GVCC sermon Ephesians 2:1-7

Garden Valley Community Church
Pastor Shane Moffitt             June 3^rd 2012
“Who am I before God?” series
Study of the Book of Ephesians 2:1-7
~ FROM DEATH TO LIFE ~

Paul uses CONTRASTS to encourage our appreciation for what we received from Jesus Christ at salvation

2:1-3 The Deepest Valley of the Soul

verse 1: WITHOUT LIFE                       

·        “dead” separated from God     Romans 6:23
·        “trespasses” deliberately taking wrong steps
·        “sin” to miss the mark of God’s standard
·        “Gospel” means “good news” BUT the “Gospel” begins with “bad news”

verse 2:  WITHOUT FREEDOM

·        verse 2: “ways of this world”  (Galatians 1:4) captive to the value system of the “world”  
·        verse 2: “the ruler of the kingdom” Satan  (John 12:31; Matthew 9:34; 2 Corinthians 4:4) controls the spiritually dead

verse 3: WITHOUT HOPE

·        verse 3: “flesh” is our natural sinful nature                 
·        verse 3b: “we were by nature deserving of wrath” ~ (Romans 5:12-14; John 3:36)              sinners are deserving of God’s wrath

2:4-7 The Heights of Life  (Romans 5:20-21)

verse 4: GOD LOVES YOU

·        verse 4: “but God” God’s intervention  into your hopeless, sinful condition
·        verse 4: “mercy” the emotion aroused by seeing someone in need & the attempt to relieve the person & remove his trouble

     verse 5: GOD LIBERATED YOU
·        verse 5: “made us alive” is to “raise from the dead” ~ salvation gives spiritual life   (1:19-20 & Philippians 3:20)

verse 6: GOD LIFTED YOU

·        verse 6: “God raised us up” ~ Believers experience a resurrection and receive life
·        “heavenly realms” refers to the supernatural Kingdom where God rules (6:12)
·        In God’s Kingdom is where our blessings are & we have fellowship with our Lord & Savior

Verse 7:  WHY GOD DID IT   

·        verse 7: “in order that” He did it so that He could display US as trophies of his grace
·        BECAUSE for all eternity ~ God is DISPLAYING the riches of HIS GRACE
·        FASTINATING read Ephesians 3:10-11
·        verse 7b: “incomparable wealth” ~ limitless
·        GRACE: God’s undeserved unending kindness
·        READ Revelation 7:9-12
"For we are God's masterpiece. 
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,
so we can do the good things
He planned for us long ago"
Ephesians 2:10 NLT

Whitney Houston passed away

Have you ever noticed the odd contradition that takes place when a controversial celebrity passes away? First the media explores all the unsavory possibilies that surrounded the passing. And second, in an effort to appear humanitarian, they whitewash the unsavory possibilities and focus their spotlights on the sucesses they experienced.

My sense of right and wrong spun wildly as the TV talking heads would repeatedly state their "weasel clause" (we have not confirmed this information and we do not anyone to be confused as to whether or not it is confirmed and factual). Then they would go on in their conjecture and unsavory possibilities.

So much in our world is changing on a daily basis, Twitter and FaceBook is considered a "news source". I just observed the TV news talking heads reading twitter posts. REALLY? Don't they have reporters, like Clark Kent? Sorry, I digress.

What has caught my attention is the immediate assumptions mentioned by the TV news talking-heads. I am not saying they are wrong in their assumptions (drug & alcohol abuse) but at what point do they infringe on the honor & dignity of the deceased and the grieving family?

My point? How should Christians respond to the death of celebrities?

First, do a heart-check.

I feel great sympathy for celebrities. I have friends that I rely on to be honest with me. They give me honest counsel, even when it is uncomfortable. Can you imagine having hundreds of people surround you, every moment of every day, and none of them care enough about you to tell you honestly give you a heads up when decisions are going south? Michael Jackson comes to mind.

Second, calibrate your perspective in light of God's Word.

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone" Colossians 4:6

"Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity" 1 Timothy 4:2

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer" Psalm 19:14

Third, pray for their families and friends.

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." 1 Timothy 2:1-2

"And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words" Romans 8:26

My spiritual point for you to ponder is:
"Safety does not rest in our distance from the danger, but in our nearness to God"

Those that are far from God and lost in the jungle of this worlds confusion, needs to experience the presence of God. And to that end, we must pray.

