Our Firm Foundation: God’s Gospel of Grace
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
This is a special Sunday, isn’t it? We’re preparing for VBS, we’re commissioning a mission trip team to go and share the Gospel in Guatemala. We celebrated baptism and we were blessed to have our kids lead us in worship - thank you to David, Paula, and Lindsay for your help in organizing this special day. I love and appreciate each of you!
Over the last 3 years, my prayer has been that our church would grow in unity as we grew in our understanding of God’s Word. I looked in my sermon notes and over these near 3 years, we’ve dove into God’s Word over 300 times together between Sunday morning, evening, and Wednesday night. We’ve covered a lot of ground together and it’s been an honor and blessing to serve as your lead pastor. We’ve seen God do incredible things over these years together. People react differently when we talk about numbers. Some churches never talk about numbers because they’re afraid that talking about them is a bad thing. Other churches talk about numbers all of the time and base their success and identity on them. Both of these are wrong! We can and should celebrate the work of God in saving souls and using our congregation to impact lives for His glory - because the Bible does this throughout Acts and Jesus said in Luke 15 that there is a celebration in heaven each time a sinner is saved… so we ought to celebrate the harvest we have seen God bring about in recent days. It’s simply giving God glory for what HE has done - it’s not about us, it’s about Jesus. Over 100 new members, 50+ baptisms, and our weekly attendance has increased by nearly 150. Many, many, many Gospel seeds planted. We celebrate not because of what we’ve done, but because of what God has done through His people simply standing on His Word. God has blessed our church. I love this church and I love you - I pray that each of you know that.
As I’ve shared in our new members class and with the whole congregation about 2 years ago, in Baptist life, we believe that Jesus is the head of the church. He is our shepherd, as the Bible tells us multiple times. This church isn’t mine or yours, it belongs to Jesus! From there, baptist churches are pastor led, staff run, deacon served, committee reviewed, and congregation approved. Yes, today is my last Sunday as your Senior Pastor… but one of my best friends is still here and he is as godly as they come. David is a pastor - not just a minister or director. He meets 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and 1 Peter 5 and Titus 1 as a pastor or overseer. Pray for David. Love on David. Encourage David. Support and follow David, just as you have supported and followed me so well. Our church still has a phenomenal staff. David, Paula, Lindsay, Briana, and our custodial/maintenance personnel. Pray for them as they handle the day in and day out operations of our church. Encourage them. Support them. If you’re able, ask how you can help as they are going to have an increased load in the days to come. By God’s grace, we have some godly deacons at this church who live out Acts 6 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13 as servants whose Biblical job it is to help maintain unity in the body. Deacons are kind of like offensive lineman in football. Their job is to support and protect their Quarterback… and as a pastor, I’m thankful for the protection many of you all have offered me and especially over the last 2 weeks - you know who you are - I’ll never forget your friendship and kindness. Pray for our deacons in the days to come as they seek to serve and continue to foster unity within the body as there are many temptations for division to creep in. This church also has committees who have jobs and responsibilities - pray for those serving on our ministry teams and church committees as they continue doing their jobs for the glory of God and the good of the body. Pray especially for your nominating committee and, in the days to come, for the pastor search committee that will be formed. Finally, this church is blessed to have so many faithful servants. Congregation, you have a vital role to play in the days to come. We are a congregational church. We are not ruled by any one person. We might be led by our pastors, but the congregation is responsible to approve what the church is doing. In the days to come, church, pray for one another and step in and help where you’re needed and able. It takes a whole body - not just part of it or half of it, everyone has a role to play!
While I could take the next 45 minutes talking about stories of what God has done over the last 3 years, that would be inappropriate in this time because the last 3 years we’ve simply stood on the Word and the Word of God has done the Work of God. This morning, as we land the plane, we’re going to do so exactly how we did the last 3 years - in Scripture. If you have a copy of God’s Word, make your way over to Ephesians 2:1-10 as we look at God’s amazing grace this morning in saving lost, stubborn, rebellious, sinful sheep just like you and me.
