Alive in Christ
Ephesians 2:1-10
Introduction-
This morning, I want you to know that the Lord has been doing some amazing things! And He is not done yet! Amen!
I believe if we had more praise on our lips, we would see more of what God intended the believers of God to experience.
If we came with a heart of expectation- come on now!
Illustration-
I listened to a sermon of a sixteen year old boy on fire for God. He shared that at 4 years old He was in Germany and fell out of a window four stories high. He says that the doctors got to him before his parents because the building was next to a giant hospital. A few days later that boy was going home with no internal damage done to him. He was getting into the car and says to his mom, I want to tell you what happen. He is four years old. The mom says the doctors don’t want you to talk about it because you could have a flashback and it could cause you to hemorrhage and they don’t want that. No mom, that won’t happen. I need to tell you what happen- the mom was reluctant but told him to tell her. He says Mom, I fell from up there but I never hit the ground. As I was falling, a man with a really big hand caught me. He said to me, do you want to go home with your parents? I said yes. He said wait right here. Mom, you told me to not talk to strangers, so I asked him his name and He said His name is Jesus! He says that was twelve years ago and I still want to call Oprah up on her cell phone and say that it was not all of these other false gods, but it was Jesus!
I am a big sports fan! But I have to tell you, sometimes I get sick and tired of talking sports, sometimes when we get together, I want to talk about Jesus! At times, I don’t care who’s playing! I need to feed my soul with some good God moments like this that energizes my soul! You are quick to tell me what energizes you and what is your priority, but sometimes, I want to get a word in about my Jesus!
Prayer-
Father, today, is a day to talk about Jesus! We have come into this sanctuary to talk about Jesus, to sing about Jesus, and to be changed by Jesus. And if we seek you, we believe we will have an encounter with Jesus.
Ephesians 2:1-10 Read from Bible
Paul is writing to the church a word of encouragement- He is speaking to the church a word of instruction. He is warning the church.
As for you (church) you were dead in transgressions and sins, when you followed the way of the world.
THAT SHOULD NOT BE YOU ANYMORE!
All of us once lived in cravings of our sinful nature
THAT SHOULD NOT BE YOU ANYMORE!
He is telling the church of Christ that since salvation, there should be a change in heart and allegiance.
He is saying that we should have a new life in Christ.
Those of us who understand the death, burial, resurrection of Christ- the turning point in history, we should celebrate the life changing power of Christ.
If the raising of Christ from death to sit in the heavenly realms was the supreme demonstration of God’s surpassing power, then the raising of believers from spiritual death to sit with Christ in heavenly realms is the supreme demonstration of God’s surpassing grace. (Repeat)
The church universal needs to understand holiness- We try to live godly lives and we have one foot in the door of the world.
The church instead of watering down the ways of God ought to embrace it and live out our faith.
(4)- “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved.”
I am preaching holiness 101 to you this morning-
2:1-2
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”
There are three things that will move you away from God (Write down)
Worldliness
Satan
Flesh
The world is not defined as the planet… one preacher describes it as “a system or way of life which was developed on this earth apart from God. A system with its own rules, its own values, its own beliefs, a pervasive way of thinking that builds a life insulated from God, constantly distracting your attention away from God.”
Satan defined as the great fallen angel thrown out of heaven for trying to be God. Satan who wanted to overthrow all that God holds true and who one day will pay for all the hell he has put God’s people through.
A hater of God and a hater of God’s people-
I do not see the devil behind every door, but I do see him trying to destroy the relationship between God and man.
The devil will cause us to fight each other instead of us realizing that we have an enemy of our soul and it is not our neighbor.
Either directly or indirectly, he has influenced our lives.
The same Satan who roams and roars like a lion- who will one day bow down and acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord- the one who is a defeated foe.
Flesh-
(3)- “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.”
We all laughed last week as I joked about a man saying he was doing good and not sinning but soon he would get out of bed and need God’s help so that he does not sin throughout the day.
As soon as our feet hit the floor we are tempted by numerous things that take us away from God and we struggle to get back what was taken.
The world desires to pull us away from God- in fact, they are okay with almost anything people do, but a person in a right relationship with God living a godly life.
Satan weather directly or indirectly has influenced the people we deal with everyday from government down to the supervisor that rides you like he/she hates you.
The flesh- that sin nature in each of us from the fall that is selfish, rude, and only cares about what is good for us.
That built in attitude of rebellion that wants to tell God that they know better than God.
