"BUT GOD"

Intro- Story of dream fight with my

How many of you have crazy dreams?

I hardly ever remember my dreams after I wake up. but there is one dream I will never forget.

2 weeks after we had someone break into our house in the middle of the night, I was still having a hard time sleeping. Every noise would make me get out of bed and check on the kids. This particular night I finally fell and sleep and I was out cold, I was in Lala land. I was dead to the world. and in my dreams all of the sudden someone came and attacked my wife and 2 baby kids., and I did what any man would do I defended my wife from these attackers. They were coming at me with everything they got. And I was Amazing. I mean I was using Ninja moves in this dream that would have made Chuck Norris Jealous.

And all of the sudden this dream was abruptly interrupted- because Amy leaned over and punched right in the noggin’ and said don’t you ever hit me again. Hit You I was defending You!!!!

I was crazy asleep in my own world, until I became alive.

I was dead to everything. It took something outside to shake my world and wake me up! And believe me I was woken up!! - I was ALIVE AWAKE AND ALERT!!!

Transition: That’s not the only time in my life that I was drastically MADE ALIVE.

READ- Ephesians 2:1-10

“2:1 And although you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2:2 in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path, according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience, 2:3 among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest …

2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 2:5 even though we were dead in transgressions, He made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved!—2:6 and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 2:7 to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 2:9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast. 2:10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.”.

Transition: This passage contrast Life without Christ and Life In Christ.

If the Bible was a medical Text Book. Ephesians 2:1-3 is the Biblical diagnosis of what a spiritually dead person looks like.

Without Christ We are Spiritually Dead :

“YOU WERE DEAD IN SIN” (2:1)

Without Christ in our lives. We are walking dead people.

We live our lives looking for something to bring us life. To satisfy our hungers, and to bring us joy.

How many shows have happy Zombies? NONE- Why Because they are miserable, and they are dead.

That’s who we are without Christ in our lives. We are miserable, lost, wretched dead people looking for anything to bring us life and to give us hope.

YOU were SpirituallyDEAD

WE NEED SOMEONE TO RESCUE US FROM THE GRIP OF DEATH over our lives

Without Christ, We Follow the Worlds Wisdom

v.1-2) “And although you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2:2 in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path”

Without Christ we always choose to: Follow the World

The unsaved person is controlled by the world’s influences, by the values of the age, which are contrary to God’s values.

(2 Tim 3:1-5).describes the wisdom of the World: “3:1 But understand this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 3:2 For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3:3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, 3:4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God. 3:5 They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have repudiated its power.”

The world is selfish- it tells you to do whatever feels good to you, to do whatever brings you pleasure in the moment, and to do whatever satisfies your human hungers.

The World’s Wisdom tries to convince you that you are basically good, and if you just believe in yourself enough then you can do anything you choose.

The world’s wisdom is all about self. It looks inward and says I am the most important thing in my life.

THE PROBLEM with all of this worldly wisdom, is that it still leaves you dead in your trespasses and sin!

it still leaves you on a pathway that only leads to hell.

Romans 6:23 “ tells us “the wages of sin is death”

Mankind left to the world’s wisdom is spiritually dead. They are lifeless without spiritual hope.

WE NEED SOMEONE TO RESCUE US FROM THE Lies OF WORLDLY Wisdom.

Without Christ, We Follow Satan

vs.2b) “according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience”

This ruler is Satan.

Satan Hates God, he hates his perfection! he hates His holiness, he hates His righteousness, and he hates His forgiveness of sin.

and Satans greatest desire is to rob God of His glory,

But because God is perfect - He is untouchable by anything Satan could ever throw at him.

Since Satan can not do anything to hurt God, he attacks God’s prize creation, Mankind.

His desire for you is to keep you from accepting and following Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Understand this morning that If you are not following Jesus with your life, if you have not given your life to Christ, you ARE following Satan and you are following Him straight into Hell.

WE NEED SOMEONE TO RESCUE US FROM THE POWER OF SATAN.

Transition: Without Christ We don’t just follow the worlds wisdom, We don’t just follow the influences of Satan but we follow our own Sinful desires.

Without Christ We Follow our own sinful desires (v.3)

vs.3a “among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind”

Understand that we sin because of who we natural are, not because of anyone else.

