Centered in Christ

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Centered in Christ</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="21"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id148.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Founded on the Bible"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Ministry Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>“Centered In Christ,” Berean Bible Church, January 7, 2001am</B></div> <bR> <div>      Examining our core values helps us to understand why we do what we do. Our core values reflect our deepest beliefs, our commitments, our convictions. Our core values drive our activities, our dreams and plans, and our work as a church.</div> <div>      Berean Bible Church is and needs to be Centered in Christ. That is our first core value. It is reflected in our mission statement: we exist to lead people to faith in <U>Christ</U>, and to help them grow as followers of <U>Christ</U>.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. Why Christ is the Center of the church.</B></div> <div>      Christ gave himself for the church (Eph 5.25, Phil 2.5-8, Titus 2.14). He willingly died in the place of sinners, so that people who believe in him could be freed from the penalty and power of sin. Without him, there would be no such thing as the church. Have you experienced the salvation that he offers?</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. How we keep Christ at the Center of the church.</B> </div> <div>      When he is not at the center, it is because we have moved away from him. We have responsibility to fulfill Christ’s expectations of us, so that he remains in the center of our church and of our lives.</div> <div> <B>A.  Christ expects his people to follow him.</B></div> <div>      Jesus said, “I will build <U>my</U> church,” (Matt 16.18). Christ is the head of the church (Eph 4.15, 5.23). Thus, we must follow the leader. This demands time in the Word and in prayer. It also demands that we be under the control of the Holy Spirit, who helps us in following Christ.</div> <div> <B>B. Christ expects his people to become like him.</B></div> <div>      We are supposed to be in the process of becoming spiritually mature, grown up (Eph 4.11-17). Our moral character is supposed to reflect the moral character of Jesus Christ. This is the natural result of our letting him lead us. Ephesians 5.26-27 tells us that Christ desires to cleanse and purify his people (see also Titus 2.11-14).</div> <div> <B>C. Christ expects his people to exalt him.</B> </div> <div>      He will be exalted by every created being in the future (Phil 2.6-11). But for now, we are the ones who are called to lift up the name of Jesus, because he is our Savior and Redeemer (Rev 5.11-14).</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2001, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>