Dead in Trespasses, Made Alive in Christ

April 8, 2018 · Ephesians

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Series · Ephesians · Week 25 of 51

Scripture referenced 6 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

Ephesians 2:1-10 the main passage read aloud and expounded throughout the sermon

1 You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins,
2 in which 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 children of disobedience;
3 among whom we also all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus;
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, that no one would boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

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John 15

quoted to show that the world hated Jesus and would hate his disciples

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer.

2 Every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

3 You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

4 Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me.

5 I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

6 If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.

8 “In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples.

9 Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love.

10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love.

11 I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you.

15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you.

16 You didn’t choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

17 “I command these things to you, that you may love one another.

18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.

19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

21 But all these things will they do to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t know him who sent me.

22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.

23 He who hates me, hates my Father also.

24 If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now have they seen and also hated both me and my Father.

25 But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’

26 “When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.

27 You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

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1 John 5

cited to say the whole world is under the control of the evil one

1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. Whoever loves the Father also loves the child who is born of him.

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments.

3 For this is loving God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous.

4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith.

5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

6 This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

7 For there are three who testify:

8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and the three agree as one.

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is God’s testimony which he has testified concerning his Son.

10 He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who doesn’t believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son.

11 The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life.

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

14 This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us.

15 And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.

16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those who sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death. I don’t say that he should make a request concerning this.

17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.

18 We know that whoever is born of God doesn’t sin, but he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one doesn’t touch him.

19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

20 We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

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John 3:36

quoted on eternal life for those who believe and the wrath of God on those who do not

36 One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

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Romans 8:1

quoted to show there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

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Luke 7

referenced for the account of the sinful woman who anointed Jesus and loved much because she knew her deep sinfulness

1 After he had finished speaking in the hearing of the people, he entered into Capernaum.

2 A certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and at the point of death.

3 When he heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and save his servant.

4 When they came to Jesus, they begged him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy for you to do this for him,

5 for he loves our nation, and he built our synagogue for us.”

6 Jesus went with them. When he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I am not worthy for you to come under my roof.

7 Therefore I didn’t even think myself worthy to come to you; but say the word, and my servant will be healed.

8 For I also am a man placed under authority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

9 When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude who followed him, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel.”

10 Those who were sent, returning to the house, found that the servant who had been sick was well.

11 Soon afterwards, he went to a city called Nain. Many of his disciples, along with a great multitude, went with him.

12 Now when he came near to the gate of the city, behold, one who was dead was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. Many people of the city were with her.

13 When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said to her, “Don’t cry.”

14 He came near and touched the coffin, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”

15 He who was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.

16 Fear took hold of all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited his people!”

17 This report went out concerning him in the whole of Judea, and in all the surrounding region.

18 The disciples of John told him about all these things.

19 John, calling to himself two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for another?”

20 When the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptizer has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?’”

21 In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits; and to many who were blind he gave sight.

22 Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you have seen and heard: that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

23 Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.”

24 When John’s messengers had departed, he began to tell the multitudes about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

25 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are gorgeously dressed, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts.

26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.

27 This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’

28 “For I tell you, among those who are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptizer, yet he who is least in God’s Kingdom is greater than he.”

29 When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they declared God to be just, having been baptized with John’s baptism.

30 But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God, not being baptized by him themselves.

31 “To what then will I liken the people of this generation? What are they like?

32 They are like children who sit in the marketplace, and call to one another, saying, ‘We piped to you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned, and you didn’t weep.’

33 For John the Baptizer came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’

34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard; a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

35 Wisdom is justified by all her children.”

36 One of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. He entered into the Pharisee’s house, and sat at the table.

37 Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment.

38 Standing behind at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner.”

40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” He said, “Teacher, say on.”

41 “A certain lender had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

42 When they couldn’t pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?”

43 Simon answered, “He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most.” He said to him, “You have judged correctly.”

44 Turning to the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head.

45 You gave me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet.

46 You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.

47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

48 He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 Those who sat at the table with him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

50 He said to the woman,…

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

Todd Lampa, an elder at First Baptist Jackson, filled in for Pastor Ray while he was in Guatemala. Preaching from Ephesians 2:1-10, Todd walked through what the passage says about the human condition, about God's mercy, and about the life God has prepared for those who belong to Him. He drew on his own story and on conversations with friends to show what these truths look like when they run up against the way people actually think and live.

What was said

Todd opened by asking what worldview people in Jackson hold, and worked through several common ones, from naturalism to moralistic therapeutic deism. He had posted the four big worldview questions on Facebook and shared some of the responses he received, each one reflecting a coherent system built on the assumption that there is no God and no coming judgment. His point was that Christians need to understand both what they believe and why, because a faith that cannot account for those questions is a faith that can be talked out of.

He turned to the first three verses of the passage and pressed on the phrase "dead in trespasses and sins." A dead person cannot improve themselves, and Todd argued that a common mistake about religion is thinking God wants bad people to become good. What the passage actually describes is something more drastic: God wants dead people to become alive, which is not something a person can work toward on their own terms.

