But God!

Ephesians 2:1-8

Good Morning, I am beyond excited to be here and join alongside you in your morning fellowship. You know as I was preparing to come visit this week, I really started to ponder on what to preach. For most of us in ministry we have the privilege of really getting to know those in whom we serve and get to deliver our message to. So whenever you go to a new place, and you don’t have that relationship you really depend heavely more so I think then usual on the guidance of the Holy Spirit in direction of message. So without further ado, the title of my sermon this morning will be But God! and we are going to be reading out of Ephesians 2:1-8, I will give you some time to turn there and as you’re able and willing would you stand for the reading and hearing of God’s Holy Word.

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.  But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—

Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Eph 2:1–8).

(Let’s Pray)

To start I want everyone to close their eyes. Now, who here has ever talked to someone who is unsaved and when approached talks about how great of a person they’re? Now I want you to put yourself in that place, whether that be school, your place of employment, a local cafe it doesn’t matter where and you’re sitting there and you start talking to someone about Christ and this person goes on about how great of a person they’re --listing out the works and good things that they do here on earth. Well, I don’t need Jesus to be a good person, I give money to the homeless shelter, I volunteer at the soup Kitchen… Right, and the list could keep going. You can open your eyes. Now, I don’t believe like myself that anyone in here would argue that those things are indeed good. It is applaudable to donate your time, energy, and money for the betterment of those who are less fortunate and to do good to your neighbor as even the most unresponsive to the Gospel would be able to quote, however, that does not save you, it will never save you, and it does not change who we really are on the inside. Let me also be clear this is not just something that I hear from people outside of the Church, as many of you who been going to Church for a while, grown up in the Church, or maybe you’re new to the whole Church thing but you have just been around Churchy people probably already know, these types of people also reside in the walls of the Church as well. Their salvation and what get’s them to heaven is rested upon the works of the individual and you know what I am talking about, it’s that person that when you say how do you know you’re going to Heaven responds with statements of well, I am a Christian and going to heaven because I go to Church every Sunday, Wednesday, and really any time its open, or maybe its the person who goes well I know because I was baptized when I was young in age, or the person who goes on about their tithes and their offerings and financial support to the Church and non-profits. But to that person it is “all about me”.

So if you would go with me now to verses 1-2 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. Let me say I absolutely love this section of scripture from Paul.

It is here that we really see just what type of person we are apart from Christ, and despite popular humanistic thought and societal trends it is not a picture of love and life, but rather one of death! You see what Paul is telling us and what is often overlooked in modern day Christendom is the fact that we are all spiritually Dead and that we are all spiritually bankrupt! Keep reading with me “ We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.” you see Paul is talking to the Church, although the first part is aimed towards unbelievers absolutely, this section of scripture is not an appeal to the loss, it is an appeal to the believer. What Paul is doing is aiming that mirror of scripture back on us, for us to see who we are. But wait? You’re telling me I’m not better then my neighbor who lives down the street and drinks alcohol on the weekend? You’re telling me I’m not better then the person who doesn’t come to Church and is living like a heathen but I am a Christian. Yes! Yes, you’re and thank God for that. But I truly believe that it is easy for us as believers to forget exactly where we came from, to forget that we too once were captives to our fleshly desires and in need of the Savior! Move on with me now “But God , who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by Grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift.

What Paul is saying, what scripture is telling us is quite literally this, that every individual regardless of age, gender, culture, and background is dead in trespass and sin, you’re spiritually bankrupt, there is no good within you, in fact you’re captivated by your fleshly desires, your self desires, wants, and needs and doomed to an eternity apart from a loving and gracious heavenly father and to an eternity in Hell. But God! Now, if you brought your Bibles today I want you take a moment and stop, I want you to underline, highlight, circle, whatever it is that you do when you’re wanting to remember when you read back through a scripture that this is a pivotal point.

Ask any young person and they will tell you how powerful the word But is. Again, I want you to think back to your teenage, young adult, years maybe some it has been recent to where you were dating that person you love. Now you’re out taking a walk around the lake, a drive in the country, whatever it is that you two enjoy doing and you hear the words I love you but.... In those few moments your heart stops, yes you heard the words I love you and that is great, but you’re not so focused on the I love you as much as what comes after. The same is true in scripture and should be giving you the same type of feeling you were this But God.. Who with His mercy and love gave us through the atoning working on Calvary, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ life and life abundant. This has absolutely nothing to do with us, with our works, with our actions, or our good deeds, rather it has everything to do with and only to do with the work of Christ on our behalf. It is through Grace, God’s grace in which we are saved! Again, this is a free gift that any who would call upon the name of the Lord Would Be Saved, Delivered, and Set Free until the day of redemption. And like everyones favorite infomercial would say, but that’s not all, because this wasn’t just about rescuing us from sin. Yes that was a major part of it, however, when all you see Christ’s work as a rescue mission you miss so much of the gravity in what His atoning work does. It brought with it a restorative process, in which we are elevated to the position of co-heirs with Christ Jesus in the heavenly realms, and allows us to be brought back into complete right standing with God the father once more. What a glorious thing that is!

