Running the Race Because of Grace
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 207 viewsNotes
Transcript
But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Introduction:
35 year old Allyson Felix an American track and field sprinter. Just recently broke the world record for most Olympic medals for a woman in track and field. Many doubted whether she would be able to get any more medals after having her first child at the age of 33. She did it by getting a bronze medal in the 400 meter relay in the 2021 Olympics.
It’s fitting that she won the medal to break the record not in an individual race but in a team race. She needed she a team needed to perform well in order for her to win the medal. Her entire team had unique gifts but they all came together and and the result was victory.
What many people may not know about Allyson Felix is that she knows the giver of her gifts and she gives Him glory for all her achievements. She is a Christian! Her dad who has been a pastor and professor for many years also gives glory for his daughter. God has given her her gifts and him gifts. The reason they can give glory is because they both have experienced this divine grace revealed in Christ. They know Christ has won the ultimate race!
Central Point of the Text: Christ who is God is powerful enough to defeat death and triumph over the enemy.
Central Point of the Sermon: Because of the gift of grace revealed in Christ; the people of God who have diverse gifts can thrive together from victory.
Question: How can we thrive together from victory?
Means of Grace ‘Gifts’ (vs.7)
Means of Grace ‘Gifts’ (vs.7)
Paul transitions from speaking directly to the unity of the body and begin to speak to individual gifts.
C.E. Arnold said,
“Paul now transitions from speaking of the unity of the body to describing it in terms of its diversity. But this diversity has nothing to do with the various ethnicities, backgrounds, and natural talents of the individual members. It has to do with Christ’s sovereign distribution of divine gifts and abilities among the different members.”
Arnold, C. E. (2010). Ephesians (p. 243). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
He begins with the contrast “but”. This shows the transition that has taken place.
The next word he uses is “GRACE.”
Grace according to R Kent Hughes means:
Grace here means the ability to perform the task God has called us to.”
This “grace” should serve as a great reminder to the people of God’s of the favor of God on our lives. This grace should bring the people of God great encouragement and humility. The reason why this should bring great encouragement is because of the “MEANS” of grace.
In (vs. 7) Paul said according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Paul talked about the pouring out of grace earlier in chapter 1. He said:
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight
Church, this grace should bring us to our knees and we should have thanksgiving in our hearts every day not just on Sunday! God in Christ has been so gracious to us.
The problem that we all have today, is that we forget the means of this grace.
In some strange sense we think that “we” are the means of this grace. NO! This grace is from Christ and Christ alone. Paul wanted the Ephesians to remember the means of grace. He said in
Romans 12:3;6
“ 3. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;
For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
Here is a basketball. I remember when I first picked up this basketball. I was eight years old. I remember looking at my older brothers play with their friends. They were bigger, stronger, and taller than I was. Sadly I would try to compete with them but I had no shot of being competing with them. The worse part of my basketball game was that I could not even dribble the ball between my legs. I remember when I was in middle school, I saw kid in gym class named Robert Coley. Robert would spin the ball on his finger so fast and for so long, I was amazed! So, I asked him how to do it. He showed me and I was horrible at spinning the ball on my finger. Both my brothers and Robert had gifts. Well I soon started growing and practicing to compete with my brothers and Robert. Today I can play both of my brothers with them being on the same team, and they still could not beat me. Today, I can spin the ball on my finger five times as long as Robert can! I’m the man, I’m the man, I’m the man! Go tell everybody! The problem with this mindset it this mindset is that I think I created this gift. It is important that I humble myself and remember who gave divine grace and gives gifts.
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
This grace should erase pride and bring about great humility! You gift is not better than anyone else’s gift!
Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
Proverbs 27:2 (ESV)
Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
When our pride gets in the way when we think that we have the strength and ability it is important that we remember the one who has saved us. This will remind us that we are a bunch of nobodies.
Adrian Rodgers said, “We are a bunch of nobodies, telling every body about somebody. His name is Jesus.”
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
We must “REMEMBER” what they use to be, so that we can fully appreciate and walk in grace toward others.
He said:
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. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Paul wanted the Ephesians to know that he too understood this grace personally, and the fact that he was a steward of this grace.
He said;
assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,
We have seen this past month as we have walked verse by verse through the book of Ephesians, that the Ephesians have learned what it means to be “IN” Christ. That “in” Christ means to rest in Him, not wrestle with Him. This should bring about great humility, that we can rest in Him because of the means of grace.
This entire section of verses,
(from verse 7-11) speaks about gifts in the body of Christ. The Ephesians must remember that God is the source of these gifts.
Paul proves this by using the conjunction “therefore” in verse 8. Which here Paul quotes an Old Testament passage to prove his statement in verse 7.
He quotes;
You ascended on high,
leading a host of captives in your train
and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.
This leads us to our second reason how we can thrive together from victory.
