Past Life, God's Provisions, God's Plan

Notes from Dave Dunn’s sermon 7/17/05
Ephesians 2:1-10 & 19-22

Ephesians was written during a time of great testing and adversity in Paul’s life. A time of trouble…Paul was imprisoned in Rome.

We have 20/20 hindsight where we can see God was in control. God has a purpose and a plan with Paul’s imprisonment. God used this time in Paul’s life for him to write what would become books in the New Testament. Can you imagine the New Testament without Paul’s writings?

Past Life – Dead, Disobedient, & Doomed

You were dead in your transgressions and sins. Looking back at Genesis 3…prior to the fall Adam and Eve had fellowship with God. When Adam and Eve sinned they ran and hide from God.

Two types of death. Spiritual death…separation from God. Physical death…occurred 900 years later tempered by God’s mercy. We were born dead…spiritually dead…separated from God and had no desire to seek or know Him.

When Adam sinned he lost his right and ability to rule the world. Satan slithered in and took control…until the time when God will put an end to him.

What rules in today’s world?

• Humanism places man above God…above all and over all. This world system in which we live is of Satan, not God. From 1 John…we were children of the devil. Satan is the ruler of this world.
• Materialism…everyone is trying to get the most they can get.
• Spirit of Rebellion. Sexual perversion…illicit sex. Remember…water seeks its own level…as does sin.
  

Provision – Richness, Regeneration & Redemption

Eph 2:4 – BUT GOD! What is the driving force behind God’s love, mercy, grace and kindness? The driving force is God’s focus and attention on man. He chose to bless us with His grace.

We are made alive in Christ, by grace you have been saved, raised up and seated with Christ. 2 Cor 5:17…a new creation.

God in His great love…came down from heaven…seeking us out. Eph 2:6 – “Has” seated us with Christ…it’s already done. There is already a seat in heaven waiting for us.

Eph 2:8-9 - 8 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast." God’s entire message and plan are incorporated in these verses. It’s simple…but we try to complicate it and figure out a way.

God’s
Riches
At
Christ’s
Expense

Even the faith to believe is a gift given to us by God. Salvation…redemption…is given to us by God. We don’t have to pay or try to pay for a gift.

The Church…God’s Plan, the Body & Ambassadors

God brings us together as a church…to be part of a family and ambassadors.

We are brought together to do God’s work that God prepared in advance for us to do. There is a mission and a purpose for each of us. Each of us is gifted to be part of the body of Christ. He intertwines each of us together. Need each other to be accountable as a congregation. How are we to be people of the Cross…and not just one who is cross?

God brings us together as a group of people through the cement of His love and His Son. We are to work on his plan…and for great good. God wants each one of us to be part of the body of Christ. We need to just stay out of the way…and not mess it up. Keep our focus on the big plan.

Being God’s people…we are all God’s ambassadors. Ambassadors of the cross. He has gifted us and called us to serve. God has chosen to do his work, reach the world, through His people.

We are a building of believers…joined together with Christ. Predetermined plan in our life. God has gifted each of us to serve in an area…one in which we are invaluable.

Paul battled all the way to the end of his life. He held back nothing; He took it to the end. Our lesson from heaven. Like a comet, streaking across the sky into the heavens.

Can this be said about you? Is Christ first place in your life?

We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. As we are built up individually, we are able to share with the world.