In today’s generation there is so much talk about love, but the love that you see on your television, the love that you read about in your favorite novel or facebook post although may be sweet is nothing in comparison to the Love that our Heavenly Father has shown upon us! I would contend that we have our vision of love skewed in today’s generation! Love as God has shown us is one of sacrifice, one that would leave His divinity, would come to earth, and live among us, ultimately being beaten, bruised, and nailed upon a cross to death to shed His blood on our behalf. How many of us would be willing to do the same for those in whom we claim to love?

Don’t you see, the most untouched on subject past Sunday School is one of the most pivotal parts of scripture. The very thing we should never forget, which is that due to our fallen nature that dates back to the very beginning in the garden of Eden we are all seperated from God, born with an inclination to the sinful and worldly desires, but a God, who loves us so much snet His one and only son as the once and for all sacrifice of mankind. It was thorugh this love, mercy and grace in which we find our redemption, in which we find our restoration, it is through this atoning work in which we are finally able to die to our sin and rise up in Christ! But I don’t want to stop at vs. 8 so if you would read with me through vs 8-10 “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift - not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead for us to do.”

The reason, I don’t want to stop at vs 8 is because by doing so you miss the final part, which is this. No works don’t save you, they don’t keep you, they do nothing along those lines, however, a person who is truly living out a Spirit Empowered Life will have the works of God evident in their life. They will see things differently, they will feel things differently, and they will fulfill the calling of being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ extended out into a Loss and Dying world.

To often I see people stop at the grace and goodness of God and preach on these verses and stop at vs 8. I am not talking bad about them not in the least, but by doing so we have given way to a generation of believers who believe there is no value works! James 2:14-24 talks about this and in fact it states that faith without works is Dead! Often, people struggle with this and state that ahha scripture contridicts itself, but that is not the case. Paul and James were not competing with one another or preaching to different messages but rather when put together displays the beauty of faith in it’s fullness! That is that Works is the very byproduct of our salvation and faith! One cannot say that they are serving God, that they have tasted and recieved His blessing, and then live life for themselves, live life as though they never became saved to begin with! Rather, By God’s Grace through Faith we recieve salvation and the works of Christ become the very thing in which we live for. I love to describe the transformation that salvation brings like this. The things that we once love we now hate and the things we once hated we now love! Through salvation, through the renewing of the mind and spirit we are transformed into the very image of God, and are commissioned to fulfill His mission of making disciples, to be His hands and feet extended in to our communities, states, and yes even around the World! We want nothing to do with our own selfish desire, we want nothing to do with the old self, but rather the very thing in which we live for, the very thing in which drives us when we wake up in the morning should be, must be, and will be the things of God! You want your marriage to work, put God first! You want your finances to work, put God First, the reality is that the reason our lives go so terribly astray more times then not is due to our own self’s not submitting, not surrendering, and not following the leading of God in our lives!

With that, I want to come to a close. I understand that many of you sitting in this room are probably saved and I praise God for that, however, I never want to preach a message in which I do not give a public invitation. Maybe you’re sitting here today and you’re saying man Pastor I hear what you’re saying, I know that what you’re saying is true. I am dead in my trespasses and sin, I am captivated by my fleshly desires and spiritually bankrupt and I am really in need of saving, would you please come up here so that I can pray with you and rejoice with you as you enter in to the Family of God. Maybe you’re sitting here and you’re saying listen I am saved, but God has not been my priority, Christ is not #1 in life and I need to fix that, I need to get things right with God by rededicating my life to Him today would you please come up here so that I can pray with and rejoice with you! Finally, if you have something that is pulling on your heart that you just want to let go of, that you just want to surrender to God do not leave here without doing so. The altar is open and myself or someone else will be more than glad to come up and pray with you!

May the Lord Bless and Keep you, May His face shine upon you and be gracious to you, may he have favor on you and give you peace, perfect peace, nothing lacking, in the name of Jesus! The altar’s are open.