Ephesians 2:1-10 - Revived By Grace

Introduction

Revival - Making something alive again

Does anyone know what that word, revival means?

For the Christian, revival is coming into a right relationship with God

and living all of life all for Jesus

It’s your story, its your testimony. It’s that Jesus brought you from spiritual death into a relationship with Him and now you want to live for his glory.

Share my story of failure in my early teen years with academics and purpose and how coming into a right relationship with Jesus filled me with the joy and purpose I needed to have a revival in my own life.

Like me,

The church in Ephesus was in need of revival.

The church in America today is in need of revival.

Some of us in this very room may be in need of spiritual revival.

Why do we need revival?

In the craziness of the world, it’s easy to miss our purpose.

Our purpose is to live our lives for the glory of the Father.

Eternity is real and having a right relationship with Jesus is the most important thing you could ever have.

but, some Christians

Transition:

It is easier to speak about revival than to set about it.

It’s easier to talk the talk than to walk the walk.

It’s easy to be all bark and no bite.

As we read in Ephesians today, let our mission be to walk the walk and to be about revival in our own lives, in our school, in our community, and in the church.

Body

Ephesians 2:1–9 CSB

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—9 not from works, so that no one can boast.

#1 We are Dead in Our Trespasses

What’s that mean? We were dead in our trespasses?

We were dead in our sin

We walked according to the ways of the world, a system that was ruled by satan.

Sin was our nature, we were born into it and have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

First sin in the garden.

Even small sins count.

So we are all broken and spiritually dead as we enter into this life.

A moth is drawn to light in the same way that we are drawn to sin. It doesn’t have to be a jumbotron sized light, it could be a small flashlight sized light, but it all leads to the same death.

All sin leads to spiritual seperation from God. We are all dead in our sin, but the bible has a solution.

#2 We are saved by Grace through Faith

What’s grace?

Grace - merciful behavior of a more powerful person toward another.

For the Christian, God’s grace toward us was him willingly sending his son Jesus to die for our sins, even though we all rebelled against him through sin.

God is infinitely more powerful than us

God doesn’t need a relationship with us

Yet, he wants a relationship with us and has demonstrated his grace by sending Jesus to die for us.

Saving grace makes a man as willing to leave his lusts as a slave is willing to leave his galley, or a prisoner his dungeon, or a thief his bolts, or a beggar his rags.

Thomas Brooks

When the saving grace of Jesus comes into your life, it radically transforms you

The saving grace of Jesus turns you into a new creation, the old is gone and the new has arrived. You don’t want to live for the old lusts of your heart, but for the eternal hope of God

Transition

When we recognize the depth of our sin and the saving grace of Jesus comes into your life, it radically transforms you.

I want to really quickly turn to an example in scripture of this radical revival in the life of a broken human.

Conclusion

Luke 8:43–48 CSB

43 A woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years, who had spent all she had on doctors and yet could not be healed by any, 44 approached from behind and touched the end of his robe. Instantly her bleeding stopped. 45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing against you.” 46 “Someone did touch me,” said Jesus. “I know that power has gone out from me.” 47 When the woman saw that she was discovered, she came trembling and fell down before him. In the presence of all the people, she declared the reason she had touched him and how she was instantly healed. 48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

according to Leviticus this woman would be considered unclean by those around her.

She suffered with the issue of blood for 12 YEARS

She spent everything she had on doctors and yet was not healed.

This woman was in desperate need of revival, both physically and spiritually.

She cam trembling and knelt before him.

Jesus says your faith has save you, Go in peace.