Sermon Tone Analysis

*Cosmic Christianity:  Undeserved Grace*

Eph 2:1-10, FBC; January 28, 2007

 

 

/As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,  2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.

Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions//C//it is by grace you have been saved.

6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,  7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith//C//and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God//C//  9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

10 For we are God//=//s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

/

 

*Former Condition:  Dead!*  in trespasses and sin

 

A.

*The enemy’s influence*

*      *In which you walked (walking dead!)

1.

According to the world

2.  According to the ruler of the authority of the air

... the spirit operating in the sons of disobedience

 

B.

*Personal responsibility*

      In which we all conducted ourselves

1.

In the lusts of our flesh, following its desires and thoughts

2.  By nature objects of wrath

 

 

*/But God.../*

1.  Rich in mercy

2.  Because of his great love for us

L        made us alive in Christ (while we were still dead)

 

L        raised us up in Christ

 

L        seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ

 

PURPOSE:

\\ That in the future, He might show forth the incomparable riches of His grace to us in Christ Jesus.

By grace...

You have been saved

You have been created to do good works

 

In an interview with beliefnet.com,

Bono Vox of U2 said, "The most powerful idea that's entered the world in the last few thousand years--the idea of grace--is the reason I would like to be a Christian.

Though, as I said to The Edge (U2 guitarist) one day, I sometimes feel more like a fan, rather than actually in the band.

I can't live up to it.

But the reason I would like to is the idea of grace.

It's really powerful."

beliefnet.com

(February 2001), submitted by Dave Bootsma

 

In the book, Bono in Conversation by Michka Assayas, Bono, the lead singer and songwriter for the rock group U2 said, "At the center of all religions is the idea of Karma.

You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one," explains Bono.

"And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that. . . .

Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff."