Ephesians 2 – Rags to riches / What a change when we come to Christ

Anyone ever watch Queen for a day? What are some of the well known game shows on TV?

Some folks go from some level of rags to riches based on luck

Isn’t it exciting to watch people win stuff? Let’s watch a clip.

This is the American dream to go from rags to riches based on hard work

So it was for a guy by the name of Schmuel Gelbfisz born in Warsaw, Poland, to an Hasidic, Polish Jewish family. At an early age he left Warsaw on foot and penniless. He made his way to Birmingham, England, where he remained with relatives for a few years using the name Samuel Goldfish. In 1898, he emigrated to the United States, but fearing refusal of entry, he got off the boat in Nova Scotia, Canada, before moving on to New York in January 1899. He found work in upstate Gloversville, New York, in the bustling garment business. Soon his innate marketing skills made him a very successful salesman. After four years, as vice-president for sales, he moved back to New York City. In 1913, Goldfish along with his brother-in-law Jesse L. Lasky, Cecil B. DeMille, and Arthur Friend formed a partnership, The Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company, to produce feature length motion pictures. That company later became Paramount pictures.

When he was forced out of that company and joined with Archibald Selwyn to create a new movie making enterprise Goldwyn Pictures. Sameul Gelbfisz changed his name legally to Samuel Goldwyn. The company would later became Metro Goldwyn Mayer MGM.

But if you look at life from a broader basis neither luck nor hard work does the trick. Neither address the real problem.

The real problem is that people are broken by sin in a sin-broken world.

They are locked in bondage and confused with deception.

People seem to live but they are really dead.

Nothing they can do can make themselves live.

They are apart from God and without hope.

But there is a rags to riches story available.

Christ came and died on the cross for our sin.

For any person who understands this truth, trust in what Christ did on the cross, giving Christ his life, everything will change.

He will be made alive,

He will be set free.

He will be drawn near to God.

He will be secure, full of hope.

What a change in Christ!!

This happened to me a 48 years ago the end of this month

It happened for Bob/Spike a little over a week ago.

If you have never made this change, moving from rags to riches today can be the day you make this decision.

If you know of others who still live apart from Christ, you can give them the message of hope – you can share with them that Christ will change their lives if they will trust Him.

Ephesians 2 – Rags to riches

What a change when we come to Christ

I. Rags to Riches: We came from a living death

Christian consider where you came from

A. We were Dead in sin

(NKJV) Ephesians 2 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

ILL: A dead man has no ability to do anything. Nothing to help ourselves. No way out.

B. We were Bound in the world of sin

Satan controls this world – makes fake promises – offers empty promises

(NKJV) Ephesians 2 2 in which (sins) you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

(ESV) Titus 3 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

C. We were Blind and deceived

ILL:Macular degeneration – limited vision / cloudy /cannot see properly

You can’t see what you can’t see

Destroy self and others

(NKJV) Ephesians 4 17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 4 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

D. We were Apart from God

ILL: The real problem is living apart from the one who made you for Himself

(NKJV) Ephesians 2 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

(NKJV) Ephesians 4 18 … being alienated from the life of God, …

E. We were Hopeless

We can survive without many different things. But no one can live without hope

No place to turn – total lack of control - senselessness Camus Sartre logically conclusion is to kill oneself

Eph 2 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

II. Rags to Riches: We became truly alive

A. From death: Now alive

(NKJV) Ephesians 2 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, (God) made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Gave us live / Really live

(NKJV) Ephesians 2 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Seated us with Christ in heaven (somehow) – pray are before the throne. / alive forever, continues to show his grace toward us in the ages ahead – will never end

B. From the world: Now in Christ

(NKJV) Ephesians 1 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

In a new place – in Christ – can’t really explain it. An new existence

5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

In Him – adopted as sons of God – just because it pleased Him

In Him – accepted even as we are

How could He accept us? Because we have been redeemed

C. From bondage: Now set free

(NKJV) Ephesians 1 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,

Our payment has been paid / we were bought / bought by His blood / a payment due – He paid our penalty on the cross

(NKJV) 2 Corinthians 5 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Became sin for us / in our place / Then granted us His righteousness

(NKJV) Ephesians 1 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

We makes available every possible spiritual blessing in Him – after all He died for us – of course He would give us everything else.

D. From far away: Now near God

(NKJV) Ephesians 2 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

We were separated from God but now we have moved up close to Him. Because our sins were paid for by Jesus and He gave us His righteousness

(NKJV) Ephesians 2 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, … 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

He has moved us close to His love / His presence / His rich grace / all available all the time.

E. From hopelessness: Now secure

1. An inheritance

(NKJV) Ephesians 1 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

Instead of hopelessness we have certain hope. Expectation. He has given us a certain inheritance.

2. Guaranteed by the Spirit

(NKJV) Ephesians 1 13 … in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Our eternity is guaranteed by the Spirit

Put up a down payment – if you don’t deliver you lose your down payment. God has put the Holy Spirit as a down payment that He will finish what He started.

III. Rags to Riches: The change happens by trusting in Christ

A. Made possible by the cross

ILL: Most game show winners go from rags to riches by luck

Samuel Goldwyn went from rags to riches by his effort

A Christian goes from rags to riches through what Jesus did – His effort / His death on the cross

(NKJV) Ephesians 2 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

(NKJV) Ephesians 1 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

B. Received by faith

How does one receive this redemption

1. By Trusting in what Jesus did for you

(ESV) Ephesians 1 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

2. By faith not works

(NKJV) Ephesians 2 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

3. By Receive/trusting Him results in becoming a child of God

(ESV) John 1 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

C. Now created to serve

An now we have the opportunity to serve Him. Because I have been saved now I live out the purpose for which I was created.

(NKJV) Ephesians 2 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them

IV. Rags to Riches: Baptism is a picture of the transformation

(NKJV) Romans 6 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

a. Like a wedding picture – relives what happened for all to see

b. Baptism is by immersion in water

1) That’s what the Greek word means 2) That’s the picture of death/burial/resurrection

c. What happened to Him

d. What has now happened to us

1) Died with Christ to sin 2) Raised to a new life

e. A physical way to show what has happened on the inside