? • What does God look for in my giving? • What will God look for in the end? • What does God see in me?

• Having your eyes opened • Seeing the risen Jesus • Vision inspired outreach • Vision inspired worship • Seeing the invisible • Why can't I see? • What does God look for in my church? • What does God look for in my giving? • What will God look for in the end? • What does God see in me?

Last week

• Nigel• Zaccheus• “....Jesus looked up and said

Last week

• Nigel• Zaccheus• “....Jesus looked up and said..”

• He sees me• He knows me• He wants me

Last week

• Nigel• Zaccheus• “....Jesus looked up and said

• He sees me• He knows me• He wants me

Last week

• Nigel• Zaccheus• “....Jesus looked up and said

• He sees me• He knows me• He wants me

• He sees me• He knows me• He wants me

•What does God see in ME??

Tough message last time

• God does see me• God does know me

• We looked at the end-time books being opened

All our righteousness...

• Isaiah 64 v6

• We are all infected and impure with sin. • When we display our righteous deeds, they

are nothing but filthy rags.

Ephesians 2 (NIVUK)

• As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

• 2

• 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts.

Ephesians 2 (NIVUK)

• Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

• Bad news!!• 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is

rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.

Ephesians 2 (NIVUK)

•GOOD News

• 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.

John 3 v16

• 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

• What does God see in ME??

• No reason, only “God so loved”

Thrilling thought

• Even though God knows me• God loves me

As a Christian, What does God see in me?

As a Christian, What does God see in me?

As a Christian, What does God see in me?

• 1 A forgiven person

Colossians 2

• 13 When you were dead in your sins.., God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,

Colossians 2

• 13 When you were dead in your sins.., God made you alive with Christ.

• He forgave us all our sins, 14 having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us;

• he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

• When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive—right along with Christ!

• Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant cancelled and nailed to Christ’s cross.

• He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.

• Message version

“Slate wiped clean”

“Slate wiped clean”

• Bible uses a long word for this phrase

“Slate wiped clean”

• Bible uses a long word for this phrase• ..we have been justified through faith, we

have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

“Slate wiped clean”

• Bible uses a long word for this phrase• Romans 5• ..we have been justified through faith, we

have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

• Just–as–if–I’d never sinned

As a Christian, What does God see in me?

• 2 An heir

As a Christian, What does God see in me?

• 2 An heir

As a Christian, What does God see in me?

• 2 An heir

• Galatians ch 4

• 4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to son-ship.

• 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’

• 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. thousand hills

As a Christian, What does God see in me?

• 3 Part of the family - and not ashamed of it

As a Christian, What does God see in me?

• 3 Part of the family - and not ashamed of it• Hebrews ch 2• 10 In bringing many sons and daughters to

glory,...• 11 Both the one who makes people holy and

those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.[]

As a Christian, What does God see in me?

• 3 Part of the family - and not ashamed of it• Hebrews ch 2• 10 In bringing many sons and daughters to

glory,...• 11 Both the one who makes people holy and

those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.[g]

As a Christian, What does God see in me?

• 3 Part of the family - and not ashamed of it• Hebrews ch 2

• 10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory,...• 11 Both the one who makes people holy and

those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.[]

As a Christian, What does God see in me?

• 4 valuable

As a Christian, What does God see in me?

• 4 valuable• Isaiah 43• 4 Since you are precious and honoured in my

sight, and because I love you,

As a Christian, What does God see in me?

• 4 valuable• It cost God to redeem us

• Redeem• “Pay to get back and take out”

As a Christian, What does God see in me?

• 4 valuable• It cost God to redeem us• I Peter• 18 For you know that it was not with perishable

things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. Black sheep /perfect lamb

1 Peter Message version

• 18-21 Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in.

• He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb.

1 Peter Message version

• And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you.

• It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.

As a Christian, What does God see in me?

• 1 Forgiven• 2 An heir• 3 Part of God’s family and not ashamed of

it• 4 Valuable

As a Christian, What does God see in me?

• So what??

• Conclude with 1 Peter again

Final Vision

• -5 What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now!

• God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.

Final Vision

• 6-7 I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime.

• Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine.

• When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.

Final Vision

• 8-9 You never saw him, yet you love him. • You still don’t see him, yet you trust him—

with laughter and singing. • Because you kept on believing, you’ll get what

you’re looking forward to: total salvation.

• Context tenses

Where we started....• 13 Now that same day two of them were going to a

village called Emmaus .....15 As they talked ....Jesus himself came up and walked along with them...

• 25 He said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe ...

• 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself....

• 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him