Verses two and three describe the lifestyle of someone who does not know God. Todd explained the phrase "course of this world" not as ordinary daily routine but as a system that is set against everything godly. He reflected on his own life before he became a Christian, when he was involved in the drug culture and was always chasing the next thing, knowing something was missing but not knowing what. He also spent time on the phrase "children of wrath," arguing that the coming judgment is not a message Christians can quietly drop just because it sounds strange or offensive to people around them.

He read briefly from John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress to illustrate how the weight of coming judgment was the thing that set the main character in motion toward salvation. He connected that to his own experience: when men in Florida told him that everyone is a sinner who will face judgment, something clicked. He did not become a Christian that day, but the truth of it landed and God used it.

Verses four through seven shift the whole tone of the passage with the words "but God." Todd read through the description of God raising spiritually dead people to life and seating them in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, and he reflected on how difficult it is to love someone who is in open opposition to you. He mentioned a friend from Bible college who said she had shaken her fists at God and told Him she hated Him, and noted that God's love extends even there.

The final verse, verse 10, was Todd's third point: God has a plan for the lives of those He saves. Good works come after salvation, not before it, and they flow from a changed heart rather than an effort to earn anything. Todd described how after he became a Christian, changes came not from discipline but from a genuine shift in what he wanted, and he was clear that the shape of those good works will look different for each person. But the Bible does give concrete direction, and he listed several of those directives by name.

He closed by returning to the sinful woman in Luke 7, who washed Jesus's feet. Jesus said she loved much because she had been forgiven much. Todd's application was that even those who came to faith young and without a dramatic story were still dead in their sins and still in rebellion toward God, and that seeing the depth of that clearly is what makes gratitude real and love for God something more than a habit.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

Todd shared that knowing what you believe matters because if you do not know what you believe, you are prone to believe anything. Where have you seen that play out, either in your own life or in someone you know?
Todd said that God does not want bad people to become good, He wants dead people to become alive, and that good works follow salvation rather than produce it. How does that order change the way you think about your own efforts to live a better life?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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Find in this transcript

0:00 Speaker 2It's a privilege to be here. Let's worship God. Amen? Would you please stand up and let's give praise to our savior. For me, honestly, it's always the best time of the week for me to be here in God's house and to praise God and singing with you.

0:16 As you know, it's still spring break and and also a huge crowd. Probably they're on the way home from Guatemala. So but two or three gather in my name, I'm there with them. Amen? Amen.

0:28 Let's worship God. Thank you, mister Bob Okay. For being here. Hallelujah. It's so beautiful, isn't it?

2:38 It's good to be in God's house. Amen to them. I love this, this song very much, and I love to sing it fast. But now because, I live with mister Baba, I need to be calm. So Okay.

6:11 Amen. Hallelujah.

6:14 Speaker 1Good morning. Hope everybody's doing very well today. Everybody's excited about the snow on the ground. I'm sure, right? Probably not so much.

6:22 So it's good to see you guys here and we'll go through some announcements before we greet one another. So tomorrow night, Monday nights, we'll start back up. We've taken, I think they've had two weeks off. So they'll start back up and then also Juana will be starting back up tomorrow night also. Tuesday is youth night that starts at 06:30.

6:45 Any youth that you might know that might be interested, let them know 06:30 on Tuesday nights. Get them plugged in. It's a good group of kids. Also, there's an event coming up called the secret church. And those of you who know Samantha McVeigh, get in contact with her about registering for that.

7:02 That's on April 20. And I think the last one is a Guatemalan slide and the group is coming back. Everybody should be back later today. My wife and my oldest daughter, Annika, they got back there in The States now. So I'm glad, I'm relieved they're back and they're coming back.

7:23 And I guess it was just a great trip. I haven't gotten too many details, but they've had a wonderful time. So anyways, if everybody could stand and greet one another and then Florine will and Bob will get us going with Son again after that. Hey, Jack. How are

7:55 Speaker 2you doing?

7:56 Speaker 1That's it. It's working apparently. I'm I'm about this distance here. Okay. And I'm afraid you're not closer.

9:26 Speaker 2Blessed assurance Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine. Amen. Amen. I don't know about them, but we seem beautiful.

12:13 I'm just joking. Oh my. No. I'm just joking. Fresh one there.

12:18 That's a Romanian joke. I hope it is not too weird. Brothers and sisters, it's a privilege to be here in God's house. Amen? To me, it's not just an hour when we sign up or we check mark it.

12:31 Sunday, I gotta go to church. To me, it's a precious time where I can worship my savior. I can feel his presence. And then the reason for us to gather here is to to strengthen each other through the word of God, through the worshiping, through the singing, that our life, that our Christian life should walk much closer to God. Amen?

12:48 That's why I'm here. I promise you. That's why I am here every single Sunday, and it's a privilege to be here because I can feel God's presence in this place. But also, there is a responsibility and a huge huge call that we have to take this outside of this building. Amen?