Motivation of Grace Gifts (vs.8-10)
Motivation of Grace Gifts (vs.8-10)
To summarize what the Palmist speaks of in Psalm 68 is that God is the Divine Warrior who is all powerful and who is lifted on high. This powerful Divine Warrior empowers his people to defeat their enemies. These enemies were physical and spiritual.
Here in the book of Ephesians Paul is making reference to the spiritual enemies that the Ephesians would soon face. God knows what is ahead of us and is equipping us to deal with the battles we are facing and will face in the future.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
This is vitally important for the people of God to understand. As the body of Christ we do not fight against each other, nor do we fight against people in the world. But we fight against the spiritual enemies.
Tony Evan said,
“If all you see is what you see then you are not seeing all that there is to see.”
He not only gave Israel power to defeat their enemies in Psalm 68, but he also displayed his power to save them spiritually.
CE Arnold wrote,
“This psalm is therefore a celebration of God’s power to save his people from the clear and present threat of their enemies. Paul has interpreted this psalm christologically, seeing within it Christ’s power to save his people from the ultimate enemies—the power of sin, the power of death, and the principalities, powers, and authorities.”
God has given grace gifts to the church for the purpose of salvation and sanctification. That is spiritual sanctification for those who have not yet trusted in Christ and and sanctification for those who have trusted in Christ. He has also has given these grace gifts so that the church can be saved against the enemy, Satan himself.
To have a proper understand of these grace gifts allows us to understand the purpose and power of our salvation and sanctification. These grace gifts gives a proper understanding of how we function as a unified body.
The only way that this can happen is because of the One (vs. 9) who “descended” into the lower regions of the earth.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Paul is pointing the Ephesians back to someone who is greater to be their refuge.
CE Arnold wrote,
The “lower parts of the earth” makes the most sense in its first-century religious context if it is interpreted as an expression for the underworld or Hades.
In popular belief, veneration of the underworld deities Artemis, Hekate, Selene, and Ereschigal (as well as Demeter and Kore and Hades himself) was the only way to gain protection from evil spirits and have their fears partially alleviated. The proclamation that Christ has not only descended to the underworld but has ascended victoriously to his heavenly throne would have brought tremendous comfort to the readers. This passage thus functions to underline the cosmic supremacy of Christ
Arnold, C. E. (2010). Ephesians (p. 254). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Paul is trying to get the Ephesians to understand that Christ, who is God is more powerful than Artemis and all the other little gods that used to worshipped. These little gods do not possess the power that they seek for protection. Christ is the one who will be able to protect them from their enemies. He has done this by putting his power on display. He disarmed the rulers and authorities.
This is why we look to Him to fight our battles! Remember again Paul said,
Ephesians 6:10 (ESV)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
CE Arnold, shows us again, Just as this Divine Warrior “God” defeated Israel enemies and has ascended to his throne in Psalm68:18,
You ascended on high,
leading a host of captives in your train
and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.
In verse 10 Paul interprets this “ascended” as speaking of Christ, who too has defeated his enemies and is seated at the right hand of the father.”
Christ who is God, is all powerful and sovereign. He proved it by defeating death, and rising from the grave, and “sitting down” at the right hand of the father.
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,
But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Thanks be to God that Christ did not stay in the grave! He rose and gave gifts to his children.
Robert Lowry wrote that famous Hymn in 1874 which gives a beautiful summary of this all powerful and exulted Savior.
He wrote,
“Low in the grave He lay,
Jesus my Savior,
Waiting the coming day,
Jesus my Lord!
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever,
With His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!”
Hallelujah, Christ arose church! Are you grateful for this resurrected King? Who is powerful enough defeat our enemies?
Do you have victory?
E.M. Bartlett wrote,
“O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.
Conclusion:
You may be here this morning and you know you do not have victory in your life. You are not fighting from victory because Jesus is not your strength. You are alone and you are losing every battle. The reason you are losing these battles is because there is no victory outside of Jesus. I want to give you an opportunity to surrender all to Jesus this morning. He has come to defeat your enemies. The only thing you have to do is surrender all because Jesus paid it all. Call out to Jesus, and say I believe in the work that you accomplished on the cross for me. I surrender my life to you. I want to be on the winning team. I want to have victory in Jesus. Just call out to Jesus right now!
You may be here this morning and you know Jesus. You know him to be the giver of all good gifts. Unfortunately you have taken pride in the gift that he has given you. You worship the gift more than the giver of the gift. Call out to him for repentance. Because your career is not going to allow you to win the spiritual battle.
You may be here and you know Jesus is the giver of these gifts but you do not have a desire to encourage others in their gifts. You just want to focus on your unique gifts. Repent because this does not allow you nor others in the body of Christ to grow.
Whatever God is saying to you this morning please respond. We can not just be a hearer of God’s word but we must walk in God’s word. Respond today. You will respond by not responding. So respond correctly to what the Spirit of God is saying to you today.