From Death 2 Life

I. INTRO

A. Where We’ve Been

B. Where we’re Going

a. Illust - 2 highways

1. Life is a journey…or a course

i. Frm the moment we r born we’re all headed somewhere.

ii. & we’re all following someone.

2. First journey is like a narrow, 1way st, scarcely populated…like an ol’ dirt rd.

3. Next is wide freeway, lots o lanes bumper 2 bumper traffic

i. Ea. way has a leader...

ii. This is what Paul describes in ; our text 2day.

C. Main Text

​ 1 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—

D. Pray

E. Lisa Testimony

a. Miss Lisa has a great testimony that illust. the reality Paul Talks about

II. BODY

A. Course of the World

​ 1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

a. The World’s course is death

1. Zombie illust.

i. right now, our culture is obsession w/zombies :look @the movies & books

-Shawn o the dead

-Walking dead

- Fear of the walking dead

-Pride & Prejudice & Zombies

*Just 2 name a few

ii. Ironically, this is the life o all humanity…dead people walking

-in what way is humanity spiritually dead?

* The sinful condition of humanity is lifeless & motionless as far as any Godward activity is concerned

*this is the condition o every human

-Notice Paul’s language:

* vs 2: “in which you (y’all) once walked”

*vs 3: “among whom we all once lived ” & “like the rest of mankind”

~The state o all humanity is life as a zombie; living dead

b. The World’s course is trespass & sin (we r buried in our trespasses & sin)

1. Trespasses: “missing the mark”

2. Sin: slipping/falling from the way

i. we live a life o missing the mark & slipping away

-What’s the mark? what’s the way?

​ ESVfor all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

*Mark/Way: God’s glory

-Both trespass & sin express the failure o people to live as they could & should according 2 God’s standards

* Moving on… (back 2 vs 2)

​ ESV2 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—

c. The World’s course is following the prince of the power of the air

1. Paul is describing an evil pwr w/control in the world , but whose existence isn’t material but spiritual

2. who’s this evil pwr? the devil

i. humanity in it’s outset is following the devil & his ways

d. The World’s course is being a son of disobedience

1. disobedience looks like: (and described in vs3)

​ ESV3 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.

i. following the passions of our flesh

ii. carrying out the desires of the body & mind

-practical look at that:

​ ESV19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, 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.

- For Lisa, following the passion o the flesh & desire o body & mind:

* drinking

*over eating

*addiction to cigarettes

*chasing love in all the wrong places

*looking to other Gods to fulfill her

e. The World’s course is being children of wrath

1. Children o wrath: worthy to receive divine eternal judgment

i. All humanity is on the enormous freeway bound for eternal judgement!

-Who’s ur daddy illust? - expression apple not falling far frm the tree*Son’s o disobedience*children o wrath

B. God’s response:

​ ESV4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

a. Loving Mercy:

1. love is both:

i. A motivation: “because of the great love”:

-What’s our motivation in response 2 being wronged?

ii. & an action: “with which he loved”

-God’s love action 2ward us…u…me… is Mercy & Grace

* vs4 “Being rich in mercy”

* vs 5 “by grace u’ve been saved”

~is our response to being wronged the same as God…or

~same as the world?

*How does grace & mercy play out practically & tangibly?

ii. Mercy & grace play out in salvation

​ ESV5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

-Moving forward

C. Course with Christ is salvation (the narrow road)

a. Salvation is being alive

1. Jesus’ Death & Resurrection made us alive together with Christ

i. Paul’s tying being alive in christ w/salvation

ii. instead o being lifeless & motionless in Godward activity

-saved folks are living & moving w/Godward activity

-furthermore

​ ESV10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

b. Salvation is being eternally restored in our relationship with God

1. Summed up well in...

​ ESV8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

i. Act justly & love mercy: do good 2 every1…and when others don’t give mercy

-this is the Godward activity

ii. Restored rel. looks like: walking through life humbly w/ur God (in light o NT add: in Christ)

-For Lisa saved/alive looks like:

*Deliverance frm smoking & drinking

*Following Jesus’ ways

*& an eternal relationship w/God which started here on earth & continues forever

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

iii. Back 2Freeway illust.

- Jesus provides a way off this jam packed freway

*Salvation is like an off ramp frm the freeway of death

*& on2 that narrow, 1way st.

​ ESV13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

*Notice I also said 1way st:

​ ESV6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

III. ALTER CALL

A. What about you?

a. What rd r u on?

1. The wide freeway, lots o lanes bumper 2 bumper traffic bound for eternal judgement

2. Or the narrow, 1way st, scarcely populated

i. Jesus provides a way off this jam packed freway

-Salvation is like an off ramp frm the freeway of death

-& on2 that narrow, 1way st.

- How?

​ ESV12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

*receive & believe /trust