The Transforming God

How are we supposed to “do church”? What role does a religion play in your life?

Whenever I do a class on church membership, we do a second on “if church is, then a good member does…” Some people view church as a building that exists as a presence in the community that needs to be maintained. Some view church gatherings as a theatre that does family friendly concerts and entertainment. Some view church as a counseling clinic, as you sit in the waiting room we all know that people are there to fix problems, but confidentiality protects me from other people knowing my issues. Some view church as a place where I anonymously sit for about an hour once a week. Others view church as a self-help group where we sit in a circle and listen to each others stories. Some view church as an obligation, either to attend on Christmas and Easter or a place where I send my annual dues.

In response to the idea that faith is a personal thing between God and me, we will see today that God is a God who cares so much for you that He never intended you to live in isolation. God places us in communities and as we participate in our faith community, He transforms us and uses us to transform others.

To be fair, I must admit that some groups of people have used their faith as an excuse for some horrendous acts. The forceful conversions during the crusades, the prolonged involvement in the slave trade in the founding of our country, The extermination of native tribes who were viewed as godless savages, and the contemporary battles between the Turks and the Kurds in northern Syria are just a few examples.

A particular faith community that is addressed more than any other is the Church at Ephesus. We read of it’s founding in Acts 19. Then Paul sent an epistle to them that we have in our Bibles as the book of Ephesians. Paul sent a couple of letters to the pastor of Ephesus that we know as 1 & 2 Timothy. And finally the book is addressed as the first of the 7 churches in Revelation.

Transition: Last week we saw that God declares guilty people righteous based solely on our response of faith. That is great news for each of us individually, but how do we interact with others who have also responded in faith and been declared righteous? Join me in Eph 2.

A Plural Proposition (Ephesians 2:1-22)

The “you” in v.1 is plural, so let me impose the language of the South.

Grace for a Purpose (Eph 2:1-10)

Ephesians 2:1–10 ESV:2016

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— 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. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

1. Through the death of Christ sin is expiated (the fine is paid) and God is propitiated (He looks as us favorably), but functionally we still sin.

2. vv.1-9 sounds a whole lot like Romans 3 that we studied last week. V.10 indicates that God’s grace does something else, it changes us from rebels into those who do good works (as originally planned when man was created).

Spirit mediates peace (Eph 2:11-18)

Ephesians 2:11–18 ESV:2016

11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

If you were here a couple weeks ago when Maci gave the children’s story about the Carpenter’s square, that lesson is what Paul is describing here. Vv. 11-15 deals with horizontal peace and vv.16-18 addresses our vertical peace.

1. In the very first message of this series I described God as being eternally triune. One God existing in three persons, 3 persons in one essence. The first 6 messages focused upon this Triune God. The last 5 messages have highlighted the interactions between Father and Son. Today’s text draws our attention to the third person of the Trinity, the Spirit.

2. Toward the end of John’s gospel, just before the crucifixion, Jesus begins to emphasize the Holy Spirit who would be sent to convict the world and indwell or transform believers. Jesus refers to Him as another of the same kind who would comfort the disciples after His ascension.

3. In 2 Cor 1:22 Paul refers to the Holy Spirit as the earnest money or promise that something better is coming.

Any who have bought a piece of property are familiar with the idea of earnest money. At the time an offer is made then a portion of the balance is brought forward as a sign of good faith that the offer is legitimate.

4. Last week we saw that the OT bears witness to the events of the NT. One example of that is the prophecy in Isaiah 57:19 is exactly what the Holy Spirit does in Eph 2:17

Isaiah 57:19 ESV:2016

19 creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the Lord, “and I will heal him.

Together as a Dwelling (Eph 2:19-22)

Ephesians 2:19–22 ESV:2016

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

1. When Jesus told Nicodemus about the new birth we looked back at Ezekiel 32 and saw that the Spirit of God cleanses and gives power to live differently.

2. Now Paul writes that the Holy Spirit also forms us together in a community in which God dwells.

Transition: And when He places us within this new community, the Church, He makes us into something new.

Transformation into New Creation (Ephesians 4:25-5:10)

New Relationships (Eph 4:25-32)

Ephesians 4:25–32 ESV:2016

25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

1. Grace changes the way we relate to one another.

2. The Holy Spirit can be grieved (He is a person, not an influence)

3. The Holy Spirit seals us for the future.

A year ago one of our members taught my wife how to can tomatoes. An essential part of water bath canning is getting a good seal on the jar. If the seal is not tight then all sorts of bacteria and mold can grow on the produce. By placing His seal upon us, The Holy Spirit protects us from losing our usefulness between salvation and ultimate redemption.

