Walk This Way (2)

Intro

Fabrice Muamba

On March 17, 2012 the soccer team the Bolton Wanders played the Tottenham Spurs in the quarter final match of the FA Cup. The two teams were tied after the Spurs Kyle Walker had scored an equalizing goal. During the first half, in the 41st minute, the crowd started to notice a player was down. A circle formed around him and the players began to frantically wave the medical team to come over to the player on the ground.

Fabrice Muamba, a 23-year-old midfielder lay lifeless on the ground. The medical team worked diligently on Muamba, they performed CPR and were joined by a cardiologist from the crowd. For 48 minutes they tried to revive him in front of 40,000 anxious soccer fans. Then they transported Muamba off the pitch into an ambulance where the cardiologist tried 13 defibrillator shocks to try to revive him. The 14th shock didn’t work either, they knew they were fighting a losing battle and they would have to stop soon if nothing changed. Thirty minutes after Muamba was placed in the ambulance, on the 15th shock of the defibrillator a faint heart beat started.

In all, Muamba was in effect dead for 78 minutes before his heart started beating again. As he lay on the field, motionless, lifeless, he could do nothing for himself. He had to be lifted into the ambulance, unable to do anything to save his own life. It took many medical professionals, working diligently, to do what they all call a miracle. Muamba is still alive and well today. He works closely with the Professional Footballers’ Alliance. But still remembers the day, he calls his second birthday, when he came back to life.

Transition: Today we are going to look at our own helpless estate. When we laid lifeless on our own field of life. It was from that field that the Lord graciously carried us and made us alive in Christ.

Read Ephesians 2:1-10

Teaching

Run on

Verse 1-7 one sentence

Main Point: Because we are made alive in Christ, we should walk in good works.

To walk in good works, we must

1. Stop Walking in Dead Works. (vv.1-3)

Three Forces that Influence:

the world

the devil

the flesh

Two outside:

1. WORLD. Eph 2:2 “following the course…”

world is a beautiful place, Genesis 1 = good x6, very good Genesis 3 = the world is broken.

Word for age

“designate the course of the world apart from Christ and under the control of sin”

To stop walking in dead works, we have to stop walking after the world.

Another force influencing from outside:

2. The Second is the DEVIL. Eph 2:2 “following the prince…”

Weird Phrases

“the prince of the power of the air.”

Jewish thought, evil spirits lived between God and Man

were ruled by the devil.

A disconnect between God and Man sin—through the devil.

Prince “over the spirit at work in the “sons of disobedience.”

This is a Jewish way of referring to disobedient people.

John 8:44 (ESV)

44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.

common language

before Christ - kingdom of darkness

separated from God

living in disobedience.

Two kingdoms

God’s kingdom

the prince of the air, the devil.

To stop walking in dead works, we have to stop believing the devil’s lies.

Final force, most sinister, comes from within.

3. The third is our flesh. Eph 2:3 “among whom we all once…

· “lived” = conducted oneself.

· passions and desires inside affected outside

Story of TANK at Dude Ranch

passions and desires - like a stubborn horse without a bridle, we went wherever our wicked hearts led us.

To stop walking in dead works, we have to stop being ruled by our passions and desires.

how bleak our lives were before Christ

Ephesians 2:3

We don’t like the idea

children of wrath.

trivialize and minimize our sin

illustration of our sin last week

If sin is blue, our problem is not that we’re walking around the world and we’re doing things that have no blue to them but then every once in a while we do something that’s totally blue. Rather, all of our thoughts, words, and deeds have some tint of blue to them. We’re sinful. Jesus is one person who ever lived on this planet, walked on this earth who had no blue whatsoever in anything he ever did, said, or thought.

blue tint of sin = children of wrath before Christ

God will punish sin

Jesus on cross

you for eternity

Transition: little word in verse 1 and 2 again:

Ephesians 2:1-2

Ephesians 2:3

tying this section - we ONCE were—dead!

We “were by nature children of wrath, BUT GOD…

we were following our own way, BUT GOD…

Ephesians 2:4

To walk in good works, we must

2. Rest in God’s mercy and love. (4-5a)

Not main point let it sink down

God’s mercy is undeserved, yet He gives is freely.

God’s love is so great, Paul says it two different ways:

Ephesians 2:4

In the next chapter, Paul will pray

Ephesians 3:18–19 ESV

18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

mercy and love are on display

Ephesians 2:5

verse 1-7 are all one sentence.

Paul hasn’t gotten to the main verb.

we’ve been dead in our trespasses.