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.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
What a passage of Scripture!
Our Past: Separation (1-3)
Our Past: Separation (1-3)
Whenever we think of the word “Gospel” we usually think of a positive message. The truth that Jesus Christ saves sinners. Aren’t you thankful for this truth today? It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been a Christian, how mature you are in your walk with the Lord, we never outgrow our need to be reminded of the Gospel. The reason why is because of the bad news that comes first. See, the Gospel is only good news after you come to truly understand the severity of our situation before Christ.
Think about how this works in our life - consider 3 people who have the same critical heart condition that go in and see their Cardiologist. The doctor tells each of them that they have the same situation because of the same lifestyle. The doctor says that each of them will be dead within a year unless they undergo a very serious and extensive heart surgery. In what world does open heart surgery and all of the risks that it poses look like good news? Only after understanding the seriousness of the bad news. The first patient walks out, furious at the doctor for not being encouraging and building them up. The second patient walks out angry and says that he is going to find another doctor and another clinic to provide a more accurate message because he feels fine. The third patient sat stunned in the chair and then told the doctor that he is thankful that the doctor gave him the truth and provided an option that would help to extend his life, even if it would be challenging.
Friends, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is good news but it is serious news that we only understand after we see the situation that we were in before being saved. Dead in sins. Walking in darkness. Children under wrath. The bad news of the Gospel is that our sin separates us from our holy God. This is true for every human being regardless of where you’re born, what you’ve done, or what you look like. We have all sinned and this sin makes us separated from God. So often as humans we have an inflated view of self and a deflated view of other people, God included. We give ourselves a pass for our mistakes and sins, but we crucify others in the court of public opinion for the same sins. We justify ourselves, but the Bible tells us that we cannot be our own justifier because we are dead in sins. We are separated from Christ. This is the true universal human condition. Sin, anything we think, say, do, or don’t do that displeases God, is our default factory setting as humans. We are born into sin and this fallen nature. This isn’t to say that we aren’t alive and that we don’t make choices each day, we do!
But as John Stott once said, “We should not hesitate to reaffirm that a life without God is a living death, and that those who live it are dead even while they are living.” If you are here and are a Christian, there was a time in your life where you were alive but spiritually speaking, you were dead. This is because our soul is is under the sway of the world as verse 2 tells us. We live according to what the world says. We do things a certain way and that way glorifies either self, society, or sin. We are under the sway of the world… but this isn’t where it stops. Look at verse 2 as well, we are also under the sway of the Devil! Ephesians talks often about the ruler of this world, as does Jesus in the Gospel of John, being none other than Satan. We see worldviews that are dominant in our world today that are purely evil. Child sacrifice. The mutilation of human beings. The abandonment of God-given truth and gender. Why? Because of the ruler of the power of the air - he is opposed to God’s Word and God’s work. Satan has been opposing God’s people for thousands of years, and people continue to take his bait and disobey God.
Finally, though, notice what Paul says about our past in verse 3 - we all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires. In other words, before salvation we not only are walking in disobedience but we are living for ourselves and our sinful desires. There is one throne in our lives, and before Christ, we ourselves were sitting atop that throne. We lived for self. We live in a Romans 1 world as Paul reminds us of this reality
21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.
24 Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves.
