HeartSight – Outsiders

HeartSight: Outsiders                                             1-19-20

Bottom Line: Only Jesus can turn us into an insider in God’s family.

Introduction:

 A. A sad memory as an outsider in the Cub Scouts

   1. My mother was a Den Mother – incredible job

   2. Her health kept her from my 3-legged race – hurt?

 B. Have you ever been an outsider?  Not part of something that you wished you could be part of?

   1. Wrong age, gender, race, occupation, education, talent & ability, economic group, or just different?

   2. Maybe you had the wrong sin? Socially unacceptable!

 C. Our Father is the God of outsiders!

   1. He pulls them in!  He reaches out!  Inclusive!

   2. Jesus and outsiders – who he was drawn to!

 D. My first day as a Police Chaplain – Read from Rev

   1. Outsider coming into a closed group

   2. Police are family, fraternity, a support group

 E. Interview with a Police officer about outsiders vs. insiders.  Rookie to experienced officer

   1. Did someone help you connect – bring you in?

   2. Captain brought me before the group…

 F.  God looks at all outsiders as someone He wants in!

   1. HeartSight = seeing us the way God sees us

   2. Eph.2:11-22 what he sees and what he did…

1.  He brought us NEAR!  Vs.11-13

 A. Remember what you were? Serious outsiders!

   1. Called uncircumcised = not Jew, not God’s people!

   2. Separated from Christ – Messiah, anointed one

   3. Excluded: not citizens, but foreigner to covenant

   4. Without hope and without God in the world

 B. BUT NOW IN CHRIST JESUS – everything changed

   1. Brought near = no longer an outsider

   2. By His blood = he paid for us to be insiders

2.  He brought us PEACE! Vs.14-18

 A. He is our peace! Real peace the world can’t give

 B. He destroyed barriers – things that divide, separate

 C. Through Him we have access to the Father!

   * Jesus bought our entrance ticket…

3.  He brought us into HIS FAMILY! Vs.19-22

 A. No longer foreigners and aliens, vs.19a

 B. Now we are citizens and members, vs.19b

 C. Now we are part of His Holy Temple, vs.20-22

Conclusion:

A. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge visited by the ghost of his former partner Jacob Marley – visit from three ghosts

   1. Past, present, and future

   2. All views from the outside = He made himself an outsider and didn’t realize what that meant.

B. Are you an outsider looking into God’s family?

C. Only Jesus can bring you near, give you peace, and make you part of the family of God.