How dead?

no main verb. Action word

Transition: It took God intervening with his mercy and love—even while we were dead, to make us alive.

God supplied the action, He made us alive.

To walk in good works, we must

3. Walk in the power of Christ’s resurrected life. (5b-7)

Ephesians 2:5-6

Main Verb!

God “made us alive with Christ.”

blurts it out, “by grace you have been saved.”

Two verbs

explain how God accomplished this new life

raised us up together with

Seated us together with Him

In Greek - little three letter word

Ephesians 2:5-6 emphasize “with”

These verbs recall how God treated Christ in 1:20.

Ephesians 1:20

Union with Christ

Our union

through faith

expressed in baptism

connection to Christ in His death

frees us from sin.

also participating in His resurrection

leading to new life

So we are raised up because He

we are seated because He

Ascension = human in the presence of God

Begins reversal of the curse of Genesis 3

The age of this world is passing away, but there is a new age coming,

Ephesians 2:7

Your redeemed life is a priceless artifact on display in Heaven. God is the immeasurably rich patron who gave His very life to have you there.

Tension in our heart

already—not yet.

seated with Christ in the heavenly places.

also live in this broken world

Transition: We feel the power of Christ’s resurrected life coursing through our veins, but we are painfully aware of our own shortcomings.

This is why To walk in Good Works, we must:

4. Stop trying to earn what God has already given. (8-9)

Paul is returning to the idea he blurted out earlier.

Ephesians 2:8-9

The grace that God has put on display, is the same grace has saved us.

“have been saved” points to done deal, echos even now.

The little word “this”

Ephesians 2:8

a hornet’s nest - doesn’t have to.

Paul’s flow:

We were dead = no verb

But God, mercy. He loves us.

Verb! makes us alive with Christ!

real reason Paul blurts this phrase out

it is a gracious and merciful gift of God.

Our dead state couldn’t do a work – verse 1-3 = we didn’t want to.

not from human effort, a gift

No boast

Transition: In Christ we can stop walking in our dead works, rest in God, have all the power of His resurrected life, and trust in God’s good gift, but… if we stop there… then we will never walk in good works!

To walk in Good Works, we must:

5. Walk in the Good Works God has prepared for Us. (10)

Ephesians 2:10

“workmanship” could = “creation”.

Greek translation of the OT - word = God’s creation of the world.

Genesis 1:1 (ESV)

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

next word “created”.

everything we see, and don’t = created by God.

no longer dead in sin, but in Christ we are a new creation.

What were we created for? Good works.

whole lives

to love God

enjoy Him forever.

by walk in the good works He prepared beforehand.

Ephesians 2:10

“prepared beforehand” one word = “prepare” or “make ready” + “before”

Before what?

Ephesians 1:4–5ESV

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

Another emphasis

works were prepared beforehand

walk in them after

made alive in Christ Jesus.

Aren’t any good work to earn salvation

God has prepared beforehand the works we would do after He saved us through grace by faith.

Word “walk” book ends this section

Ephesians 2:1-2

Ephesians 2:10

saved from dead works to walk in good works

Transition: Do you know where misery comes for a Christian?

Trials = joy - James

affliction = glory beyond all measure – Paul, other places

Yet, there is a real misery for a Christian - made alive, raised, seated, and on display.

Conclusion

When we are created in Christ Jesus for good works, but we live like dead people, we are in misery—following the world, the devil, and our own desires.

1. Misery comes when we act contrary to who we are.

2. We have to rest in the mercy of God when we fall headlong into sin.

3. We have to get back up and walk in Christ’s power

4. not pulling up our bootstraps and trying harder, but laying down our pride and receiving His gift of grace.

5. If you have been made alive in Christ, then walk in the good works God prepared.

What good works should we walk in?

Other verses in Ephesians 4:1, 4:17, 5:2, 5:8, 5:15.

first good work = prayer and ask Him,

Also, everyone called to serve the Church

become a member, serve in the church.

Busy? people who serve the most = some of the busiest, good works to be done.

Pastor Larry’s sermon in Matthew 5“let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Let your good works shine

loving your family well,

serving your community

working diligently at your job.

Different Problem:

can’t walk in good works - haven’t been made alive in Christ.

You are still dead

working for the world, the devil, and yourself

a child of wrath, a slave to the kingdom of darkness.

God is rich in mercy and love,

Talk to me or Deacons - even though you are dead in your trespasses, you can be made alive today!

Let’s pray and ask God what good works He is calling us to.

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