This shouldn’t surprise us as we look around our world and see sinners acting like… sinners! People without Jesus acting like people without Jesus. Really, though, it shouldn’t surprise us because this used to be us. Whether you lived this life of outspoken rebellion against God and the Bible, you and I both used to be dead in sins, walking in darkness, children under wrath and the reason why is because of our sin. This isn’t just focusing on God’s future wrath that will be poured out on those who reject Christ… this is also a present reality as those apart from Christ stand separated from God currently due to their sin. Sin separates us from God. Sin is pervasive in this world - all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. This isn’t to say that God doesn’t care about humanity - far from this! But it is to say that God stands separated from sin. For all of us, at one point in time or another, we stood separated from God because we too were walking in darkness and deserving of God’s wrath against sin. For some of you today, this is a part of your past and you can remember it well. For others, this is a part of your past but you were providentially saved from this place of separation at a young age - praise God for that! For others, possibly this isn’t your past because it is still your present. This is a serious situation to be in - while we might be tempted to compare ourselves to the sins and shortcomings of other people, we have to reckon with God’s Word when it comes to the severity of our sin. It separates us from God not only from a physical sense but from a spiritual sense to the point that though we are alive, we truly our dead. Though we wake up and experience things in life, it’s like living in black and white day after day after day. Understand that this isn’t the way that things have to be… and it’s all because of 2 words that show up in verse 4: BUT GOD
Our Present: Salvation (4-9)
Our Present: Salvation (4-9)
Think of the power of 2 tiny words: You’re welcome. Thank you. I’m sorry. Think of the excitement that 2 words can bring: You’re pregnant. You’re accepted. Welcome home. These words stir our hearts as they provide us with hope… but they pale in comparison to the first two words of Ephesians 2:4 - BUT GOD. These words show up throughout the Bible, not always in this order, but in the sense that we see something negative initially and then we see God graciously intervene! Consider in as we see Joseph was given over to slavery by his own brothers… we see that he is falsely accused in Egypt… we see him in prison. We see lots of bad things over and over - but then we see this incredible “BUT GOD” moment at the end of his story
20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
What about Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
1 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided.
Oh friends, these two tiny words “But God” change everything. It’s not like you and I were bad and made good or good and made great… We were once hopeless. Dead. Disobedient. Doomed. It’s not like you and I were bad and made good or good and made great. We were lost, BUT GOD intervened. I pray that you have a “BUT GOD” moment where you can look back on your life and see the seriousness of your sin and the direction that you were headed and then see the greatness of the Gospel of grace and how God saved you from your sin. God didn’t have to save you. There’s a lie that is perpetuated in our world, and sadly it is propagated in many churches big and small, that says that we were worth saving or that we deserved it or that God saved us because of how awesome we are. Here this clearly - that might be Bethel but that’s not Bible. God was under no obligation to save us. He didn’t have to. He chose to because of His love, mercy, grace, and kindness as we see in these verses that follow. This is the good news of the Gospel! It’s like you were Lazarus and God breathed the breath of life into you and raised you to walk in newness of life as John 3 tells us as you are born again.
The word Gospel, or Euongellion, means “good news.” It is good news that God is rich in mercy and that He loves us and makes us alive with Christ. Not only is this good news, but considering our previous condition as being dead in sins and walking in darkness as children under wrath, we should say that this is actually the best news of all! But here’s the important question: How does this happen? How can rebellious sinners be saved? So often we treat sin like a sickness and the solution is to get some medicine or self-help. In this world, gossip, slander, backbiting, politicking behind closed church doors and assuming the worst in brothers and sisters in Christ, we’re tempted to think that these things aren’t a big deal. They’re not “big” sins. In fact, some might say that gossiping about others isn’t a sin… unless it is us that people are gossiping about behind closed doors, that is. However, the Bible is clear that these things are sinful and that sin is infinitely serious because it cost Jesus His life to pay for our sins. This is what Jesus came to do - not only to help, but to save us. Not because of our merit, not because of anything we have done, but because of God’s amazing grace!
Sometimes we’re tempted to think that we don’t have an impressive testimony or that our testimony is boring because it’s not as dramatic as someone else. What does Ephesians 2:4-5 tell us? There is no such thing as a boring testimony because you were once dead and now you are alive. You are a resurrected person who used to only see in black and white but now you see in living color. This is because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross of calvary. You don’t have to worry about Jesus dropping you or changing His mind. He has saved you and then Paul shares that you as a believer are seated in the heavens with Christ! This means that not only are you saved from the penalty of your sins today, but one day you will be saved from the presence of sin in glory as you are assured of eternal victory. You are raised to life already and you have the hope of being with Christ forever - and it’s only because of Jesus Christ and our salvation, as we see in verse 7, is to display HIS grace. Your salvation story is about something so much bigger than just yourself. It is about the glory of God being displayed and the name of God being praised. Isn’t it a good thing that we aren’t saved through our works? Lots of people think that this is how it works, be a good person and God will save you and let you into heaven if you just do enough good stuff. Can I be honest? I know that I’m not good enough. This gives me no hope! What does provide hope is that Jesus did the work in my place so that I could be considered righteous in the eyes of God. This is all because of God’s amazing grace!