A Healthy Perspective

I just spent 2 hours with the most amazing family.

We spent 2 hours organizing and writing the funeral service for their loved one that passed away. Tomorrow we will participate in a "Celebration of life" for him. A community gathering together to support each other in their moment of grief.

This remarkable family pulled together, shared tears and laughter, as they honored the memory of their loved one, Mic Jensen.

Mic loved life. He never met a stranger. It never crossed his mind to refuse help to someone in need. The overview of Mic's life is staggering as I realize his passion for life and his devotion to his family and friends.

Mic's life is well described in George Strait's song "The Breath You Take":

The Breath You Take

He looks up from second base
And Dad’s up in the stands
He saw the hit, the run, the slide
There ain’t no bigger fan
In the parking lot, after the game
He said Dad I thought you had a plane to catch
He smiled and said, yeah son, I did

But life’s not the breath you take
The breathing in and out
That gets you through the day
Ain’t what it’s all about
You just might miss the point
Trying to win the race
Life’s not the breaths you take
But the moments that take your breath away

Fast-forward fifteen years
And a thousand miles away
Boy’s built a life, he’s got a wife
And a baby due today
He hears a voice saying I made it, son
Says I told you Dad, you didn’t have to come
He smiles and says, yeah, I know you did

But life’s not the breath you take
The breathing in and out
That gets you through the day
Ain’t what it’s all about
You just might miss the point
Trying to win the race
Life’s not the breaths you take
But the moments that take your breath away

Just like it took my breath when she was born
Just like it took my breath away
When Dad took his last that morn

Life’s not the breath you take
The breathing in and out
That gets you through the day
Ain’t what it’s all about
You just might miss the point
If you don’t slow down the pace
Life’s not the breaths you take
But the moments that take your breath away

My spiritual thought for today is, "God uses the affects of age to prepare us to let go of the binds that hold us to this old world and prepare us mentally and emotionally to let go".

If we were in perfect health and vibrant - we would never never want to leave the nest.
However, God disrupts our lives with graying hair, failing eyesight, bad backs, and many other ailments that plague us as we get older. Each of these ailments is a gentle reminder that our good Lord is preparing a home for us and our time here is limited.

"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints."
Psalm 116:15

This is only possible because the good Lord is calling His child home - away from pain and suffering - to a home where there is no disease, pain or tears.

I prefer to view this whole process from God's point of view.

The Inevitable Process

Tomorrow I am spending the day with a lifelong friend that is preparing to pass away. He worked hard his whole life, paid his bills and tried to treat his family and friends the way he wanted to be treated. I will forever remember him sitting in his road grader with a big grin on his face and his cap askew. His hands were gnarled with carpal tunnel, the result of decades of operating old road graders. His was a life well lived.

His wife is one of the most gentle kind people I have ever met in my life. She has asked me to walk with her through this heart rendering process. It is an honor to serve as a shoulder to lean on and a voice for prayer and hope.

I call it a process because it is 1/2 business, 1/2 spiritual, and 1/2 emotional. If you doubt that it costs you more than 100%, then you haven't walked through the valley of the shadow of death, as David calls it in Psalm 23. When the whole process is over and you are sitting alone in the dark, you feel depleted, drained, empty.

So I am going to do two things in this blog. First, offer a few practical thoughts that you need to give some thought to. Second, give you a few verses from Scripture that sheds light on encouragement and eternal hope.

#1. Contact a funeral director that you trust and ask for a meeting to make "pre arrangements". There are a number of issues that need to be wrote down and filed away. For instance, do you prefer cremation or burial? If you prefer cremation, the funeral director has paperwork for you to sign. Also, if you would like to pay for your service in advance and not leave that burden to your family, the funeral director will direct you to reputable businesses (like Purple Cross) that handle these affairs. Your meeting with the funeral director will take about an hour.

#2. Take care of your will. I have observed the devastation resulting from someone passing away without a will. This is already an emotionally charged time and your will can add guidance and peace.

#3. Talk to a pastor about the funeral service. If you have favorite songs or a favorite poem or a favorite vacation story or a favorite childhood memory or a favorite memory from your military service, pass it along to the pastor for a personal touch at your service. Your shared memories is what moves a service from a routine funeral to a celebration of life.

Second, God's Word has verses that remove the sting of grieving and provides comfort, peace and perspective. I personally do not think there is any more comforting passage than Psalm 23. It never gets old, can never be worn out, and always offers comfort.