13:05 Amen. It is so sweet to trust in Jesus just to take him at his word. Again, if I say something that doesn't make sense, blame it on the on the on Romanian culture. Yes. That's how I can get with everything.

16:13 Amen. Thank you.

16:17 Speaker 1If the frontline team could come forward, we'll take offering. Let's pray. God, you are a refuge and a very present help in a time of trouble and where we we lean on you and trust you and know that that you love us and care about us and that you're there and waiting for us to seek you and that you're a loving and faithful God. We just thank you for that God and we take this time to take the offering. Lord, we know that everything we have is yours.

17:01 We trust you. We'll provide for our needs. We're thankful for your promises. We just ask that you take these funds that are given further your ministry and your gospel here in Jackson and throughout the year. We pray this in Jesus' name.

17:16 Amen.

19:32 Speaker 2Beautiful.

19:36 Speaker 1Well, I am not Pastor Ray, as you can tell, the sun, height, stature, hair, everything in between. But my name is Todd Lampa and I'm the elder board here and Ray asked me a couple weeks ago if I'd be willing to fill in for him while using Guatemala. And my response was a long, absolutely. And so here I am. So forgive me.

20:04 I I haven't preached in a long time. So if there's a lot of pauses, a lot of reading from my notes, please forgive me, but I am encouraged that one thing about preaching the word of God is that the power is in the message. It's in the the word of God. It's not in the person communicating in and a person can get in the way and can get things screwed up but I I I find solace in the fact that you know what? I mean, God's word will not return void and the gospel is the power of God and salvation and and so I look forward to what we're going to look into today.

20:43 So, if you have your Bibles, you can turn to Ephesians chapter two and this this message is going to be based on a passage that is very familiar to everybody. Probably, all memorized certain passages or verses in this passage back when we were kids or we read it so many times, we know it by heart. But just because it's familiar doesn't mean it's not going to be relevant or very powerful in our lives. And I find that sometimes simple is good and simple is what changes my life often. Reading the Bible, I'm not gonna be learning anything new or anything that's novel or anything like that.

21:28 But the things that impact me are the things that I need reminding of at that time of my life. And so the importance of the word of God in our lives is is that the is it's very important. And so we're gonna be looking at Ephesians chapter two verses one through 10. And before we get into the text, well, let's let's go ahead and read. Let's go ahead and read this passage and then we'll go from there.

21:55 So Ephesians chapter two starting at verse one. And you he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins. In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that who now works in the sons of disobedience. Among whom also we all conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath just as the others. The God who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we are dead and trespasses made us alive together with Christ.

22:32 By grace, you've been saved and raised us up together and made made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace, you have been saved through faith, that not of yourself, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

23:05 Let's pray. God, I I pray that you would help me to communicate your word, and may you give open hearts and minds this morning, Lord, and may your spirit be working. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. So before we get into the text, let me ask you a question.

23:22 Do you have a worldview? So some of you may say, of course, have a worldview. I know exactly what you're talking about. Others might be shaking your head and say, I've never heard of that before in my life. What a worldview is, is basically it's an overall perspective or philosophy about everything that exists in our world.

23:42 The why, the what, the how, the questions of our existence. I've heard it explained that our worldview is formed by answering four big questions. So these questions would be, where did we come from, which addresses our origin? What is the purpose of life? Mean our meaning.

24:01 What is the meaning of our life? What is right and wrong and how do we decide? Dressing morality. How do we decide what are the morals? And what happens after we die?

24:13 Our destiny. What happens to everybody when we die? So you're gonna have lots of different answers to these questions. But these are all very good questions for us to ask ourselves and to come up with a biblical worldview. So while you may have not have asked yourself these questions formally, everybody has some way that you would answer these questions and have a world view.

24:39 Lots of times we're going to differ with people on hot topics of the day, things that are very heated and cause a lot of lot of strife, a lot of fighting, you know, between Christians and non Christians. And a lot of those things don't need to be talked about on the surface level, but discussion needs to go beyond down to the root causes of why you believe what you believe. So I looked up, I listened to RC Sproul quite a bit. I like his ministry called Ligonier Ministries and RC Sproul recently passed away, but he's just a great Christian theologian and thinker and he was a person I really respected. But on his website, I looked up the article on worldview and it had this to say, when a person thinks about abortion, euthanasia, same sex relationships, environmental ethics, economic policy, public education, and so on will depend on his underlying real view more than anything else.

25:41 So all these all these conclusions come from a person's basic belief system. So I'm gonna read some of these basic belief systems and define what they are. And I want you to be thinking, well, what's the pervasive worldview in Jackson? So naturalism is explained that there is no God, humans are just highly evolved animals, universe is a closed physical system. Postmodernism says there are no objective truths and moral standards.

26:12 Reality is ultimately a human social construct. Pantheism says God is the totality of reality. Thus, we are all divine by nature. Pluralism says that the different world religions represent equally valid perspectives on the ultimate reality, and there are many valid paths to salvation. Islam, there is only one God, and he has no son.

