Why We Worship
Sermon notes from Bryan Jones at Brookwood Church, opening the Citizens and Saints series with Ephesians 1 and awakening to what we have in Christ.
Gathering at Brookwood
The service opened with an invitation to the men's conference, encouragement to connect through Connect Track, baptism classes, and opportunities to serve in children's ministry.
The church prayed for teachers and students beginning a new school year, and for everyone gathering with either excitement or a broken heart.
2 On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a portion of his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will be needed.
3 Then, on my arrival, I will send letters with those you recommend to carry your gift to Jerusalem.
4 And if it is advisable for me to go also, they can travel with me.
5 After I go through Macedonia, however, I will come to you; for I will be going through Macedonia.
6 Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go.
7 For I do not want to see you now only in passing; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.
8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,
9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, even though many oppose me.
10 If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, just as I am.
11 No one, then, should treat him with contempt. Send him on his way in peace so that he can return to me, for I am expecting him along with the brothers.
12 Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was not at all inclined to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.
13 Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.
14 Do everything in love.
15 You know that Stephanas and his household were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Now I urge you, brothers,
16 to submit to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer.
17 I am glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you.
18 For they refreshed my spirit and yours as well. Show your appreciation, therefore, to such men.
19 The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.
20 All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
21 This greeting is in my own hand—Paul.
22 If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be under a curse. Come, O Lord!
23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
24 My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Worship Together
The congregation sang of God's goodness, his power to restore, the life he gives, and Jesus' worthiness to receive praise.
The offering prayer acknowledged that worship belongs not only in the church building, but also in our homes, cars, and community.
4 For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love
5 He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6 to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
8 that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
9 And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ
10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.
11 In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,
12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.
13 And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.
Citizens and Saints
We're beginning a series through Ephesians about our identity. Today we're talking about why we worship and awakening to what we have in God.
With summer ending and fall calendars filling up, Bryan invited the church to make this series a priority and make room for God to speak.
The Gap Between Expectations and Reality
Sometimes there's a gap between what we think will happen and what actually happens. We experience it in parenting, marriage, work, and even faith.
On an early mission trip to Africa, Bryan spent much of his time inside a walled compound. Getting beyond those walls gave him a very different experience of the place he had come to see.
For some followers of Jesus, faith can feel similarly walled into mediocrity. There are good experiences and good people, but a gap remains between what the Bible describes and what we experience.
Wake Up to What You Have
The aim of this series is to close that gap. We don't have to assume that a fuller experience of faith is only for heaven someday.
If you're exploring Christianity, John is a great place to begin because it speaks about who Christ is. Ephesians speaks about who we are in him.
Again and again, the opening passage points to what we have in him: blessings, resources, and life in Christ.
Why Do We Sing?
Paul begins with praise. We sing when there's something to celebrate: a birthday, a championship, a victory.
Paul wants followers of Jesus to see that we have something to celebrate. Faith is not merely a stoic, serious exercise.
In the original Greek, Ephesians 1:3-14 is one long sentence. Bryan compared Paul's excitement to a child who can hardly stop to breathe: you've been chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, given the Spirit, and promised an inheritance.
Real Blessings, Not Just Pleasant Words
Every spiritual blessing in Christ is not merely a metaphor or an invisible gift that does nothing for life today.
Paul is pointing to realities we can experience now. When we wake up to what we have in him, everything changes.
Bryan highlighted six truths from this passage.
1. You Have Been Chosen
Many of us know what it feels like to be chosen for a job, a relationship, or a friendship. We also know the pain of rejection, betrayal, or being told we're no longer wanted.
Paul says the most powerful being in the universe has chosen you.
That truth can remain in our heads without reaching our hearts. When we awaken to the reality that God has chosen us, something begins to shift.
6 to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
2. You Have Been Adopted
Debates about predestination can distract us from Paul's joy: you've been brought into God's family.
An adopted child doesn't earn adoption or pay rent to belong. The child is brought into the family because the parents love them.
Some Christians have heard about grace their whole lives but are still trying to earn it. Your performance, good or bad, does not dictate how your Father feels about you.
God Wants to Be With You
Paul describes grace freely given according to God's pleasure and will. God is not reluctantly obligated to have you in his family.
Bryan tells his children that if he could line up all the children in the world and choose one, he would choose them.
