We are Saved

Church, who are we?

At our very core, what are we all about? What is the Choctaw Church of Christ all about? What is essential to us? What is it that makes us, us? What is it that makes the church here in Choctaw, us? When people come to know and interact with us, do they see who we are the same way we see ourselves?

Church, who are we? Can you answer that question?

Today we start a series entitled: This Is Us. This series aims to answer the question of who are we as the Choctaw Church of Christ. Our aim is to find the attitude and actions from Scripture that makes us, us. My hope is by the end of this series you can say, "This Is Us." This is who we are and are striving to be.

There was a hit tv show called "This Is Us" and in respect to it, today we have our first episode, the Pilot, which will set the scene for where we will go in this series.

Our series is based in one passage and its Acts 2:41-47. This is the first church and it's a complete picture of who the church is and is meant to be. Each lesson we will take something from this passage on the church to see how this is us.

Before we can say "this is us", we must remember why there is an us.

Let us look at how these people in Acts became an us and became the church.

They/We're a diverse group of people (2:5, 7-11).

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.
- Acts 2:5

⁷And they were amazed and astonished, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? ⁹Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, ¹¹both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God."
- Acts 2:7-11

Among us there are poor, rich, and somewhere in between. Among us there is male and female. Among us there is white, tan, black, brown, and everything in between.

Some of us are married, some divorced, some single, some widowed. Among us there is old, young and middle-aged (you can make that determination for yourself).

Among us are teachers, nurses, service men and women, mothers, carpenters (literal), construction workers, and a variety of workers.

Some of us are from Choctaw, Harrah, Midwest City, Luther, or Moore. Some of us have always lived here. Some of us have lived everywhere. Some of us come from the south. Some of us come from way up north.

Some of us were raised in church. Some of us were raised in a different religion or something quite different than this. Some of us come from christian homes. Some of us come from the polar opposite.

We're a diverse group of people, who likely would never have had a relationship together, if it wasn't for Jesus.

They/Who've learned life changing truth (2:14-36).

That they/we were guilty of Jesus' death (2:22-23).

²²"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— ²³this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
- Acts 2:22-23

Every single one of us is guilty of Jesus' death.

It was my sin that held Him there. Do you remember the moment you realized your sin put Jesus on the cross? All of us here have that in common.

We are an imperfect people. All of us have failed and fallen short of God's will for us. While we are made perfect in Christ, we certainly weren't perfect before Jesus and none us live perfectly.

Witnesses to His resurrection (2:24, 29-32).

We didn't see the empty tomb. We didn't see the resurrected Jesus. We weren't on 500 persons. But we've heard the testimony. We have learned the truth. And we can't forget what we've learned; Jesus defeated death. Jesus is well and alive today.

So they/we answered Jesus' call and joined His kingdom (2:36-41).

• Church, we are a kingdom, not a social club.
• Church, we are a movement, not a monument.
• Church, we are a people who serve, not a place to be served.
• Church isn't a place we go to, it's who we are.
• Church, remember why there is an "us".

• There is an us because of a deep love from Jesus and our deep love for Jesus.
• There is an us because Jesus changed our life.
• There is an us because Jesus has called us to live for Him.
• There is an us because God has work for us to do.

The only way we will be the church Jesus calls us to be is if we remember our why.

Did Jesus save our souls? Did Jesus change our lives? Did Jesus give us the best life possible in Christ? Do we believe He can still do that today? Do we believe people need Him today?

May we never forget it. Let's remember our why and allow it to help us see who God wants us to be.

I hope as we examine in the coming weeks who we are and what we are all about, you'll remember why we can say "This is Us."