From The Grave To Glory Series

"FROM THE GRAVE TO GLORY"

TEXT: EPHESIANS CHAPTER TWO

INTRODUCTION

TODAY WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE OUR STUDY OF THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS; A BOOK THAT THE APOSTLE PAUL WROTE FROM A ROMAN PRISON CELL TO A CHURCH THAT HE HAD ESTABLISHED OVER 10 YEARS EARLIER. A GROUP OF CHRISTIAN MEN AND WOMEN WHO HE DEARLY LOVED.

LAST WEEK WE STUDIED CHAPTER 1 -- AND THE MESSAGE WAS THAT "IN CHRIST" WE ARE RICH. HOWEVER, WE CONCLUDED THAT WE WILL NOT FIND THESE RICHES IN OUR BANK ACCOUNT OR CHECK BOOK, BECAUSE THESE RICHES "IN CHRIST" ARE LOCATED IN THE HEAVENLIES. YES, THE BULK AND THE GREATEST OF OUR BLESSINGS "IN CHRIST" ARE SPIRITUAL NOT PHYSICAL -- ETERNAL NOT TEMPORARY.

WE TALKED ABOUT SEVEN OF THE BLESSINGS THAT ARE OURS "IN CHRIST":

WE ARE CHOSEN;

WE ARE HOLY AND BLAMELESS IN GOD’S SIGHT;

WE ARE ADOPTED AS HIS CHILDREN;

WE HAVE THE REDEMPTION FROM AND THE FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS;

WE HAVE HAD THE RICHES OF GOD’S GRACE LAVISHED UPON US;

WE ARE "IN THE KNOW" ABOUT LIFE’S MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AND WE HAVE BEEN SIGNED, SEALED, AND DELIVERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT -- WHO IS A DEPOSIT GUARANTEEING OUR ETERNAL FUTURE...

BUT NOT ONLY DID PAUL TEACH US THAT WE ARE RICH "IN CHRIST" -- HE ALSO DECLARED THAT FAR TOO MANY CHRISTIANS DON’T REALIZE JUST HOW RICH THEY ARE...

AND THEY THEREFORE LIVE LIKE SPIRITUAL PAUPERS, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE SURROUNDED BY GREAT WEALTH...

AFTER STUDYING THAT POWERFUL CHAPTER FORM THE PEN OF PAUL LAST WEEK, DID YOU FEEL RICH? WERE YOU ABLE TO BEGIN TO SEE MORE CLEARLY THOSE SPIRITUAL RICHES?

AND WE CONCLUDED LAST WEEK BY SAYING THAT IF WE "REALLY" WANT TO KNOW THE HOPE TO WHICH WE HAVE BEEN CALLED (A HOPE THAT KEEPS US GOING DESPITE LIFE’S OFTEN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES); IF WE RALLY WANT TO KNOW THE GREAT INHERITANCE WE HAVE IN CHRIST AND THE INCOMPARABLY GREAT POWER AVAILABLE TO US WHO BELIEVE.....

THEN WE NEED TO TAKE 2 ACTION STEPS; WE NEED TO CLOSE OUR EYES TO THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD -- OPENING THEM TO THE THINGS OF GOD >>> AND THEN WE NEED TO GET TO KNOW GOD BETTER THROUGH REGULAR AND CONSISTENT TIME WITH HIM...

IF YOU DIDN’T "REALLY" FEEL RICH LAST WEEK; IF THOSE SPIRITUAL RICHES WERE TO GRASP AND GET A HOLD OF; DID YOU TAKE THOSE ACTIONS STEPS?

WHY NOT? (DO YOU LIKE LIVING IN SPIRITUAL POVERTY?)

IN A NUTSHELL THAT IS WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST WEEK.

TODAY, WE ARE GOING TO STUDY THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THIS GREAT LETTER. AND WE WILL SEE THAT PAUL CONTINUES TO POINT OUT THE "AWESOME" BENEFITS OF BEING A CHRISTIAN. AND IN THIS CHAPTER WE UNCOVER A DOUBLE BARRELLED BLESSING THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO THOSE "IN CHRIST"

EPH 2:1-10

WE HAVE ALL SEEN ON TELEVISION, IN MAGAZINES AND IN MEWSPAPERS THOSE ADDS EITHER FOR DIET PLANS, HAIR IMPLANTS, OR EXERCISE EQUIPMENT, ADDS THAT PROMOTE A PRODUCT WITH BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES OF PEOPLE.. MANY TIMES THE PICTURES ARE QUITE GRAPHIC AND THE CHANGES ASTOUNDING... AND THE GOAL OF THE ADVERTISERS IS TO CONVINCE YOU TO BY THEIR PRODUCT BY IMPLYING THAT IT MAY BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU THE SAME GREAT RESULTS...

WELL, PAUL IN CHAPTER 2 OF EPHESIANS IS PROMOTING THE GREAT BENEFITS OF BEING IN CHRIST AND HE PAINTS FOR US 2 GRAPHIC BEFORE AND AFTER SNAPSHOTS OF THOSE WHO ARE "IN CHRIST." AND I BELIEVE THAT THINK BY THE TIME WE ARE DONE WITH OUR STUDY YOU WILL AGREE THAT THE CHANGES AND RESULTS BROUGHT ABOUT BY BEING "IN CHRIST" ARE QUITE ASTOUNDING...

I. BEFORE; DEAD IN SIN

AFTER; ALIVE IN CHRIST"

A. THE BEFORE PICTURE

PAUL IN THE EARLY VERSES OF CHAPTER 2 GIVES US A FULL LENGTH (HEAD to TOE) SNAPSHOT OF THE TERRIBLE CONDITIONS OF THE UNSAVED PERSON... OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT "IN CHRIST." AND IT IS NOT A PRETTY PICTURE;

THE UNSAVED PERSON IS:

1. DEAD (VS 1)

NOW OBVIOUSLY THIS MEANS SPIRITUALLY DEAD; THE UNSAVED ARE UNABLE AND UNWILLING TO UNDERSTAND OR APPRECIATE THE THINGS OF GOD.. JUST AS A PERSON PHYSICALLY DEAD DOES NOT RESPOND TO PHYSICAL STIMULI, SO A PERSON WHO IS SPIRITUALLY DEAD DOES NOT RESPOND TO SPIRITUAL STIMULI; TO THE THINGS OF GOD THINGS.

A CORPSE DOES NOT HEAR THE CONVERSATION GOING ON IN THE FUNERAL PARLOR, HE HAS NO APPETITE FOR FOOD OR DRINK, HE FEELS NO PAIN; SEES NO SIGHTS >> HE IS DEAD. AND IN LIKE MANNER, ONE WHO IS SPIRITUALLY DEAD HAS NO APPETITE, USE OR FEELINGS FOR THE THINGS OF GOD....

BUT UNLIKE A PERSON WHO IS PHYSICALLY DEAD, A PERSON WHO IS DEAD IN THEIR SINS CAN STILL WALK AROUND AMONG US. BUT HE IS CUT OFF FROM GOD JUST AS MUCH AS A MAN IN THE GRAVE IS CUT OFF FROM US...