Text: Eph. 2:2-10
Theme: I See Dead Men Walking
Ephes. 2:1-10 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; [2] Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: [3] Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. [4] But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, [5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) [6] And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: [7] That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. [8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Today I want to begin a new series that I want to title “Is The Church Necessary?” Today when the term church is mentioned there is often varied responses. There are some who are almost embarrased to be associated with the church. There are people who will not share that they are Christians because of the redicule and often embsrrasing labels that come along with being a christian.
I have three primary purposes with this series:
1. I want to prove that the Church is the most important organisation in the earth today.
2. I want to give those of you who are Christians some added encouragement that you don’t have to be embarrassed but proud that you are a part of the Church.
3. For those of you who are more recent visitors to our fellowship, it will give you an inside look at the function of the universal church, how this local fellowship is expected to fit the big picture, and how you and I fit in this local fellowship.
Working backwards I want to make five points wihch will basically form the structure for all five messages in the series.
1. God has saved you and me for a specific purpose.
2. God expects for me to both find and fulfill that purpose in the context of a local church.
3. Though I am a part of a local fellowship, God has a purpose that is universal in it’s reach.
4. All the efforts of the church must point to the person of Jesus Christ.
5. As we point to Christ with our speech and our conduct prople without Christ will be drawn to Him.
John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
I need to start at the beginning. The apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians discribes the condition of humanity without Christ.
I. WHAT WE ONCE WERE
A. Dead in sin
Ephes. 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
1 In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. CEV.
"To be dead in trespasses and sins does not mean unconsciousness or non-existence." In the Scriptural view, sin equals death; and there is no light or casual view of either in the Bible.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death;
B. Influenced by Satan
2 You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn’t obey God.CEV.
1. Followed the ways of the world
2. Obeyed the Devil
3. He rules the world
C. Controlled by lust
Ephes. 2:3a Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind;
Galatians 5:19-21 But when you follow your own wrong inclinations, your lives will produce these evil results: impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, [20] idolatry, spiritism (that is, encouraging the activity of demons), hatred and fighting, jealousy and anger, constant effort to get the best for yourself, complaints and criticisms, the feeling that everyone else is wrong except those in your own little group--and there will be wrong doctrine, [21] envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties, and all that sort of thing. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Romans 1:26-30 That is why God let go of them and let them do all these evil things, so that even their women turned against God’s natural plan for them and indulged in sex sin with each other. [27] And the men, instead of having normal sex relationships with women, burned with lust for each other, men doing shameful things with other men and, as a result, getting paid within their own souls with the penalty they so richly deserved. [28] So it was that when they gave God up and would not even acknowledge him, God gave them up to doing everything their evil minds could think of. [29] Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness and sin, of greed and hate, envy, murder, fighting, lying, bitterness, and gossip.
[30] They were backbiters, haters of God, insolent, proud, braggarts, always thinking of new ways of sinning and continually being disobedient to their parents.
(If Loving You Is Wrong) I DON’T WANT TO BE RIGHT Luther Ingram
If loving you is wrong I don’t wanna be right If being right means being without you I’d rather live a wrong doing life Your mama and daddy say it’s a shame It’s a downright disgrace Long as I got you by my side I don’t care what your people say
Your friends tell you there’s no future in loving a married man If I can’t see you when I want to I’ll see you when I can If loving you is wrong I don’t wanna be right If loving you is wrong I don’t wanna be right
Am I wrong to fall so deeply in love with you knowing I got a wife and two little children depending on me too And am I wrong to hunger for the gentleness of your touch knowing I got three people at home who need me just as much And are you wrong to give your love to a married man And am I wrong trying to hold on to the best thing I ever had If loving you is wrong I don’t wanna be right If loving you is wrong I don’t wanna be right
Are you wrong to give your love to a married man And am I wrong trying to hold on to the best thing I ever had If loving you is wrong I don’t wanna be right If loving you is wrong I don’t wanna be right I don’t wanna be right if it means sleeping alone at night I don’t wanna be right if it means coming home at night I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna I don’t wanna never, never, never be right
D. Under God’s wrath.
Ephes. 2:3 ...and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Not only did we follow and obey the Devil V2, we became objects of God’s wrath.
