Am I In Christ? |Pt.1| Pastor Ronnie Bevill

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Church On The Rock Nashville (COTRN) Podcast

Date: April 13, 2025

Title: Am I In Christ?

Host: Pastor Ronnie Bevill

Opening Prayer 

• Pastor Ronnie leads a heartfelt prayer, thanking God for the day and the worship.
• He prays for softened hearts and open minds to receive the message.
• A specific prayer for himself to be used by God.
• A prayer for the message to reach a heart in need of eternal change.
• A final request for everyone to leave ready to share the message of eternity.

Ice Cream Encounter & Testimony (1:03 - 4:00)

• Pastor Ronnie shares a story about a recent dinner with Brad and Donna Sullivan.
• Describes an encounter at Dairy Queen in Texarkana with a man who recognized his COTRN hat.
• The man's powerful testimony:
  • Former prisoner and drug addict.
  • Out of rehab and living in a halfway house.
  • Working at Chicken Express and enjoying his job.
  • Clean since July 23rd of the previous year.
  • Feeling healthier and enjoying life.
  • Identifies as a child of God.
  • Strong desire to return to prisons to share his testimony and offer hope.
  • Taking classes and praying for the opportunity to help others.
• Pastor Ronnie's encouragement from this encounter – Jesus happening in an unexpected place.
• Reflection on how often we keep our faith within the church walls.

Message Title Introduction: Am I In Christ? (4:00 - 4:30)

• Transition to the morning's message.
• Title: "Am I In Christ?"

Matthew 7:21-23 - The Haunting Verse (4:30 - 6:55)

• Reading of Matthew 7:21-23 (Jesus speaking about those who call him "Lord, Lord" but are not known by Him and are called "workers of lawlessness").
• Pastor Ronnie shares how this verse has always been on his mind.
• Ponders how those involved in church activities can be unknown by Jesus.
• Explains that individually, each person in that group would claim their actions were done in Jesus' name.
• The underlying issue: They were focused on their own efforts to earn something from God.

Ephesians 2:8-10 - Grace Through Faith (6:55 - 8:20)

• Reading of Ephesians 2:8-10 (Salvation by grace through faith, a gift of God, resulting in good works that God prepared beforehand).
• Explains that if we are truly in Christ, good works will naturally follow as an extension of our identity in Him.
• Contrasts this with those in Matthew 7 who believed their works saved them, trusting their own efforts more than Christ's power.
• Warns against this imbalance.

The Test: Examining Ourselves (8:20 - 9:10)

• Question posed: How do we know if we are in Christ?
• Reference to 2 Corinthians 13:5 (Paul urging believers to examine themselves to see if they are in the faith and to test themselves).
• The question arises: What is this test? What questions would be on it?

Question 1: Do You Love Jesus? (9:10 - 13:45)

• Initial thought: Of course, we love Jesus (being in church, etc.).
• Transition to Romans 10:8-10 (The word of faith is near, confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in His resurrection leads to salvation).
• Reasoning for this verse: When you first meet someone, you learn what's important to them, what's on their heart, their priorities.
• Pastor Ronnie shares personal examples of what he talks about first (wife, family, grandchildren).
• He also shares that he quickly asks others about their relationship with Jesus and their church involvement.
• Discussion in small groups about better ways to ask about salvation beyond "Are you saved?"
• Suggestion: "Are you in Christ?" or "Is Christ in you?"
• Ultimately, our standing before God in judgment will depend on being covered by the blood of Christ, not our own righteousness.
• Pastor Ronnie emphasizes his simple life centered on family and God, with his work supporting that.

Self-Reflection Question (13:45 - 16:50)

• Pastor Ronnie asks: If he were to talk to you, what would be the first things you talk about yourself?
• Humorous examples: deer on the camera, sports teams.
• The ideal: The very first thing someone learns about you is that you are ready to speak about Jesus with joy and love.
• The impact if the body of Christ lived with His word on their lips at any moment.

1 John 4:10 - God's Love for Us (16:50 - 17:50)

• Reading of 1 John 4:10 (Love is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son).
• Pastor Ronnie's belief: Jesus paid a debt we couldn't, for a life we didn't earn.
• His personal commitment: To live in a way that his love for God is evident in everything he does.

