Ephesians 2:4-9

So talking about being able to witness to people and stuff like that. The book of Ephesians, we've we've had a couple of sessions with it now. It's going to start out in the beginning the first half of the book your identity.

Who are you who are you in Christ because that's really what your identity how your identity is really defined. And then we're going to go in chapters four and beyond eventually we'll get there. This then is how you should walk.

So having established your identity that how does that translate into everyday life? In the middle of this first three chapters is this is this chapter two. Which if you have the ability to read it to study it to meditate on it is.

Is a powerful chapter for talking to somebody about having true faith. Last week Jeff. What was the title of your message last week. The worst news possible. That wasn't that exciting to come to a Bible study?

The worst news possible. This week the title. I was going to write it in Greek, but I wrote the English version of it Ode to Theos. Jack what's Ode to Theos mean? That's our Bible school. But got some of the most amazing words.

The Worst News Possible and the Need for Oda Theos

What we're going to do today is I'm going to Recapture the big picture if you would and then read. Just re-summarize because you have to understand the worst news possible. And then when Ode to Theos happens it has.

It almost has to get your attention, so that's what we're going to do today. We're going to recapture and we're going to look at Ode to Theos and then what Ode to Theos has to say.

Dear God we thank you that you did interpose in our desperate Condition. Lord when we were dead in our trespasses and sins you made us alive together with Christ by grace. We haven't saved and we want to give you all the praise and thanks and glory for it.

And this morning Lord We pray that we could delight in this news the best news possible. Lord You are the God that saves sinners. We praise you for it. We ask that you would open our eyes and give us delight and joy in these things and that you would receive glory This morning in Jesus name Amen.

If I were to ask you to give me your emotional response to the phrase the sovereignty of God What would come to your mind?

Amen.

That's a great answer. I'm very thankful. Yes, absolutely. Yeah. Peace of people's understanding. Mm-hmm. Yeah, why do you say that? That's a great answer. Why do you say that. Because I can know.

In every circumstance I give thanks. This is God's will for me in Christ Jesus. So whether cancer hair loss now. With cancer and loss of money loss of it. I know my God is sovereign. He controls everything.

In our culture as our culture is falling apart God has it all together like he knows it does so that gives me that piece of.

You know that from before the foundation of the world. This this is something that Even though I've studied it and I understand it It's still totally blows my mind even before the foundation of the world.

It was God's sovereign plan that his son was going to die on the cross because I am a sinner. Wrapping your head around that is so so amazing. Placing God in his proper place in all aspects of the life.

God’s Sovereign Plan Before the Foundation of the World

Give me just that first half of verse 1.

Psalm 127 1 unless the Lord builds the house those who build it labor in vain.

We know that God is calling us and blessing us and he seems to be leading us in a certain way right now. We're looking at 23 Phillips Road. That's going to be a big focus on Sunday. We know that God is allowing us to come together in in Bible study and doing things.

I don't care what aspect you say if unless it's unless the Lord builds the house They labor in vain who build it. And then give me the last phrase in verse 2.

I was presumptuous. That's okay.

You know the song I'm talking about. 127 at the end of verse. Okay eating the bread of anxious toil at the very end of the verse. 2 first.

He gives to his beloved sleep.

For.

He gives to his beloved sleep.

You can have the stress of bad news. You can have the anxiety of Things falling apart. You can have the ridicule of somebody. For whatever reason you can have attacks against you because of your faith and because our God is sovereign.

All of this stuff is just there. He is the one is the one who gives sleep. I want to do a Panoramic view of the sovereignty of God where it comes to salvation. So I'm going to hand out some verses if you can look at it.

We're going to read them. We'll talk about them very briefly. But that leads us into this part out of Ephesians 2. So Frank if you would please get Isaiah 14 verse 4 rich. Genesis 3 -5. I'm going to just talk to Romans 3 23.

Romans 5 12. Jack John good to see you. Get your Bible open to Ephesians 1 verses 3 to 5. Candy. 2nd Timothy 1 8 to 9. I sure hope I got these right. And Romans, I'll just talk to the others. No Rod get Romans 3 23 and 24.

See here's the thing God's eternal plan for man's salvation. God's eternal plan for man's salvation cannot be defeated. Now we we know that there was this scoundrel who was in a place of honor. Do you have Ephesians 14 there Frank?

Isaiah 14 of Isaiah 14 if you have Ephesians 14 you've got a bad Bible.

Isaiah 14 14.

That's what I'm looking for. Lucifer was one of the one of the highly exalted Angelic beings and.

His.

Heart went cold and He rebelled against God and he said I will make myself like the most high. And there's the entrance of Rebellion against God. Genesis 3 5. This was Satan now talking to Eve and then that lie is passed on to Adam.

God knows that you're not gonna die if you eat of this you will be like God. And there's the rebellion that comes down and it manifests to everybody. Romans 3 23 says we're all Of sin. Fall short of the glory of God in Romans 5 12.

And this is the predicament. Is that our our state As we come into this world is inheriting this nature. From our father Adam now. Jeff spent some really good time last week and I'm glad you did. Talking about the unborn baby and God's mercy on that.

We're not going to revisit that. But if you're really interested in look up last week's lesson because Jeff had some very very strong words at them. But I will say that for all of us who have reached that age of awareness and everything else We are all born in one common condition.

Send fall short. Ephesians 1 John.

Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly place. Even as he chose us in him for the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ.

According to the purpose of his will. And give me a second Timothy 1, please candy. Second Timothy 1 8 to 9.

Testimony about our Lord nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God. To save us he called us to a holy calling not because of our works But because of his own purpose and grace.

