Lesson 4
LIVING SENT
A Compelling New Identity
TEACHING AIM:To discover our identity in Christ, our security from Christ, and our purpose with Christ.
WHY STUDY THIS LESSON? Remembering our gospel identity secures us to embody the gospel courageously and live with gospel purpose.
DESIRED OUTCOME:To live identified in Christ, secured from Christ, and purposed with Christ to help others discover their identity in Christ, security from Christ, and purpose with Christ.
Background Passage: Ephesians 1-3
Focal Passages: Ephesians 1:4-6; 2:1-10; 3:14-21
- Identity Defines Purpose
- Who We Are in Christ
- Our Compelling New Identity
Memory Verses: 4 Now to the one who works, pay is not considered as a gift, but as something owed. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes on Him who declares the ungodly to be righteous, his faith is credited for righteousness (Rom. 4:4-5).
PREPARING TO TEACH
After reading the Background Passages, Memory Verses, theVenture In: Living Sent Travelogue lesson (pp. 39-48), and answering the questions in the Travelogue,review this Teaching Plan. Decide whether and, if so, where you will use the Teaching Option.
Give special study attention to two passages: (1) Ephesians 1:4-6 (see Travelogue commentary, p. 43), thinking in terms of what it means to know that God’s plan of salvation existed even before He created the world; and (2) Ephesians 2:1-5 (see Travelogue commentary, pp. 43-44), thinking in terms of what it means to know that we have been saved by grace and have done nothing to deserve this eternal blessing. Prepare to assist groups with these assignments during your time together.
Before beginning your plan, ask for God’s guidance in developing a plan that will accomplish the desired outcome. Confess specific needs you have to grow in understanding your identity in Christ and to live out of that identity daily. Pray by name for group members.
Collect additional Bible study resources you may need. In addition, you may wish to visit two Web sites: (1) that of the International Mission Board,, especially the section on Disciple Making and (2) that of the North American Mission Board, , especially the section on Resources (located under the pull down menu on the far right of the top bar). The book, Growing Up: How to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples by Robby Gallaty comes highly recommended.
Develop a first draft of your teaching plan and, if time allows, lay it aside for 24 hours and ask God to show you what needs to be added, deleted, or changed. Keep your eyes open for stories about people living sent lives you might include in your teaching plan.
Above all, continue to pray that God will prepare the hearts of group members for this study, and that He will help you to let go and allow Him to speak through you about how to live out the believer’s compelling identity in Christ.
Prepare tear sheets called for throughout this lesson, or be sure to have markers available to include the information on the markerboard.
TEACHING SUGGESTIONS
IDENTITY DEFINES PURPOSE
Display the following question on the markerboard or a tear sheet: Why do adopted adults often decide to search for their birth parents?Call on volunteers to respond. If you know of a member of your group who has done this, contact the person several days in advance of your session to see if the person would be willing to briefly share why he or she began to search for birth parents. If so, call on that person at this time.After the testimony, conclude by summarizing the reasons listed in an article on the familyeducation.com Web site, based on research. Adults who have recently had their first child and are rocking the baby in their arms want to know who did this for them. Others want to know if medical issues they or their children are dealing with are genetic in nature. Still others are curious about their roots that have contributed to their identity. Other reasons include a desire to know why their birth parents chose adoption and wondering if they have siblings from their birth parents and, if so, whether they share traits and identities.1 Relate this information to the truth that, as believers, Christians have been adopted into God’s family—and He heartily desires to help His children understand their true identity in Him.
Teaching Option
Instead of the illustration above, use this illustration about spiritual growth. A second option would be to use this with the section later in the lesson, “Our Compelling New Identity.”
Several years ago, a seminary student, David Platt, met regularly with Robby Gallaty, a new Christian and former drug addict who had no idea how to follow Jesus as a disciple. Over lunches, they discussed the Bible, theology, and how to live for Christ. Gallaty would take his notes from each conversation, go out, and try to practice the principles he had heard from his mentor. Today, David Platt is president of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board while Robby Gallaty is pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and author of Growing Up: How to Be a Disciple Who Makes Disciples.
Ask adults to identify whether they are a Christ-follower who needs mentoring to grow as a disciple or one who could mentor others to better understand their identity in Christ and make disciples. Discuss. If not brought up in the discussion, point out that most believers could both benefit from a mentor as well as serve as a mentor to a less mature believer—it is not an either/or situation.