Every person without Jesus Christ is a dead man walking.
E. Separated from Christ
Ephes. 2:12 At that time you did not know about Christ. You were foreigners to the people of Israel, and you had no part in the promises that God had made to them.
F. Without hope v12b
You were living in this world without hope and without God CEV
Dead in sin
Influenced by Satan
Controlled by lust
Under God’s wrath.
Separated from Christ
Without hope
Not a very flattering picture of the human condition outside of Christ.
The question this series asks is, “Is the Church necessary?” The Church through the teaching of the scriptures tell me that without Christ I am:
Dead v1
Disobedient v2
Depraved v3a
Doomed v3b
The message from the world is “IF it feels good it can’t be wrong”
So many nights, I sit by my window
Waiting for someone to sing me his song
So many dreams I kept deep inside me
Alone in the dark, now you’ve come along
And you light up my life
You give me hope to carry on
You light up my days
And fill my nights with song
Rolling at sea, adrift on the water
Could it finally be, I’m turning for home
Finally a chance to say, hey, I love you
Oh never again to be alone
And you, light up my life
You give me hope to carry on...
You light up my days
And fill my nights with song
It can’t be wrong when it feels so right
Cause, you light up my life Performed by: ~ Debby Boone ~
Illus: Once a spider built a beautiful web in an old house. He kept it clean and shiny so that flies would patronize it. The minute he got a "customer" he would clean up on him so the other flies would not get suspicious.
Then one day this fairly intelligent fly came buzzing by the clean spider web. Old man spider called out, "Come in and sit." But the fairly intelligent fly said, "No, sir. I don’t see other flies in your house, and I am not going in alone!"
But presently he saw on the floor below a large crowd of flies dancing around on a piece of brown paper. He was delighted! He was not afraid if lots of flies were doing it. So he came in for a landing.
Just before he landed, a bee zoomed by, saying, "Don’t land there, stupid! That’s flypaper!" But the fairly intelligent fly shouted back, "Don’t be silly. Those flies are dancing. There’s a big crowd there. Everybody’s doing it. That many flies can’t be wrong!" Well, you know what happened. He died on the spot.
Some of us want to be with the crowd so badly that we end up in a mess. What does it profit a fly (or a person) if he escapes the web only to end up on the glue? -- The Log, Published by the Navigators..
Dead in sin
Influenced by Satan
Controlled by lust
Under God’s wrath.
Separated from Christ
Without hope
II. WHAT WE NOW ARE
A. We are Loved
Ephes. 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
God makes the difference
B. We are lLberated
Ephes. 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Ephes. 2:5 that even though we were spiritually dead and doomed by our sins, he gave us back our lives again when he raised Christ from the dead--only by his undeserved favor have we ever been saved—TLB
C. We are Lifted
Ephes. 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
This series seeks to ask and answer the question “Is the church necessary?” As love as there are dead men walking there is need for the church.
LOVE LIFTED ME
hymn by James Rowe
tune by Howard E. Smith
1. I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,
But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.
CHORUS:
Love lifted me!
Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help
Love lifted me!
Love lifted me!
Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help
Love lifted me!
2. All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling
In His bless?d presence live, ever His praises sing,
Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul’s best songs,
Faithful, loving service too, to Him belongs.
3. Souls in danger look above, Jesus completely saves,
He will lift you by His love, out of the angry waves.
He’s the Master of the sea, billows His will obey,
He your Savior wants to be, be saved today.
What I was without the Church
Dead in sin
Influenced by Satan
Controlled by lust
Under God’s wrath.
Separated from Christ
Without hope
What I am because of the Church
Loved
Liberated
Lifted.