26:37 God has revealed his will for all people through his final prophet, Mohammed, and his eternal word, the Quran. And then the last one, moralistic therapeutic deism, which believes that God just wants us to be happy and nice to each other, and he intervenes in our affairs only when we call on him to help us out. So it's interesting as we read through those, and we think, well, what do we deal with in Jackson? What is the worldview that you would think? It's probably a mix of a few of those, you know, you probably have a little bit of spirit ism in there.

27:15 But probably I would say the one that probably hits it the most is the naturalistic view, the humanistic view. And I think that most people in Jackson would say, you know, we're we're basically, this is it, man is the center of his own universe and eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. You know, so I I posted a question to my friends on Facebook. And I didn't, I told them I was like, this is not, I'm not looking for dialogue. I just want to know what you guys believe whoever's willing to respond.

27:48 What you believe about these four big questions? What's your worldview? So here are some of the responses that I got. So my first friend said, we are the result of the right combination of ingredients environment among hundreds of trillions of planets in cause and effect of time plus cellular replication. Purpose is our creation of self awareness and does not actually exist.

28:13 Morals are simply the manifestation of evolution of a social species and survival mechanism. We evolve, well this is how we wrote it, but necessarily not grammarly correct. But we evolved compassion because had we not, we never survived this long as a species. Guess that's why I just didn't read it right. We returned to elements so that our destiny, we returned to the elements that combine in other ways to form everything from rock to trees to stars.

28:42 There is no us as separated from the universe. Another person responds, our origin, where did we come from? Well, I was born from two human parents and I believe that the first human ancestor appeared around six million years ago in Africa. The purpose I believe in is being self reliant and as as well as being kind and helpful. And I try not to make people mad.

29:06 Where do we drive our morals? I learned morals from the people in my life, history and art. What is our destiny? What happens after we die? I think lights are out.

29:15 Maybe I'm wrong, something else happens, but I doubt it. You know, it's it's I I really appreciated their their responses. You know, this is where people are at. This is what people believe. This is how people live, you know, from these positions that they hold.

29:34 And then you start to understand, okay, get I understand why they draw these conclusions about some of these hot topics, right? Because their worldview what their basic belief system is, is based on things that would allow them. And so, as we look at the passage today, we're going to see some of these aspects of what a Christian worldview should be like. And I think the importance of what we believe in developing our our belief system, our worldview, having a gospel worldview, a biblical worldview is so important because I believe that there's a battle going on for the hearts of men and women and children in our world. There's a spiritual battle.

30:15 And the the way to the heart is through the mind and I think that if we do not know what we believe and and are not sure of that and don't have reasonable answers to some of these questions that are going to be posed to us, then is there a chance that we could possibly our faith could be in doubt? Is there some that have left the faith because of of things that have come into their life, people that have led them away? Absolutely. And so I think it's so important to know what we believe and have a basis that's it's a biblical basis for our views and our belief system. If we don't know what we believe, then I believe that we're prone to believe anything.

30:57 And we see that quite a bit. You know, there's a reason why a lot of college kids, Christian kids go to college, go to universities, and the statistics are not good for how many of them continue in their faith after college. And what's the reason for that? Well, could be a lot of reasons for that. But what I really think is that they're being posed questions or they're being they're being taught something that's in contrary to the Christian belief, but they do not know why they believe what they believe.

31:27 When those things are challenged, they buy, let's say, very intelligent, smart people that know exactly all the right things to say, then then they don't continue in their faith. They're deceived. They're or they leave their positions. And so, and especially in our pluralistic society, if you don't believe in anything, you might believe in everything. And that's what you might get to somebody who's just anybody, next person they talk to, they'll take a little truth from that and say, I believe that too.

31:59 So, we have to be cognitive the fact that what we believe in our in our core doctrines is very important. So, let's look at the scripture in Ephesians chapter two and with that in mind, let's let's go ahead and look at the first three passages. And and from these 10 passages or 10 verses, I think we'll see three things. I think first, we'll see that we were dead. As Christians, we were dead and deserved God's judgment.

32:30 Two, that God's unwarranted mercy and grace were freely given to us. And three, that God is a plan for our lives. As a brief summary of the context in chapter one, Paul discusses, God's eternal plan in choosing those who are predestined to become Christians and all and that all the believers on earth and in heaven will be brought together under Christ who is the head of the the church, the big c church as pastor Ray likes to say. And in chapters two and three, Paul then explains the execution of the of God's plan and detailing how sinners become saints and form the church. And and the church is a is a big deal to God.

33:14 And we'll see that and it's it's throughout the New Testament. So verses one through three. These these two verse or these three verses address the human condition of sin and the depravity of humankind. Ever since sin came into the world through Adam, we have been born into a fallen world and whether we like it or not, we deal with the consequences of each other's sin, of our own sin. We have no choice.

