Ephesians 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4ftmOI5NnI Miracle max.. only mostly dead.. princess bride.. what was it worth bring him back.. true love.. at the end storming the castle you think it would work..it will take a miracle…

the mystery of

death to life.

Ephesians 2:1-7 (ESV)

2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Dead

Ephesians 2:1 (ESV)

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

(were dead) The participle being… the living dead.. a zombie.

Zombie pic

lifeless

Trespasses

“Willfull neglect of God’s word”

Going against bible commands.. cross the lines

Sin. Born with it.. olivia as a little.. her first lie..

Is the deep issue inside of us that leads us to

Romans 5:12-14  (ESV)

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

This is our status before God

Romans 5:20a  (ESV)

20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass,

Romans 6:12  (ESV)

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

You sin causes you to trespass God’s commandments which leads to your sins…

Revelation 20:11-15  (ESV)

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

How did we get there?

Ephesians 2:2-3 (ESV)

2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Sons of disobedience pic

Following the course of this world

According... (In Accord) partners

Following their prince of power of the air

At work in the sons of disobedience

It’s a matter of choice.. who do you ride with?

How the public perceive us..? our Conduct

We ride with

Children of wrath

Every person on earth is under the mighty hand of God’s wrath.

Isaiah 63:10  (ESV)

10 But they rebelled     and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy,     and himself fought against them.

Live in the passions of our flesh

Galatians 5:19-21  (ESV)

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity(deep seeded anger), strife, jealousy, fits of anger,rivalries,dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Olivia’s first curse word…

Do you find sorrow in your trespasses.. your sins

Your gong against God..

Do you look at yourself.. and know that you need God to do this.. you need someone to ride with…

CR

Carrying out the desires of the body and mind

Carrying out the desires of mankind

Daniel..1.. unclean meats

Found Daniel and his men ten time smarter and better than the other men..

We need to determine who is our judge.. who do we want to please.. God? Man? Oursleves

BUT GOD

Ephesians 2:4-7 (ESV)

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

God intervenes with mercy.. love.. new life, grace riches kindness and Jesus!!!

But God

43 times in scripture it says but God.. Why?

Rich in mercy

Bezos rich or

Isaiah 41:10  (ESV)

10 fear not, for I am with you;     be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,     I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Mercy is the the emotion aroused by someone in need & the attempt to relieve the person & remove his trouble.

Olivia…

Great love

Romans 5:8  (ESV) but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

While we where in total depravity

even when we were dead

how do you describe the Love of God

Could we with ink the ocean fill

And were the skies of parchment made,

Were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill

And ev’ry man a scribe by trade,

To write the love of God above

Would drain the oceans dry,

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Though stretched from sky to sky.

chorus “O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure—the saints’ and angels’ song.”

Made us alive

John 6:44 English Standard Version (ESV)

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

Lazaurs.. who did it? Lazarus? Jesus?

… he does all the heavy lifting.

He Keeps us alive on going.. you will never be dead again..

God is the cause of your salvation in Christ!!

With Christ

By grace you have been saved

Vs 7 says so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:20-21  (ESV)

20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The term saved here means he made it right.. justified.. reconciled your debt and adopted you as his own. This is a continual salvation. We need God’s saving grace always that’s what makes it so Amazing.

No only does he give us new life by he

Raises us up

1 Corinthians 15:52 English Standard Version (ESV)

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

Seated us with him In heaven

Paul is in prision here.. writing about his and our future about being seated in heaven with Christ.

No matter our place in life here.. rich poor.. cancer disease.. we will have the best seat in heaven because there is not a bad seat ..because we are seated with Christ.

So it is time to come to life.. quit living dead.. experience his riches, grace mercy love and now what it will be like to be in relationship with him.

Next week Tim will tell us the mystery of the reason Why God did this….