What would it do to your heart to awaken not only to God's love, but also to the truth that he likes you and wants to spend time with you? While we seek the attention of people who aren't interested, God wants to speak with us.
8 that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
3. You Have Been Redeemed
Some people think they have very little to be forgiven for. Others wonder whether they could ever be forgiven for everything they've done.
Those who minimize their sin often compare themselves with other people. But the standard is God's holiness, not someone else's behavior.
Those who feel overwhelmed by their past may keep carrying regret, shame, and guilt even after being forgiven.
The answer for both is redemption: wake up to what you've done, and then wake up to what Jesus has done for you.
Pulled Out and Brought In
The people in the Bible were not people with perfect pasts. Moses, David, Peter, Jonah, Abraham, Rahab, Jacob, Samson, Solomon, and Noah all had failures.
Your past does not put you beyond redemption.
Redemption is what God pulls you out of. Adoption is what God pulls you into.
When you see both the debt Jesus paid and the love he has for you, that truth begins to move from your mind to your heart.
10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.
4. You Can Know God's Will
People often ask how to recognize God's voice. God does not reserve his guidance for a few elite Christians or church leaders.
Paul says God has made known the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure. He loves to speak, guide, and direct.
There are things we won't fully understand now, but God is not trying to hide himself from us.
What Is Molding You?
Like concrete taking the shape of a mold, our lives are shaped by what surrounds us.
If we spend our days absorbing the world's noise, we can struggle to discern God's voice. Retreats and camps often help people hear because they step away from that noise and spend time with Scripture and God's people.
Make room to be shaped by God's Word. Bryan encouraged consistent participation in church and time with the series devotionals so that God's voice and values become familiar.
5. You Have the Spirit of God
In the ancient world, a seal marked ownership and authenticity.
The promised Holy Spirit is God's mark that you belong to him. You no longer belong to sin, death, Satan, and hell.
The Spirit's guidance, conviction, and promptings are evidence of his work in you, even when his voice is quiet and you don't follow perfectly.
He Is With You Everywhere
Jesus told his disciples it was best for him to go so that the Advocate would come. Bryan expressed it this way: the Spirit inside you is better than Jesus beside you.
God is not limited to sacred spaces. He is with you in the car, at a job interview, at the doctor, in grief, in celebration, when you go to sleep, and when you wake up.
You can be surrounded by people and still feel alone. Paul wants us to awaken to the truth that the Spirit of God lives in us and will not leave us.
6. You Have an Inheritance
A deposit is a pledge or down payment. The Holy Spirit guarantees the inheritance still to come.
You can experience God's presence and blessings now, and there is more ahead than you can imagine.
You don't have to live in scarcity now while waiting for heaven.
An Inheritance Right in Front of You
Bryan shared a story told by Charles Spurgeon about a woman living in poverty. On her wall hung what she thought was a letter from a man she had cared for. It was actually his will, leaving her his wealth and estate.
Something that could change her life was right in front of her, but she didn't know what she had.
We can read the verses, sing the songs, and attend church while still living in scarcity. Paul wants us to recognize and receive what is already ours in Christ.
Stop Trying to Earn What You Already Have
We try to be chosen through relationships or jobs. We try to redeem our past through achievements or better circumstances. We attach our value to careers and pursue what the world says will make us successful.
Yet success and resources cannot give us the peace we are seeking.
In Christ, we are already chosen, adopted, and redeemed. We can know God's voice, we have his Spirit, and we have an eternal inheritance.
A Moment to Receive
Bryan invited everyone to take 30 seconds with God. Which of these truths stands out to you?
- You are chosen.
- You are adopted.
- You are redeemed.
- You can know God's voice.
- You have the Spirit of God.
- You have an inheritance.
Ask God to make that truth real in you. If you're not a follower of Jesus, ask him, if he is real, to continue revealing himself.
Closing Prayer
Father God, wake us up to what we have in you. Help us know that we have something to praise you for: we have been adopted, chosen, and redeemed; we can know your voice; we have your Spirit and an eternal inheritance.
Help each person know the depths of your love. Let the voice of the world grow quieter and your good voice speak over us. Help us live for what lasts and matters in this temporary world.
Thank you for the gift of being your sons and daughters. Help us live in that reality and identity. Amen.
