Called To Holiness

In one paragraph

Brian walked through one verse from 1 Thessalonians, chapter four, verse seven, slowing down two words that are easy to read past: "called" and "holy." The sermon made the case that holiness is not a demand God places on us from a distance but an invitation he also equips us to accept. Before getting into the text, Brian drew a distinction between churchgoers and Christians. His point was that...

Read together

1. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 read aloud by a congregation member as the primary text for the sermon
2. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 the anchor verse, quoted as 'God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives'
3. Romans 6:12-14 used to contrast common versus consecrated living, color coded blue and gold to illustrate the difference
4. 2 Timothy 2:20-21 used to illustrate the contrast between common and holy through the analogy of gold and silver versus wood and clay utensils
5. Luke 14 referenced but not quoted directly, the parable of the king's banquet used to illustrate the meaning of 'called' as an invitation rather than a demand

Talk about it

1. Brian drew a line between being a churchgoer and being a Christian. Where do you think that line sits, and how has your own understanding of that difference shifted over time?
2. Brian defined holiness as being set apart and consecrated unto the Lord, using the two batteries as an example. What is one area of your life where you sense that pull between staying set apart and drifting back into the common?
3. Phil connected the camera battery illustration to Romans 6, noting that a charged battery is no good until it is put in the camera and used. What does it look like practically for you to be put to use once you have been set apart?
4. Brian said, 'Religion demands outward adherence. Jesus invites us into relationship that evokes inward holiness.' Have you ever found yourself on that treadmill of manufacturing holiness in your own strength? What did that feel like?
5. Lissa brought up the image of freed slaves who kept living as slaves because they did not know the proclamation had been signed. Is there an area of your life where you are still living as though you have not been freed, and what might it look like to walk in that freedom this week?