21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
This is our present standing… Before Christ We Were Dead, Disobedient, and Doomed… In Christ We Are Saved, Seated, and Secured. We don’t have to worry about losing our standing because we never earned it in the first place. This is why Paul reminds the Ephesians church that salvation is a gift from God, not attained by human works. If we could earn it, we would boast in it. But if we boasted in what we have done, then it wouldn’t be grace. We boast in the Lord and in His finished work
31 —in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.
So many are confused when it comes to salvation being something that they do. Think of some of these things - what must I do to be saved? Some Baptist would say things like this: You must walk down the aisle. You must raise your hand at camp. You must pray the sinners prayer. You must ask Jesus to be Lord. Jesus Christ is already Lord of Lords and King of Kings. You don’t make Him Lord, He is Lord already. You don’t have to walk an aisle or make an emotional decision at the end of a service to be saved - contrary to Baptist tradition. What is salvation? Not ideas or emotions, but being IN Christ.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
Are you in Christ? Have you turned away from sin and turned towards Christ? There are only two options: You’re either in Christ or you’re not. You’re either in sin or saved from sin. If you are in Christ, if you are a new creation, then you have hope today because God has saved you, is with you, and has good plans for you.
Our Future: Celebration (10)
Our Future: Celebration (10)
As we think about the future, there is a temptation to feel overwhelmed. Anxious. Worried. Concerned. We understand some of these emotions and feelings, don’t we? We look around our world and we see division and debates left and right. We look around our country and we see division and debates left and right. In a season of transition and change, what is there a temptation for in this local church? Division and debates.
What is the solution to division and debates in the Church? Acts 2:41-47 gives us those answers as we looked at on Wednesday night - What is the solution Acts 2 gives? The Gospel. The reminder that there is no room for pride in the church of Jesus Christ because no one is deserving of salvation. This truth must humble all of us! The early Church did several things together - they sat under the teaching and preaching of the Word, they fellowshipped with one another, and they worshipped together. As they did these things, they went out into their communities and they loved others well. They supported those with needs. They prayed for those who were hurting. They gathered regularly to worship Jesus together. What brought about unity in these early Christians who were as about as diverse as you can imagine? Jesus Christ. The same Jesus that saved the wealthy landowner also saved the old, poor widow. The same Jesus that saved the ethnic Jew also saved the former pagan Gentile. What brings in unity to churches today is the reminder that the same Jesus that saved you from your sins is the same Jesus that saved that person that you don’t like all that much too. If Jesus could save them and forgive them and love them, you can too. John MacArthur shared this question a few years ago, “If I’m not showing grace… could it be that I have forgotten the grace I’ve been shown?” If Jesus could give me grace, sins and all, shouldn’t we be able to show grace to brothers and sisters in Christ? We realize that God has given us grace and saved us, and this changes the way that we live today, and especially the way that we look at the future.
While there are many things about the future that can cause us to be concerned, as we remember our standing in Christ and our salvation through His sacrifice, there is every reason to celebrate. As we remember our salvation story, we realize that we are saved in order to serve today and tomorrow, not to sit and complain. God has works for His people to do. This is the reason that we are saved in the first place! God’s grace, not human works, bring salvation, through which born again believers carry out God’s good works. In other words, good works are not the root of our salvation (the mechanism by which we are saved), but the fruit of one who is saved. We are saved from sin for good works. What are these works that God has saved us in order to do?
