At a Glance
Series: Never Be the Same Again
Scripture: Ephesians 2:10
Summary: From Empty to Empowerment is a sermon outline centered on Ephesians 2:10. From Empty to Empowered Connect: Imagine being a cast away on a deserted island. You can only have one batter-powered instrument with you and enough batteries to power it for a month. What instrument would you want with. Review flags: dated-context.
Source: Adapted from Brandon Cox sermon outline notes from 2017. Transcript, audio, and video files were not used for this draft.
Review labels: dated-context
Sermon Notes
This resource draft preserves the outline movement of the source file and is staged for Brandon review before any public update.
Extracted Outline
From Empty to Empowered
Never Be The Same Again- Part 4
Connect: Imagine being a cast away on a deserted island. You can only have one batter-powered instrument with you and enough batteries to power it for a month. What instrument would you want with you and why?
Hook:
Last week, Carolyn and I experienced our first power outage in Bella Vista during the stormy weather. It only lasted about an hour, but as I sat in the darkness, I realized how much we depend on a constant energy source. No lights, no air conditioning, no television, and no cooking. It was very quiet except for the faint droning of a homeowner’s portable generator down the street. I wondered for a few minutes if I needed to invest in a generator as well.
Now here’s the thing: There was electrical power out there, somewhere. The Kirk’s household had simply experienced a disconnect from that power. A downed line, a blown transformer, or a problem at an power substation. Once that “disconnection” problem was solved, power was once again available for our use.
We should take great assurance in knowing that God has placed us in this world for a purpose (For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10)
Greater assurance is ours when we realize that along with our God-designed purpose there is also a divine power to insure our success. How tragic it would be to have at our disposal the power to do God’s will and yet we never use it or we have placed ourselves in a position where we poorly connected to that power.
Brian Wise taught an excellent lesson in our series “Never Be The Same Again” on how the Holy Spirit desires to empower the believer. In our text for today’s group study, we find the Apostle Paul stating that the same mind that was in Christ should be our mind as well. This ability to have the same mind of Christ comes with God’s empowerment. Within his instructions, Paul lays out some necessary qualities for the believer to practice that will give us a better connection to the Holy Spirit and His power.
Book:
Php 2:1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from His love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate?
Php 2:2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
Php 2:3 Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.
Php 2:4 Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
Php 2:5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Php 2:6 Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
Php 2:7 Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form,
Php 2:8 He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross.
Php 2:9 Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names,
Php 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Php 2:11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Php 2:12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.
Php 2:13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.
Look:
Read verses 6-11 again. What do we learn about the attitude of Christ when He came to earth to fulfill God’s purpose for mankind?
What is the most remarkable aspect of His attitude and/or actions?
Let’s look at verses 2-4 and find the actions that we ought to strive for in our Christian lives. What are they?
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2.
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How does the practice of the above actions make us “like-minded” with Christ?
Discuss how a lack of the above actions may provide a “disconnect” from the power of the Holy Spirit.
Why is it important to be filled with the Holy Spirit in as we relate to one another? To unbelievers?
Making It Personal:
Which of the above actions needs more work or improvement in your life?
Can you identify any aspect of your life that “trips your spiritual circuit breaker” and causes a disconnect from the Spirit’s empowerment? What is the first step that you need to take to reconnect?