Sermon Tone Analysis
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Intro; [Put up a picture of a diamond necklace {cross} on a black background.
Then put up the same on a white background].
When a jeweler displays diamonds, he places them against a black cloth because diamonds shine more brilliantly against a dark backdrop.
In the same manner, before Paul reminds the church at Ephesus of God’s grace, he wants the Ephesians to remember how dark things were without Him.
So Paul places the diamond of God’s Grace against the backdrop of our Sin so that grace will be even more beautiful.
This morning as we continue the series “My Life In the Church”, I want us to see how we are “Connected By God’s Grace.”
Text; Eph.
2:1-8
Remember that Paul is writing from a Roman prison, a place of bondage and darkness.
But even in the darkness of life, God’s grace shines in us and through us to give hope and help in a time of need.
Paul wants the church to reflect on our past and never forget where we’ve come from, but never to turn back from where we are headed because of Grace!
1. Dead in Trespasses and Sin; 1
Before any of us was saved, we were connected by death!
Did you realize that the world is one big cemetery, filled with people who are spiritually dead even though they exist day after day after day.
Those without Christ are the “walking dead.”
Trespass - is formed from the word paraptoma {pa-rap-to-ma}.
It means “to deviate or stray from the right path; to wander, stumble, or to fall away from the truth.”
When we trespass, we stray from the truth we should have known.
[This is what happened to Eve in the Garden]
Sin- is from the word hamartia {ham-a-teeʹ-ah}.
It was a word used to describe a hunter that missed hitting a deer, rabbit, or an animal that he was hunting with his spear, or his bow and arrow.
It has the idea of missing the mark.
We all are born with the sin nature of Adam.
We have all strayed from the truth and missed the mark of God of which He created us.
And unless there is a change by God’s Grace we will continue walk in that nature to a devil’s hell.
2. Course of this World; 2-3
The course of this world is the path of the “walking dead”.
Course- [aion/age] the culture, ways and time in which one lives and conducts himself.
The course of “Satan”, a course of lies and death!
A course of “disobedience”.
The world presents sin as fun and thrilling but fails to reveal the cost of sin which soon sours and leads to death.
R Zaccharias — 'Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.
–'
A course of the “lust of the flesh”.
A sensual appetite for sexual sin, vile passions!
A course of the “lust of the mind”.
The world is confused and contradicting what is normal/appropriate in the eyes of God.
Trees and animals are considered more important than the lives of people.
Rights of murderers are defended and promoted over the rights of the unborn.
Men declare themselves to be women and women declare themselves to be men.
A course of wrath.
By nature the world is like an airplane in a death spiral unable to pull itself out because of the downward drag of sin.
And that drag of sin leads to the wrath of God!
As sinners we were as Paul puts it “alienated from the life of God” because we were dead and following the course of this world, we were not connected to the Vine/In Christ.
3.
But God; 4-8
If Paul were to stop at verse 3, life would be a tragedy of darkness and death for all mankind.
“But God” places the diamond of His Amazing Grace on the background of our sin and that changes everything!
God is Rich in Mercy- compassion, pities those in need
God’s Great Love- [agape] charity, a giving love, willful love
These two words consummate the definition of Grace!
Grace is God’s undeserved favor and undeniable commitment to man.
For some unfathomable reason except for His mercy and love, God gives himself to us, attaches himself to us and acts to rescue us when all we deserve is His wrath!
Let me show you 5 areas of God’s grace in action;
[5] God’s Grace makes one alive in Christ [salvation/we are no longer separated from God]
[6a] God’s Grace raises one up together in Christ.
When Christ rose from the dead, so did all who will believe in Him.
We are “synced” with Christ.
[6b] God’s Grace seats one in Christ in heaven.
Believers have a position of “power and authority” over evil spirits and works, in Christ.
[7] God’s Grace completes us.
The believer goes through 3 stages of grace in his life.
The believer is “justified” by grace; found not guilty!
The believer is “sanctified” by grace [set aside by God, always maturing in faith unto holiness];
The believer is “glorified” by grace;
[8] God’s Grace gives us faith.
God not only gives us faith to be saved;
Grace gives faith to trust and walk with Him every day.
Close; Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) by Chris Tomlin
Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see
My chains are gone, I've been set free, My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns, Unending love, Amazing grace!
Have you placed the Diamond of God’s Grace on the black nature of your sin?
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