33:43 We were born to a fallen world with a fallen nature. And I've heard it said that sin is the only doctrine that can be observed observable of how do I say this? Sorry. I've heard so that sin is the only doctrine of the Bible that can be proved empirically, meaning it is the most observable, verifiable tenant of the Bible that is seen everywhere in our world. Kind of get it, right?

34:13 You can understand. Yeah, you read the newspapers, you know, it doesn't it doesn't take much to see that there's something wrong with mankind, humankind. There's something pervasive. There's people that shoot other people. There's there's people that, you know, whatever whatever you're gonna read in the newspaper, but you see it in our own lives too.

34:35 You see it in how we address our spouses, how I address my kids, how I address the the person driving in the other lane that's going too slow. You know, sin is obvious. It's observable and it's not hard to see and even even from an unsafe perspective, people will have a view on this. You know, CS Lewis discusses this. He calls it the law of human nature in his book, Mere Christianity.

35:02 He addresses this, that it's it's obvious to all mankind that there's something wrong. There's something with humans that is different, that sets us apart. There's a problem with mankind. And he calls that the law of human nature. There's just certain things that people just don't do.

35:22 And there will be general consensus about a lot of the big issues, whether it's murder, sin, murder, rape, or whatever, it was generally considered that whether you're religious or an atheist, these things just aren't right. And so sin is an obvious doctrine, even just looking at it at at the the world. But what does the Bible have to say about sin in this passage? Well, in verse one, if you look there, it says simply that we were dead in trespasses and sins. So we were spiritually dead.

35:59 Before we became Christians, we were dead. Not a whole lot that a dead person can do. But, you know, I think there's a general misperception about religion that God really wants bad people to become good and that's an error because God doesn't want bad people to become good. Although, there's sense of that but God wants dead people to become alive and so that only happens through the regeneration of a person when they accept Jesus Christ as their born savior. When they realize their sin and their need for him.

36:39 Really, what it comes down to is that it's it's not a person that realizes, you know, man, my life is going in a bad direction. It's leading to destruction. Whatever that might be, I need to change my ways and get closer to God. No, it's it's not like I look at it. It's not like you're trying to start an exercise program to become that in shape person.

37:01 That's not really what God is is wanting for people. God actually wants you to see your state of sinfulness. And that's the beginning. Once you see that, once you realize that, once you realize that there is no nothing that you can do to appease God, nothing you can do to take that sin away, but but realize the depth of your sin and then you see your need for him. That is that is what God wants because at that point, then you realize that you do need a savior and then you you you can become regenerated and through the through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

37:42 So we will later see in this passage that our actions will change. So bad people do become good, but it happens after salvation. And and that is the correct order. And we'll see that in the later verses of this passage. So in verses two through three, we see a lifestyle of an unsaved person.

38:02 So this this passage is kind of retrospect of Paul saying, writing a letter to the Ephesians and probably two other churches in the area because these letters got passed around. But he's saying, look at what you once were. Okay. So it's a it's a it's a looking back and I don't think it's a looking back to say, look at remember all those sins that you committed before how bad of a person you were and dwell on those things. So, you know, I don't think obviously that is not a healthy and productive thing for a Christian to do.

38:33 But generally speaking, it's a good thing for them to think back and think of where they came from, of their depravity, and and not dwell and feel guilt about that sin, but to look back and see where he came from. So a lifestyle of an unsaved person, and there's a few different phrases that explain this and expound on this. First phrase is course of this world. What does this mean? Does this mean the daily grind of going to work, coming home, eat dinner, going to bed and that's the course of this world?

39:07 No, the world in this verse is talking about the satanic. How is it, it's explained as satanically organized system that hates and opposes all that is godly. So people who do not know God by sinful nature, they live their lives based on their own whims or their principles that appeal to them based on their own disposition. So they don't know any different. So if you don't know Christ as your savior, and you're naturally just gonna live your life based on the course of this world.

39:38 And really that what that comes down to is that you live the life that center around yourself. But it's the contrast is that faith in Christ, faith in in God is is the regenerated person's belief. Whereas an unsafe person has no faith in God in in the true and living God. And so they live their life based on their own whims and their own desires. Before I became a believer, I was I was a lost soul and I was involved with the drug culture.

40:10 And, you know, music and partying, that was the goal all the time. And I was always looking for the next tie, the next party, but I knew that there was a void there. And I I just I knew that that there was something more that needed to be. There's more purpose in life and after my father passed away, when I was 20, 20 years old, God started working in my life and drawing me to himself and I started to see the the emptiness of my life and God brought in some people that were Christians that that told me the gospel and and I had gotten saved and and God transformed my life. But I was living my life just based on the course of this world.

40:51 I didn't know any better. And Jesus speaks about the world in John 15. And he says that the world hated him and that he's also hate hate his disciples. And it says, if you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore, the world hates you.