Paul describes our Human Desires in Gal. 5

Gal. 5:19-21 .”Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things.”

In Romans 8:8 Paul tells us the result of this lifestyle “ “Those who are in the flesh CAN NOT please God.”

It’s our own sin that condemns us to hell. Its not the devil, its not other people its our own human sinful heart.

When the Bible Says For all have sinned its talking about our own sinfulness our natural human heart.

Without Christ- sinful is who we naturally are.

WE NEED SOMEONE TO RESCUE US FROM OUR OWN SINFUL DESIRES.

Without Christ We are spiritually Dead We follow the worlds wisdom, We follow Satan ,we follow our own Sinful desires and this leaves us spiritually hopeless . We have no human hope!

Without Christ, You have no Hope! (2:3b)

(v:3b)We are “by nature, children of wrath, like the rest of mankind”

Our disobedience to a holy God Brings on His Holy Wrath in our lives.

We as the human race, Could not be more hopeless than this -The God of the universe, the creator of all, has condemned us to hell because of our own disobedience against His perfect law.

WE ARE utterly hopeless - because there is nothing we could ever do to escape this wrath of eternal punishment in hell.

‘by our own human nature our own sinfulness, we are “children of God’s eternal wrath..

Transition:

Our passage is clear (2:1-3). Humans face a sad predicament. WE ARE NOT morally Good. We are not neutrally okey. WE are Totally dead!! And we need a miracle that only supernatural God Could perform.

Mankind is lost and in great need of a Savior. But our story doesn’t have to end in this depravity.

and Now we read the the 2 most precious words in the Bible. “BUT GOD”

Understand that Paul takes us to the depths of our human depravity so that we will see the magnitude of God’s mercy and Grace in saving us.

vs4-10 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 2:5 even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved!—SKIP 6-7— 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 2:9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast. 2:10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.”

WITHOUT CHRIST WE ARE TOTALLY DEPRAVED WITHOUT ANY HOPE BUT........

IN CHRIST WE ARE SPIRITUALLY ALIVE!! (2:4-7)

God’s Soverign plan from eternity past was to wake you from the dead and give you live.

- Notice God’s ACTIONS ARE IN CONTRAST TO OUR IN VS 1-3

- We do everything for our own selfish ambitions and yet we were still lifeless, helpless and hopeless.

BUT GOD CAME TO OUR RESCUE.

- NOTICE how Paul describes the character and actions of God in these next couple of amazing verses.

“4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 2:5 even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved!—2:6 and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 2:7 to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus”

God Chose to save us because of who he is : It was because of HIS MERCY, LOVE, GRACE, and KINDNESS that he saved us“

In Christ We are the recipients of God’s Mercy-

“But God, being rich in Mercy” (2:4)

- God’s Mercy is Him withholding the wrath that you deserve.

Without Christ- You deserve punishment for your sin, you deserve total separation from God, because you are sinners

But In Christ God’s Mercy towards you withholds the punishment you desreve

In Christ we are the recipients of God’s Love- .

”because of His Great Love with which He loved us, 2:4) -

God’s love is not an emotion but its who he naturally is. God is love. and this is why he can still love us unconditionally even when man are still without christ

Romans 5:8- “but God demonstrates His great love in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”

God’s love is so perfect that he wants take you as his enemy and make you his friend.

God’s love comes with no conditions- no prerequisite and no strings attacked.

He loves you not because you are worthy but because He is worthy .

In Christ we receive the free gift of Salvation Because of God’s unconditional love.

In Christ we are RECIPIENTS OF GOD’S NEW BIRTH- WE ARE made alive (2:5)

‘even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ”

Christianity is not about becoming a better person , its about becoming a new person

(2 Cor. 5: 17)’if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come! 5:18 And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ”

Story of Sasha In Romania - God broke down his heart until he repented of his sins, and at that Moment he became ALIVE. Sasha’s response was, “I feel brand new inside”.

God makes us brand new- He brings us to life,When we accept Him as our Savior.

In Christ We are the recipients of God’s Grace-

“BY GRACE you have been saved”

Mercy is holding back the punishment we deserve.

Grace is ‘ giving us what t we don’t deserve

Titus 2: 11-12 “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”

God’s Grace is Him giving us eternal life when we deserve eternal death.