Love as a Verb (17:50 - 19:30)

• Clarification of "love" – not just an emotion but an action.
• Love that encourages us to connect with others, understand their struggles, and speak the love of Christ into their lives.
• Encouragement for those feeling called to step out and speak into someone else's life.

Point 2: Commandments? (19:30 - 23:55)

• Reading of 1 John 2:3-6 (Knowing God by keeping His commandments; those who claim to know Him but don't are liars; walking as Jesus walked).
• Reading of 1 John 3:23-24 (His commandment: believe in Jesus and love one another; keeping commandments means abiding in God and God in us through the Spirit).
• Reading of John 14:15 (Jesus: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments").
• The question: What are Jesus' commandments?
• Encouragement to read Exodus 20 (The Ten Commandments) to understand God's heart and His desire for our walk.
• Addressing the "Old Testament law" discussion: The apostles taught God's moral law (the Ten Commandments) to new converts, revealing God's heart.
• The Greatest Commandment (Mark 12:28-31): Love God with all your being and love your neighbor as yourself (referencing Deuteronomy 6 and Leviticus 19).
• Emphasis on consuming the whole Word of God for a clearer picture of Jesus and His design for our lives.
• The Pharisees made a list of rules, but the core is: Do you love God? Do you desire to know how He wants you to live? Are you striving to live that way?

Point 3: Do You Love One Another? (23:55 - 31:45)

• Question: Do you love the people of God?
• Addressing potential feelings of dislike or hurt from past church experiences.
• Reading of John 13:34 (Jesus' new commandment: love one another as He loved us).
• Reading of 1 John 2:9-11 (Hating a brother means being in darkness).
• Reading of 1 John 4:7-8 (Love is from God; whoever loves has been born of God and knows God because God is love).
• Reading of 1 John 4:16 (God is love; abiding in love means abiding in God).
• Reading of 1 John 4:20-21 (Harsh words: If you say you love God but hate your brother, you are a liar; whoever loves God must also love his brother).
• Pastor Ronnie's honesty: Admitting he hasn't always liked everyone in church.
• Defining "hate" in this context: A refusal to share Jesus with someone, often based on differences.
• The love of Christ and hate cannot coexist.
• If you embrace hate, Christ is not truly present.

The Fruit of a Believer (31:45 - 34:00)

• If you are truly a believer and disciple, the fruit of your life will be:
  • Loving God and talking about Him.
  • Being a witness and ambassador for Him everywhere.
  • Obeying His commandments out of genuine desire to be like Him.
  • Loving one another and desiring what's best for each other.

The Ultimate Desire (34:00 - 35:40)

• Question: Can anyone name anything better than a relationship with Jesus?
• The ultimate reward: Hearing "Welcome, my good and faithful servant" at judgment.
• This signifies not perfection, but loving well – loving like Jesus with everything you have.

Personal Reflection (35:40 - 36:40)

• Pastor Ronnie shares his personal reflection on these questions: "Have I loved well?"
• His desire to love everyone in the congregation because Christ in him loves them.

Altar Call and Baptism Announcement (36:40 - 37:30)

• Transition to the altar call and announcement of baptism following.
• Encouragement to reflect on the message and God's Word.

Acts 17 - The Bereans (37:30 - 39:30)

• Reference to Acts 17 and the Bereans who checked the scriptures themselves after hearing Paul.
• Urging listeners to do the same – to double-check everything they hear, not just today, but for life.
• Warning against false prophets and messages that sound logical but are not Christ's words.
• Call to get rid of opinions and preconceived ideas and focus on loving God, obeying His commands, and loving each other.

Closing Prayer and Invitation (39:30 - End)

• Prayer team invited forward.
• Invitation for those impacted by the message.
• Reminder of Matthew 7 – those in pews who Jesus will say He never knew.
• Encouragement: It's not too late to change course and experience the difference Christ makes.
• Testimony of Pastor Ronnie's life before and after Christ.
• Possibility of impacting eternity by speaking words of life after personal transformation.
• Urgent plea: Don't hold back, don't wait another day.
• Invitation to come forward during the worship song and the baptism celebration.
• Final prayer for the Holy Spirit to touch everyone and for the words to have an impact.
• Specific prayer for those who don't know how to love God or follow His commands, those living in anger, hate, and pain – that God would move them to reach out and experience life in Him.