Some of them are general - we are reminded of this in our foyer, but its straight from the Bible - we exist to glorify God by proclaiming the Gospel, making disciples, and loving God and others. These are works that God saves us in order to do. To tell others about the Gospel. To help those who are saved to grow in their faith. To speak the truth in love, and not be a jerk. These are general principles from God’s Word regarding the works that we are saved in order to partake in… but what about specifically?
FBC is entering a season of transition and in these seasons there is a temptation to get divided over molehills. To allow splinters to drive in deep wedges and split the body. What is the work that God has in store for this church? Consider these passages in the New Testament that we looked at on Wednesday night
13 For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.
2 Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.
18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining.
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
What did the early church do? They worked together - they didn’t get mad at one another. They served one another - they didn’t gossip about one another. They encouraged one another - they didn’t yell at one another. The pastors preached. The deacons served. Those with means gave to those who didn’t. The early church loved one another, especially in stressful times marked often by persecution. In seasons of transition, let’s look to the Bible first and let that be our guide. God has work in store for this congregation and it’s the same that it’s always been - there is no reason for anything to change just because a pastor leaves. The work God is calling FBC to is Matthew 5:16
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
What role do you have to play in this? What work is there for you? In a family of 325 that gather weekly and likely 450 that gather monthly, there are many roles. You can find some of those roles on our church servant profile sheet and pray over how you can serve and help out. You can come by the office someday and ask David, Paula, Lindsay, or Briana what needs to be done and I promise you, they’ll have something for you! Can I share with you a work for all of us that we can do? We can love one another. We can pray for one another. We can encourage one another. We can gather tonight and the next few nights to assist with VBS and welcome people in our community who might not have a church home or might not know Jesus as Savior! We can pray for the next pastor of FBC Salem - something I’ve committed to do the last few weeks. How cool would it be for your next pastor to get here months from now and 350 people can honestly say that they began to pray for him and his family on June 21, 2024. Y’all, as a pastor, nothing encourages your soul more than to know your people are praying for you. There will be many distractions and temptations for there to be divisions - avoid them by looking first to Jesus, assuming the best in your brothers and sisters in Christ, and humbly remembering your ongoing need for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
Don’t bicker and back bite - be compassionate. Be forgiving. Be kind. Be Christlike. To borrow from AW Tozer, “A fearful world needs a fearless church.” A godless world needs a godly church. A divided world needs a unified church. A world lost in darkness needs the church to let its light shine. Work well - when it’s all done, we get Jesus. FBC, this is my prayer for you. And if you’re here this morning and don’t have this hope, realize what Ephesians 2 is telling us: Salvation is God’s gift extended to sinful humanity - have you received this gift through faith? It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been, God’s grace is sufficient to save you from your sins. There is no one too bad who can’t be saved by the blood Jesus and there is no one so good who doesn’t need the blood of Jesus! We all must respond to this firm foundation of God’s great grace.
FBC, in the days to come, live out these 3 truths
Be Speechless at God’s Mercy
Whenever you read Ephesians 2:1-10, you can’t walk away unchanged by God’s mercy.
Be Singers of God’s Melody
Even if you can’t carry a tune, all you’re supposed to do is make a joyful noise! God calls on us to worship Him and Ephesians 2:1-10 provides us with a plethora of reasons to worship Him faithfully for His work of salvation in our lives. Sing this melody boldly for a lost and dying world to hear and see.
Be Servants for God’s Mission
God saves us to serve. He has already prepared the works for us. He’s already laid the foundation… Now our responsibility is to go and be His hands and feet. Remember, we are all saved to serve. Pastors, ministers, directors, teachers, deacons, and members alike - we all have the same story. We were dead in sins… BUT GOD. We are saved to serve and to stand on His Word and share His Gospel with a lost and dying world and to stay united as a body. Remember that God has a plan for you and that His purpose for you is to grow to be more like Jesus… that process usually is uncomfortable and even painful… but it’s worth it because today, we have Jesus. Tomorrow, we have Jesus. And when we all get to heaven, we get Jesus.
FBC - Don’t look in at self. Out at others. Look up to Jesus! The author and perfecter of our faith for our sake He endured the cross, despised the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.