It’s God’s grace that works in the believers heart and grows his faith.

In Christ we are seated in the heavenly realm (2:6a)

(2:6a)“and God raised us up with Jesus and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus”

Paul uses the greek word Synergeiren to say we are raised with Christ.

We use this same root word all the time today on our computers - We use the word Syncronize or synergy

to be synched together means they operate as one, They run on the same time.

My phone, my computer, my watch, my tablet are all synced together.

I can start a sermon powerpoint on my macbook in my office , work on it at home on my ipad, review it in my car on my phone, and then control will Im preaching from my watch.

When we are in Christ we are no longer the enemy of God but are now synchronized with Christ!

and when God raised Christ from the dead we were raised with him to an eternity with God, When God seated Christ in heaven we are seated with Him as well.

Our walk with God is synchronized through Jesus. This means that we can go to God directly We can cry out and He will hear us.

In Christ We are the recipients of God’s Kindness-

(2:7) “To Demonstrate in the coming age, the Surpassing Wealth of His grace through His KINDNESS towards us in Christ”.

kindness means being abundantly generous.

God didn’t just save us from His wrath, but he adopted us into his family and gave us an eternal inheritance

In Christ - we will be recipients of His grace for all eternity and this is accomplished through God’s Kindness.

God’s eternal grace means We will live forever in a sinless perfect place with Jesus our savior.

IN Christ, We are God’s Workmanship (2:10)

“2:10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them”

Without Christ our goal was our own pleasure, Our purpose was all about our own self, But in Christ we now have a purpose that is greater than ourselves, and this is God’s Glory.

In Christ God gives you a purpose for your life.

Conclusion:

Think of the great reversal that has taken place between verses 1-3 and 4-7

You were dead in your trespasses and sin, Now you are alive together with Christ

You were Sons of disobedience now you are Sons of God’s Grace

You were once Children of God’s WrathNow You are

Recipients of God’s Mercy

Recipients of God’s Love

Recipients of God’s Grace

Recipients of God’s Kindness.

the ministry of this church is to make and equip followers of Jesus. and this gospel story is the only way that we can accomplish our purpose,

it’s through the gospel that the dead are made alive, and its because of the gospel that we are sanctified and changed to be more like Christ.

If this passage doesn’t get you fired up to share Hope with our community I don’t know what will.

Our world is in desperate need of a savior. and we have the hope that they are trying to find.

There are so many people who are still without Christ Who are still children of God’s wrath.

We must be passionate about making and equipping followers of Jesus in Clear Lake Iowa.

The question is this- Who are you introducing God’s love to in our community?

COMMUNION:

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 2:9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast”

Salvation Is a free Gift (2:8-9)

OUR Salvation from our totally depravity is a gift

Look at the verse -this grace only comes through FAITH in Jesus Christ.

Grace is God giving us what we dont deserve.

Faith is-“believing God will Always do what He says’

Faith is not a work we do, but it’s a gift from God.

Understand this morning that even the ability to have faith comes from the Holy Spirit oenning our eyes towards God.

This means that even our faith to believe is a gift from God

Because we are dead in our sins- We would never come to belief in God unless He gives us the faith in our hearts to beleieve.

Grace is a gift, Faith is a gift, Salvation is a gift, and our only human response to this gift is to BELIEve!

Acts 16:31 -“ believe on Jesus and you WILL be saved.”

Why is salvation so simple?

“so that No one can Boast” (2:9)

Because we have absolutely nothing to do with our Salvation, We have nothing to boast about.

Our Salvation was the work of God because of His love toward sus.

God showed YOU Grace!! He put forth His son as a substitute for your sins, and He grants you the faith to believe in Christ as your Savior.

God in His grace, sent Jesus to live the life we could not live, to die a death we should have died, and then God raised him up on our behalf conquering the hold of death and bringing us salvation.

The glory for your salvation goes only to God because He did everything.

When we come to the point of understanding how desperate we truly are then we come to point of belief that Jesus is the only answer for our sin.

Today we remember this gospel story through communion

the purpose of communion is not to save us or to make us right with God. It is a time for us to remember what Christ did for us on the cross.

1 Cor. 11:23-24