Paul records these words of warning to us as believers, that this should not be the way that we live as believers in Christ and changed by the power of the Holy Spirit..
As for you… you were dead in your transgressions and sin.
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of the flesh and following its desires and thoughts.
(4) BUT BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT LOVE FOR US, GOD, WHO IS RICHIN MERCY, MADE US ALIVE WITH CHRIT EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEADIN TRANSGRESSIONS-IT IS BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED.
It is impossible to live a Christian life without the Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus said; “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
It is like trying to put out Cheryl’s she-shed fire with a squirt gun.
The most urgent need a believer has is to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
There is no person so talented, so resourceful, so educated, that he/she can minister without the filling of the Holy Spirit of God.
Flesh (Carnality) is the heart that continues to pursue the pleasures of the world rather than the thing of God.
Your flesh and spiritual maturity are battling each other within you.
The power of the Holy Spirit working in your life will give you power over pressures and temptations that take you away from God and draw you closer to God.
“Heart purity’, “Entire sanctification’, “Baptism in the Holy Spirit”, “Filled with the Spirit”. Different denominations each calling submission to God a different thing but it is a surrendering of your heart and life to Christ and allowing Him to change your life forever.
It is more of Jesus and less of you.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
You shall receive power, and you will be my witnesses in Middletown, Highspire, Harrisburg, and some of you will go to the ends of the earth as I call you.
The most desperate need of the church universal today is to be filled with His Spirit and doing the things God calls all believers too! Amen!
We need to see a mighty move of God on his people and see the church become the church.
Dead to sin and alive in Christ!
“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of Go, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”
Can you be set free from sinning against God? Yes you can! God makes it clear that you can be set free from sin now, not tomorrow, not waiting until you get to heaven! He came to set the captive free.
The first step to finding His freedom is to realize in yourself… you are sinner! You were born a sinner, you don’t need practice, you have had plenty of practice. You were a slave to sin, but as a believer in Christ, you can be set free.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. “ 2 Cor. 5:21
You are a different person. A holy person. In our natural condition, we are sinners. But as a born again believer, who seeks out the Holy Spirit, we are to be over comers.
We are not afraid of the road less traveled by the world because we know that God will empower us and guide us.
Have you ever cried out to God? Asking Him to please…please help you. God put that desire in you- if He can put that desire in you, than He can release you from sin and make you holy and Christ-like.
“Be holy, because I am holy” that verse in Lev. 11:44 scared me to death. It should scare you too- because in ourselves we cannot be holy.
We cannot be Christ-like without Christ.
We cannot be empowered by the Holy Spirit unless we are filled with the Holy Spirit.
We cannot do it, but God can! Amen. By opening up your heart to the cleansing power of God, you can be set free this morning!
We all have wilderness experiences- some of you may be there right now. But what are you going to learn from them?
In the wilderness, what are you going to learn and what are you going to do with it?
Israelites- (Exodus 16) (Numbers 11) while in the wilderness, they were gossipers, complainers, they criticized everything and everybody as they fought God every step of the way. They did not learn their lesson and suffered 40 years wandering around in a circle because no one asked God for directions.
That whole generation of whiners could not see the promised land of God.
Jesus was in the wilderness because God the Father had a task for Him. He came out of the wilderness empowered and filled with the Holy Spirit of God and accomplished all God the Father wanted of Him.
We have to sometimes be in the wilderness, but are we going to learn anything from it and will we turn it for God’s glory while we are in there. Jesus was empowered for a purpose.
Let me work toward closing-
Ephesians 2:6-10 Read from Bible
More of Jesus, less of us- that is holiness.
We are saved by grace- what Christ did for us- we cannot boast or brag of our pedigree.
It is a gift of God- salvation is a gift of God to be accepted.
Empowerment of the Holy Spirit working in your life is a gift of God given to believers that will seek him out and want more of Him and less of themselves.
The church needs some Holy Spirit filled leaders
Our families need some Holy Spirit filled parents.
Our workplace needs some Holy Spirit filled bosses.
Not by works, so that no one can boast!
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
How many this morning would say God I would like to be your handiwork.
Absence in trust of the Lord, the battle becomes your battle instead of the lord’s battle
Lets talk about Grace-
Lets talk about what you have been saved from and what you are saved for-
Good works are an action of your faith, not saved by your works-
We are saved by faith in Christ- there should be a change in our lives and we should be making an impact on others.
Closing-