41:13 And as a Christian, I need to ask, does the world hate me? You know, am I living my life based on the course of this world? Have I reverted back to to just living a life that is conducive with what's going on around me? Or am I living a life that's obedient to God's directives and calling and is does the world hate me because it first hated him? And so I think living living a life of sin, living based on the course of this world, a person who is unsaved, they are gonna live that way.

41:50 So the course of this world is the natural way people who do not know God live their lives. It also talks about the prince of the power of the air. The devil has tremendous power at this time. And I think you know, in John first John five, it says, the whole world is under the control of the evil one and while this may seem somewhat scary as Christians were promised that greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. But the the idea that there is an enemy, there is an enemy to our faith and to our soul, and he is alive and well, and and he's working in this world.

42:31 And people that do not know him, do not know Christ, they are prone to to be affected by the satanic working of the prince of the power of the air, and that there is a war, spiritual war that wages. So this is if we talk to people about this, our friends, colleagues, whatever that live in Jackson, more more than likely they're gonna have, you know, a naturalistic view. And so when you start talking about Satan, talking about other things such as like judgment, sin, this is this is their, you know, this is going to be goofy to them. This doesn't mean that we don't do that but we just gotta realize that you this is going to come on to people and it's going to sound like a foreign thing or it's going to sound ridiculous. That's why I think we take our conversations back to answering those questions and finding out what they believe.

43:28 And why does that belief hold more weight? Why is that more reasonable than what the Christian belief is? So also a phrase of the the non Christian lifestyle is it says that the spirit who works in the sons of disobedience and I think this is important because as an unbeliever, there is a direct disobedience to God and and in in contrast to that, when you become a Christian, there's a desire to be obedient to God and his word and his directives. Also, last part of this, it says that people live by the lust and desires of the flesh and mind, meaning they just have a fallen nature and they take their bodies and mind, which are not evil or not wrong, but they take them and use them for their own pleasures and their own desires and their own sinfulness. And it also says by nature, they're children of wrath.

44:27 I think one of the hardest sayings to tell a person is that judgment is coming. You know, it reminds me of, I don't know if you guys ever read Pilgrim's Progress, but it's probably the only book I've written that's over 400 years old. But it's an amazing allegory written by John Bunyan. And it starts off in the first couple pages. It sets the the tone for the whole story.

44:56 And I'll I'll read and it's about a man who is given a book and he reads this book. And and the message that he reads in this book is it creates a burden for him. And he goes back to his wife says, oh my dear and my wife and children, your father and companion, I am undone by reason of an awful burden that lies heavily on my heart. I am surely warned that the city that shall that we live in shall be burned with fire from heaven in which terrible destruction, all of us shall surely perish perish unless some way can be found whereby we may be delivered. His family were amazed, not that they believed what he was saying was true, but that they thought he was losing his mind.

45:39 I think you'd probably get a similar response if you said that to to somebody here in Jackson. But the next page, he meets a man on his way. This man's name is Evangelist. And the evangelist gave him a scroll, and the words on the scroll said, flee from the wrath to come. And having read these words, the man looked earnestly at the evangelist and asked, but where must I go?

46:02 Where must I flee to? And the idea is that sin, the coming judgment, these are essential, essential truths. When I before I became a Christian, I was addressed. I was I was some guys that came up to me when I was in Florida and I was going through a lot. I had seen a lot of things and struggling with my dad's death and seen a lot of dark spiritual things in in the group of people I was with.

46:31 They told me about the gospel but they they indicated. They said, we're all sinners and we're all gonna face judgement. That resonated with me. It was like a light came on and you wouldn't think that judgment would cause a light, but it did because the truth of God, the gospel is the power of God and salvation. When I heard that, I knew I knew there was truth in it.

46:53 I knew and I didn't get saved at that moment, but God used that in my life. And we have to warn. I mean, if we don't, I mean, this whole world, the backdrop of everything is not the Tetons. It's sinful nature and the coming judgment of Jesus Christ when he returned. I mean, I think so often we get so much into the daily grind of life.

47:16 We lose track of really eternity and that this world is not our home. That we're just passing through. And I just think it's so important that we remember that what what John Bunyan was indicating in the Pilgrim's Progress, well, the precedent of his whole journey was escape city of destruction for the wrath of God is coming, and it and it is. So in John three thirty six, he says, he that believeth on the son son hath eternal life, everlasting life. And he that believeth not in the son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

47:57 And in our culture, again, this is a hard message. But just because it's hard, just because it might fall on deaf ears, doesn't mean we don't be faithful in telling it to to those around us. So point one, just to summarize that or or reiterate that is Christians, we also were once dead and deserved God's judgment. So, point two, is we'll see in this passage in verses four through nine that God gave us unmerited mercy and grace, unwarranted mercy and grace. Let's just go ahead and read verses four through seven.

48:36 But God who is rich in his mercy because of his great love with which he loved us. Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace, you have been saved and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. I mean, it's pretty amazing when you just sit and contemplate God's mercy and his love and it reiterates there that even when we are dead in our trespasses, you know, sometimes we take for granted just how great that love is.