The example of love (Eph 5:1-2)

Ephesians 5:1–2 ESV:2016

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

1. The model given to us of how to relate to each other is God Himself. Notice how the perfect unity of the Godhead is demonstrated in loving and serving each other.

The example of respect (Eph 5:3-4)

Ephesians 5:3–4 ESV:2016

3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

1. It is our thankfulness that motivates our morality.

2. Because God has extended grace that we do not deserve, we treat others gracefully.

3. Our behavior and words towards others should be seasoned with kindness. This greatly influences our humor and sarcasm.

It is so common in our humor to belittle stereotypes and to even assign those traits to those we love.

Idolatry has many faces (Eph 5:5)

Ephesians 5:5 ESV:2016

5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

1. Notice how Paul puts both sexual immorality with others and the internal attitude of greed both in the same category of idolatry. Because what you want most becomes your god. If you make decisions so that you disregard your promises to God or your spouse, that relationship is more important to you than those promises. If you divert time or resources that are meant for God toward accumulation of wealth, that greed is more important to you than God.

2. These behaviors are out of place where God rules.

A change of heart (Eph 5:6-10)

Ephesians 5:6–10 ESV:2016

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

1. Do not listen to others in the world. Even if everybody is doing it (whatever it may be), that is not sufficient reason for someone who has received God’s grace and now walks as a child of light to behave.

2. When we understand the consequence of our sin, how heinous it is to God, and how gracious He is to forgive us, something changes and we want to please Him.

My father has a dog who had previously been mistreated. I understand it is common for rescue animals to allow places or situations to trigger a relapse into old patterns. But that if they bond with a new human then that anxiety can be replaced by deep loyalty.

3. Similary, we must not allow circumstances to trigger old patterns, but seek to bond with or the please the one who has loved us and chosen us so that we become increasingly pleasing to the Lord.

Transition: Grace transforms us by placing us in a new relationship with other grace-recipients, Grace models the love of God, Grace teaches us to respect others and avoid all faces of idolatry, and Grace changes our hearts.

Conclusion:

To learn to do what is pleasing to the Lord requires a radical transformation.

A modern hip hop star who once claimed to be a god, is not professed to be a Christian and recently released a new album entitled Jesus is King. I have never met him personally, but I read this week that he is being discipled weekly by a pastor who graduated from and now teaches at John MacArthur’s seminary.

Between 1978 and 1991 Jeffrey Dahmer did some of the most heinous acts imaginable. After his confession he was sentenced to 16 consecutive life sentences which works out to over 900 years. However, I do personally know one of his guards in prison. Bob Ritzman was a member of one of our churches in Wisconsin and he told me personally that he witnessed a genuine change in Dahmer after his conversion in May of 1994.

In 1985 I was working in the Moody Bookstore and a man drove up in his green Rolls Royce and came in to buy some Ryrie Study Bibles. I later learned that Magic Juan had enrolled in evening classes at Moody Bible Institute and frequently bought Bibles for girls who worked for him when he was known as the #1 Pimp in Chicago.

Perhaps one of the most notorious conversion stories was written by a many who had trades over 20,000 slaves. John Newton later became a preacher and said in a sermon,

I am not what I ought to be—ah, how imperfect and deficient! I am not what I wish to be—I abhor what is evil, and I would cleave to what is good! I am not what I hope to be—soon, soon shall I put off mortality, and with mortality all sin and imperfection. Yet, though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor what I hope to be, I can truly say, I am not what I once was; a slave to sin and Satan; and I can heartily join with the apostle, and acknowledge, “By the grace of God I am what I am.”4

It was this same preacher who would later write, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.”

God still transforms lives! If God can transform these 4 lives, I’m confident He can change you too. If would only receive His gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. His Spirit will cleanse your past, empower you for the future, place you in the community of faith, and transform you into a new creation.

Song of Response #438.......... “Cleanse Me”

Benediction: Ephesians 6:23–24 (ESV) — Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

4 Perhaps because this was taken down from one of his sermons, this quotation has come down to us in several forms. Compare, for instance, Joseph Foulkes Winks, ed., The Christian Pioneer 10 (1856): 84; and Josiah Bull, The Life of John Newton (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2007 [1868]), 289.