On a different note, I listed many verses from Scripture that are commonly used for funeral / memorial services. F.Y.I. a funeral is where the deceased is present in a casket and a memorial service is where the deceased is not present.

Psalm 116:15
Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his faithful servants.

John 14:1-4
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.

2 Timothy 4:6-8
the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Revelation 21:4
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

Romans 8:37-38
we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 14:8
For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

2 Corinthians 5:6-8
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Psalm 48:14
For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.

Psalm 91:1-2
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust."

Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear

Isaiah 41:10, 13
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. . . . For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

2 Corinthians 15:8
we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Gritty

This afternoon I received word that a "customer" from my previous profession (Corrections Officer) passed away. He was incarcerated most of the time I worked in the jail (20 years). To his credit, he was not a violent criminal and for the most part, he was relatively easy work with.

My career as a Corrections Officer conditioned me to be calloused about such things but after walking close to God for a few years, I find myself "torn".

In all fairness, my old "customer" was my enemy by definition only. There was no animosity between us, but we played for different teams. And we both felt very strongly about our chosen professions, thus we were enemies by default.

My mind always flashes back over my many thousands of hours I had contact with my "customer". Not once did I ever introduce him to the Gospel. Not once did I ever speak
to him about where he was going to spend eternity. Not once did I ever suggest to him that God had a plan for his life. Not once did I let him know that God loved him.

These are things that weigh heavy on my heart. I suppose there are two options. (a) acknowledge that it is to late for me to do anything different and forget it, (b) confess my failure to share my faith and ask God to use this experience as a catalyst that launches me into faithful service.

Have you ever received word that an old enemy of yours was down on his luck -- and felt pleased?

"Don't rejoice when your enemies fall; don't be happy when they stumble" Proverbs 24:17

What exactly is a God pleasing attitude when your enemy has fallen on hard times?

Or a better question is, "Does God care what your attitude is toward your enemy?

I will toss out about 4 thoughts for you to consider:

#1. Jesus Is Our Example On How To Treat People
God brings people into your life that need to experience Christian love
There is very little more Christlike that you can do than -- FORGIVE
The person you view as your enemy -- Jesus loved that person enough to die for
The person you view as your enemy -- was created in the image of God

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
Luke 13:34

#2. There Is Always Enough Blame To Go Around
Your enemy may be going through a personal crisis
Your enemy may be simply be having a bad day

"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
John 8:7

#3. Determine What Part You Played In The Problem

You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye!
Matthew 7:5

#4. Immediately Pray For Your Enemy
"But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,"
Matthew 5:44

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you"
Luke 6:27-28; Romans 12:14

This does not mean to pray that lightening strikes and gives them a new part in their hair.

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good"
Romans 12:17-21

Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?
Abraham Lincoln

A Christian Friend Is Close To Heaven Tonight

I just received word that a wonderful Christian lady (about my age), who has been ill for a long time, is getting ready to pass away very soon. She is surrounded by her loving family. They are gathering together to express their love and appreciation for her strength, faith and love. I just want to briefly encourage you to remember them in your prayers. Many of you won't know her but as a member of Gods family, she is "our" sister in Christ. So I leave you with a brief Scripture full of Gods hope and promise.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints"  Psalm 116:15
A Christian facing death forces us to reflect on a aspect of death which is rarely considered.  It is the perspective of our Heavenly Father on the death of one of His dearly loved children. Often we contemplate death, like most other things, from our side. Psalm 116 tells us that from the viewpoint of Heaven the death of a saint is neither horrible or tragic but instead is, "precious." This raises the question, Why is the death of His people precious in the sight of the Lord? 
(a) Gods children are precious to Him
(b) death ends suffering and sorrow
"Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him" (Psalm 103:13). So also are we told that our great High Priest is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" (Hebrews 4:15)
(c) death opens the door for God to demonstrate His love for His children 
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed, for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isaiah 41:10)
(d) at death, God gathers His child to Himself 
 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:3). Precious then is the death of the saints in His sight, because absent from the body we are "present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8).

THOUGHT:  It is interesting to trace the meaning of the Hebrew word translated "precious." It is literally, "excellent." "How excellent is Thy loving kindness, O God!" (Psalm 36:7). However a Christian lives, the death of a saint is always excellent in the sight of the Lord.  It is a homecoming of a dearly loved child. 



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