49:19 You know, how easy it is is it for us to love somebody who hates, you know, who hates us, who's in opposition to us. And I think of the the story of Stephen in Acts. When he preached the gospel and they took up stones to stone him. And as they were stoning him, he says, Lord, do not charge them with this sin. Now what would what would I say to that person who's throwing a stone, who's crushing me just simply because I I preached a message of hope?

49:50 You know, would I respond with that kind of love? And I I would hope that I would. And I think God puts that type of love in Steven. Not that Steven was was some great. He's a great person of the faith but I think that same faith is in each one of us but just thank God.

50:07 God had created us. God had made us, shaped us, and knows us by name and knows all the intimate things about each one of us. Even though when we were in dead in our sins, we were in opposition, disobedience to him. He loved us and he gave his life for us. This reminds me of a friend I had in college.

50:29 She became a Christian and we were at Bible college together, but she said, Todd, I I hated God. I was so bitter at God and she said that one time, she remembers not not not too long after this, she she became a Christian, but she said she shook shook her hands, put her fist up in the air and just yelled, I hate you, God, you know, and just this visceral type response to God. And God loves those people. Even the people that are just outwardly and rebellion to him say that they hate him. He loves him anyways.

51:04 And he loves us because we were just as dead as anybody. And he loves us that much. I what I really like about this part of the passage is that it talks about ages to come. And in in verse seven, that in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. You know, this talks about he seats us in heavenly places and then in the ages to come, he is going to he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, kindness toward us.

51:40 What is gonna happen in heaven? How cool is that gonna be? Sometimes I think, well, church and walking the Christian life and once I die and go to heaven, you know, it's gonna be everything's gonna be new and and there will be a lot of new, but this this implies that there's going to be something that that and and heaven, there's gonna be acknowledgement of the church and and of what Christ has done and saved. And, you know, the Bible even talks about the angels look interestingly at what's going on with redemption and salvation, and they are curious about it. And just to think that in heaven, there's gonna be more about the church and about what Christ has done in the ages to in in the ages to come.

52:30 And and and with this, you know, with our salvation, we're saved in three different ways. We are glorified and and we are first, we are positionally saved from the penalty of sin. Romans eight one says, therefore, there's no, now, no more condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. So at the moment of salvation, the penalty of sin is gone. We are presently ongoing.

52:57 We're saved, being saved from the continual sin. And in the future, looking forward to the future, we'll be ultimately saved and glorified from the presence of sin. And that is all because of what God Christ has done. So point number two, God unwarranted mercy and grace. And the last point, God has a plan for our lives and we see that in verse 10.

53:22 And I'll read verse 10 again. For we are as workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. So so this is where we get back to where is God making bad people good? Yes, he is actually. But good works comes after a person realizes their need for a savior, realizes that they can do nothing and become a Christian, become born again.

53:49 Then then we realize that God has a plan for our lives. That our lives have have eternal can have eternal consequences and and repercussions. What we do after we become Christians is is vitally important and that he has good works that he has prepared beforehand and that we should walk in them. So, what is what is God's plan? What are these good works?

54:14 When I when I became a Christian, you know, it was such a it was so cool how God worked in my life. And I don't I don't say this because I think everybody's life should replicate. I mean, we're all different, you know, and I hope my kids get saved at an early age, you know, as early as possible, you know? But God God saved me out of that culture, and he gave me a change that was pretty drastic. You know, I remember smoking a cigarette and just looking at it and having a distaste for it.

54:46 This was like a day after I made the decision to trust him and and so I quit, you know, and then I started going to church not because I felt like I had to. It's just like I wanted to. I wanted to go and be with with people that believe the same thing. I started reading a Bible that my cousin gave me and I started talking to other people about my hope that I had and and just tell them about the gospel. I stopped going to the parties and you know, I'd still obviously see my friends and and wanna wanna be with them and hang out but it was just different.

55:14 I didn't. I I started hanging out with Christians and I burned all my drug paraphernalia and all my my music and all the things that would draw me back and you know, so I say that as an example and I don't think it's not trying to brag or anything like that. I'm just saying that God worked in my life and he changed me and the good works that he started in me is just came from a new heart that he put in me. Bible talks about that. You'll sing a new song and and I truly did.

55:43 I just the old life was had had no use for me anymore. And I know it's it's gonna be different for each person. Each person lives and walks a different life. But what's interesting is that even before, even if your life never looked like that, we were still dead in our trespasses and sins. We still had an unmerited favor, grace, and mercy bestowed on us, and we were all in rebellion towards God.

56:11 So I know as far as what the good works and the plan for God's life for each one of us is going be different. Know, spouse, no spouse, kids, no kids, 10 kids, one kid, whatever. You know, it's you know, those things are all very specific to a person but what is God's plan? Has he showed us anything that we should be doing? Should he has he detailed any any of these good works that we should be doing and I believe he has.