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Emphasizewhen believers in Christ trusted Him as their Savior, they had to know enough to understand the decision they were making. As they grow, they gain more insights into Jesus. They also learn more about their identity in Him through Bible study, mentoring, and worship. Through that process they become better able to understand and carry out the mission He has given to each of His people. Call attention to the statement in the Travelogue (p. 40) where learners were asked to write their personal response: As a follower of Jesus, my identity is now in Christ, my security is now from Christ, and my purpose is now with Christ.Call on volunteers to share their responses.
Call on a volunteer to read aloud Ephesians 3:14-21(Travelogue, pp. 40-41).Comment that the apostle Paul used the noun or verb form of “love” 19 times in this short letter. Emphasize that repetition in Scripture generally indicates the importance of the word or concept. Call on volunteers to point out words and phrases in these verses that they find most important to understanding about their identity and purpose. List these on a tear sheet or the markerboard. If not mentioned, add these points to the discussion:
- God’s love for us is at the root of our being.
- We are secure for eternity because of Jesus.
- We are to love others as He loves us.
- Our mission is making disciples.
Ask: How is your life different because you are fully loved by God? To ask it from another perspective, how would your life be different if you were not fully loved by God?After adults have had opportunity to respond, ask how their understanding about being fully loved by God has grown as they have better understood their identity as His followers. Be prepared to share a personal example, or enlist a group member in advance to be prepared. Share or call on the enlisted member to share. Invite others to answer. Discuss.
WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST
Organize the class into two equal groups. Provide tear sheets and markers for each group. Ask one half of the classto read silently Ephesians 1:4-6, review the Travelogue commentary on these verses (p. 43), and be prepared to discuss what it means to know that God’s plan of salvation existed even before He created the world.
Ask the other half of the class to read silently Ephesians 2:1-5, review the Travelogue commentary on these verses (pp. 43-44), and be prepared to discuss what it means to know that they have been saved by grace and have done nothing to deserve this eternal blessing. Be prepared to assist either group, based on your previous study of these two passages.
After the first group reports, emphasize also the truth that only God could have created the world and made possible the gift of eternal salvation. Read aloud from your Bible or the Travelogue (p. 43) 2 Corinthians 5:21.
After the second group reports,ask for reactions to the following statement from the Travelogue (p. 44): This is our undeserved, God-ordained, Christ-secured, Spirit-assured identity.
Read aloud Ephesians 2:6-7(Travelogue, p. 47), Paul’s description of the future for all believers, eternal life in heaven with Christ. Ask for responses to the Travelogue study question (p. 45): Why is who we are in Christ harder to believe than the common notion that we must work hard to improve who we are?
OUR COMPELLING NEW IDENTITY
Ask: What does the word, compelling, mean? What does it mean when applied to believers’ identity in Christ?As adults respond you may wish to include elements of the description of the word by the online Oxford Dictionaries: strongly attracting interest or admiration. Synonyms include captivating, gripping, and enthralling. Ask for any fresh insights sparked by these descriptions of compelling.
Call on a volunteer to read aloud Ephesians 2:8-9. Ask: Why is it important that our salvation in Christ gives us nothing to boast about for ourselves but only about our Savior?
Call attention to Romans 4:4-5 on Traveloguepage46. Point out that these are this week’s memory verses. Lead the group to read these verses aloud in unison from the Travelogue. As time allows, have the group repeat this process two or three times, then attempt to repeat the verses without looking at the Travelogue. Invite adults to offer their responses to these verses. Challenge adults to memorize the passage as a constant reminder that their salvation is a free gift from a loving God.
Ask adults to read silently Ephesians 2:10 and, if not completed earlier, write their reactions to this statement in the Travelogue (p. 47):The gospel isn’t compelling to you unless it’s compelling you.Those who wrote their responses earlier may wish to review and add to their comments in light of group discussion thus far. After discussing the statement, lead adults to brainstorm specific actions believers may take in discipling others who disciple others, and so forth. Record and discuss actions adults could take individually and as a group to carry out their mission of making disciples.
Conclusion
Close with a time of prayer praising God for the new identity believers have as followers of Christ, and asking Him to guide each group member to live daily out of what they have learned from this study about their identity, security, and purpose in Christ.
Follow Through
*Communicate during the week with group members. Assure them of your prayers on their behalf. Challenge them to be more purposeful about living daily out of their identity in Christ. Ask them, depending on their need, to seek spiritual mentoring or express to a church leader their openness to being a mentor.
*Ask group members to reflect back on this lesson and make notes on actions they can take to embody the gospel courageously and live with gospel purpose.
*Remind adults to memorize or review the memory verses you worked on together, Romans 4:4-5.
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