From Dead Meat To A Heartbeat

From Dead Meat to a Heartbeat

Text: Ephesians 2:1-10

OPEN WITH THANKS AND PRAYER

Well good morning to you all. It’s so good to be gathered with the Church on this Lord’s Day. I’m so thankful that we all have chosen to be obedient to God’s Word and not forsaken the assembling of ourselves together – especially because we see the Day of the Lord approaching.

Let’s go ahead and open up our Bible’s to Ephesians chapter two. We’re going to be looking at familiar passage, one that probably many of you could quote by memory, and we’re going to read through it, and spread it out like puzzle pieces from a box, and hopefully by the end of the sermon we’ll have a fully assembled puzzle that displays a beautiful picture of God’s glory, and His amazing grace – Amen!

(READ Ephesians 2:1-10)

Now Paul is writing to the Christians in Ephesus here, and in chapter one he’s talked to them about the spiritual blessings that they now have in Christ Jesus – he tells them in chapter one that God has blessed them with every spiritual blessing in Christ – so you’ve got to be in Christ to get these blessings… and the way that happens is that… (Ephesians 1:4) God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world so that we would be holy and blameless before Him… Then he tells us that it was “In Love” that God predestined us for the adoption as sons – TO HIMSELF – THROUGH JESUS – In accordance with HIS will. It’s not of him who runs or of him who wills, but of God who has mercy upon whomever HE wills. Paul tells us that it’s by being in Christ that we have redemption – that we’ve been bought back – bought away from our previous master – which is sin… we’ve been redeemed, and the price for that redemption was the blood of Jesus, which also washes away our sin and makes it so that we can be forgiven and in right standing with God the Father. Paul goes on and says (Vs. 11), BECAUSE we’ve been predestined according to the purpose of HIM (that’s God) who works ALL THINGS according to the counsel of HIS will – we NOW have obtained an inheritance… and we’ve been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit – who GUARANTEES our inheritance.

That’s how Paul starts this letter to the Ephesians out… by talking about all that God has done. By talking about how amazing and awesome God really is… and then he says… (in Ephesians 1:15)… “Because of all those things – for this reason… I have heard of your faith.” In other words, “Because of all that God has done, and all of these spiritual blessings that God has bestowed upon you in Christ – I am hearing good things about ya’ll – I’m hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward the saints. And I give thanks to God for you.”

Paul goes on says that he is praying for them. Specifically that God would give them the Spirit of wisdom, and revelation knowledge of Himself… He prays that God would open up their understanding so that they would know more fully what the hope of their calling was, and what God’s riches are towards the saints… that they would come to know just exactly what this inheritance is that God gives to Christians – to those who have believed. And then; in verses 19 and 20 Paul says, “I want you to know the immeasurable greatness of God’s power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places…”

So all of that is our context. All of that is what leads to our text this morning… Paul just said, “I want you to know the power of God, the goodness of God, the great might that God worked when He raised Jesus from the dead, and goodness, and grace of God.”

He wants them to know that… so he tells them (and us) in Ephesians 2:1-10.

This is the immeasurable greatness of God’s power – His great might that He worked in Christ – when He raised Him from the dead.

Jesus was dead! He died on the cross! He was buried in a tomb.

Now look at Ephesians 2:1, “And YOU were dead in trespasses and sins…”

Jesus was dead, because of our sin – and you and I were dead because of our sin.

It says, “And you were DEAD” not sick, not in a hard place, not just far from God – D-E-A-D! DEAD!