56:40 I believe that the word of God is full of God's directives and of a plan that he has for us. And it's kinda it's nice to know that it's not subjective and arbitrary and we're just trying to feel our way through and try to please God. But he has given us certain things in the Bible and there's there's many. There I'm only gonna mention a few. But as we read the scripture, as we're daily, you know, regularly just looking to him, then we can be constantly reminded of things.

57:10 We're looking in the mirror, we're being we're being stimulated spiritually by what we see in his word and his his leading. So some of these things, God has given us directive to to love him, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. He's also said to go therefore and make disciples of all nations. Baptizing them in the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to observe all the things that I've commanded you and then he promises this that he'll be with us always. He says, to be holy as he is holy.

57:48 Forgive as you have been forgiven. Walk in the spirit and not walk in the flesh. Says things like husband, love, husbands, love your wives like Christ loved the church. So, he's given us a plan. He he's told us what he wants us to do.

58:02 We can work. We can walk in those good works. He's predestined those. He's he's prepared a life for us, and he's there with us. And so are we are we as workmanship?

58:13 Are we walking in those good works? What is preventing us from doing that? You know, I think I think we need to take stock sometimes and say, am I obeying God's directives? Am I am I seeking to spread the gospel to those around me? Am I loving my wife?

58:34 Just like Christ loved the church? What am I doing? What is preventing me from obeying and doing these things that God has called us to do? And and I think that once because the Holy Spirit one of the main things the Holy Spirit, the Bible teaches is the Holy Spirit has come to convict us of sin. And so the Holy Spirit is there to show us where we're getting off.

58:58 And he and he is eager. God is eager to forgive. He's full of mercy and full of grace. And I think there's a life that we can live that is pleasing to him, and we'll see many great things that he does through us. So in conclusion, I acknowledge that I spent large portion of the time on the passage of sin and judgment.

59:22 But I think these two doctrines are very important for us to realize just how great God's mercy is. Just how great God and how loving a god we have. Once we see our depravity, then we see just how much we can save from and this is illustrated in Luke. Believe it's in chapter seven where Jesus is talking with the Pharisee and a sinful woman and the woman came in and kisses Jesus's feet, anoints his head with oil, and washes his feet with ointment And the Pharisee looks on and ridicules her. And because she's a sinner and because she's not a religious person like he was.

1:00:05 However, because she was a sinner and knew it, and she was thankful for her salvation. She loved much. Jesus indicated that because she knew of her deep sinfulness she loved deeply. And I think we need to have the same vision of our own sinfulness. How depraved are we now?

1:00:24 That same sinful nature lives in us. We were once dead in our trespasses and sin. Once we realize just how great sinner we truly are, then we can love deeply. You know? If we don't see our sin, if we are like the Pharisee and say, I'm a pretty good person.

1:00:39 You know? Or, you know, like, I grew up. I got saved when I was five. I I wasn't really that bad. I I wasn't like Todd and, you know, off the deep end.

1:00:47 So, you know, no. You have to realize that you lived your life even at four or five years old according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, and you were a child of wrath, and that your sin was just as dark as as anybody's. Once you realize that and realize the salvation that we have and the grace and mercy, then from there, we will we will just realize how thankful we are and and live a life that is pleasing to God. So I'll just go ahead and wrap that up, and I appreciate your attentiveness. And, Florine, if you'll come up, Bob, and close us out with a song and while you guys are doing that, I'll just go ahead and pray.

1:01:30 Lord God, thank you. Thank you for your mercy and your love and thank you for your spirit. Lord, that convicts us of our sin and shows us where we're getting off track And help us, Lord, if we've been in disobedience to you, if we're living a life that is more conforming to the world than conforming to your will. Pray that you would show us that, God, and and we know that you're gracious and you're ready to forgive. We thank you for that.

1:01:59 Lord, just give us a great day. May we go on and live out the life and the good deeds that you've prepared for this. Amen. Wonderful.

1:02:12 Speaker 2Let's give him a hand. Yes. I'm standing. Will you please stand, and let's worship God with this beautiful song? Thank you.

1:02:26 Thank you again. I'm not trying to I'm not here to please people, but I wanna say again, thank you so much for the good sermon. I told you that I hope you are not helping at the nursery because I would like for you to listen to sermon. So I'm always here at the 09:00 service, and then I'm going home to pick up the family for the 11:00. And we discuss the the the sermon and what whatever happens at the 09:00 every time.

1:02:50 That's this is what and I told her, I said, you gotta hear this. And then on the way to church, I I told my beautiful wife, we need to study Satan. We need to we need to know our enemy because, oh, he he's at work, but praise God we know Jesus. Amen? Amen.

1:03:11 I think I'm gonna sing this song like never before. Oh, my. Yes. Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus.

1:06:04 Amen. Praise God. May God bless you. Have a great Sunday, and let's keep going with the Holy Spirit in our life. Amen?

1:06:10 Have a beautiful

1:06:11 Speaker 1day.

1:06:12 Speaker 2God bless you.

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College Faith Dead In Sin Good Works Grace And Mercy Spiritual Warfare Worldview

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