All of this was planned before the foundation of the world. Which is to say that although Satan stood right in front of the face of God and proclaimed I will make myself like the Most High God and even though he approached Eve and then eventually Adam gets the same message You can be like a God yourself.

God knowing all of this He still has this eternal plan that cannot be thwarted by Satan and that plan is for our salvation. You can look through the you can look through the narrative of Scripture and find those opportunities where Satan In an attempt to defeat that prophecy that says you will bruise my heel I will crush your head. He had to stop the oncoming of the Messiah and he does things like yeah.

Oh, you're just saying. Yes. I'm saying. Yeah.

Thinking my brain that. But now. The three things that we've told the first John and the lesser flesh lessee. I had prior life. It's in our sinful natures, I mean one of us and when myself I'm trying to control things.

I'm trying to take what God's doing and do it myself. And I reflect on what you said is really interesting. Absolutely.

Last night in our small group. We were talking about if you go into physics There's no such thing as darkness. Darkness is the absence of light. Light does exist. Darkness is just the absence of light.

If you go into thermal dynamics, there is no such thing as cold. There is such a thing as heat. Cold is the absence of heat. And if you go into fluids There's no such thing as a vacuum. There's pressure and the vacuum is the absence of pressure.

Evil is the absence of God. Satan said I'm taking God out of the equation. I'm gonna be my own God. That's that's that's where we are. We are built with a rebellion that takes God out of the equation.

And because of that what's left is our flesh and our evil. Now the good news starts. Amazingly. Well, give me Romans 3 23 and 24. We all know Romans 3 23 for all our sin and fall short of the glory of God.

But give me that whole passage for all our sin and fall short of glory of God.

Being justified as a gift by his grace through redemption.

Which is in Christ Jesus. Amen. Amen to that. See this is the plan. We're all sinners, but we got redeemed by God. They wrote in Ephesians 5 8, but God demonstrated his love towards us while we were yet sinners.

He was so happy that we came to him worthy of his. No, that's not what it says. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us. We are in Ephesians 2. Jeff last week spoke to us about the worst possible news.

Ephesians 2 1 2 3 Basically says because of sinful flesh. Which we all have. We are dead in spirit and we are actually incapable of even approaching God. We can't even respond to God. Our heart is so dead and Satan holds us in slavery.

John 8 34 says that Jesus Responded. He said everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. That's who we are. The Romans 6 19 decries the fact that we present our members as Slavery to impure. Do you realize the concept of presenting yourselves?

It isn't like you're trapped and helpless. Are by nature we willingly bring ourselves to the altar of impurity. That's how bad we are. And in facts 1st Corinthians 2 14, it says that the natural man Cannot even understand cannot even comprehend the things of God.

That's how dead we are. That's how dead we are. One of Sandy and and I one of our favorite shows Is is actually how it's it's it's like it's being taken place. Up in Alberta, Canada. It's a show called heartland.

And there's this young lady who has a gift for Working with horses that are difficult horses and She ends up with this horse. That had been a racehorse. But had been stolen and was used by off-track Racers illegal racing and they would race these horses one by one by one and until that horse ran.

But if it got injured they would just shoot it with methamphetamine speed so that it continued to run until it was no good anymore. And then they just abandoned it out in the wilderness. And so these horses are just they're just messed up totally messed up.

And so this young lady Amy finds this one horse by the name of Alcatraz can run. And she brings it home and this horse has no ability to respond to her at all. Whatever she tries whatever she loves she feeds it or whatever there is absolutely a barrier this horse cannot respond to her.

That's us. We are so broken. We are so damaged by the world. But we are so dead in sin that even if God were to send the gospel the Evangelion to you. Unless your heart is softened to hear it you cannot hear it because your heart is that dead now.

Oh to Thales. As we move on from those first three verses the worst possible news. It goes on with these three words. Oh Sales Jeff if you would give us a four through seven, please.

But God: Mercy, Love, and Salvation

Ephesians 2 4 to 7. But God being rich in mercy Because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses Made us alive together with Christ by grace. You have been saved and raised us up With him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Oh.

To Thales in the beginning of that passage. It's it interrupts what's going on because I've got something else of more importance to say you and it's owed to Thales but God we do now from scriptural history that Satan's Bent is in rebellion against God and that he is going to do everything he can To blind the eyes of the unbeliever so that he won't won't be able to respond.

But here's the message of Oda Thales, even though Satan is in rebellion against God. And even though he thinks that it's okay to relegate God to a position of irrelevance. Let me rephrase that again. Even though Satan thinks that it's okay to relegate God to a position of irrelevance.

In the world in your life and everything else. God is sovereign. That's that's the beautiful message of all things. I'm gonna ask a couple of readings. Hebrews 2 John are you you next to read or did you already read.

You already read? Okay, Barbara aka Julie aka.

Whatever.

Barbara you got Hebrews 2 14 and 15 and Job 42 to if you would get that Rick see in 1st Corinthians 1 16 and 17 it reminds us that Everything all things are created by him and not only are they created by them But all things are in his hand and under his control.

Isn't that amazing. He is the creator and he's not this God that created things spun it up in motion and Sent it off for you know. Whatever nature to take its course. No, God is God is involved in every every aspect.

Your favorite verse in this regard in Proverbs is.

1633 The lot is cast into the lap, but it's every decision is from the Lord. And the lot is the most random thing imaginable. Like casting of a lot is definitionally random but Proverbs 1633 says it's every decision is from the Lord if Satan has a.

Design. And he has an agenda and he is working that agenda. In fact, we are we know from Scripture He is the prince of the power of the air. Okay, we know that he has. He has reigned to do things on earth within the limits of God.

We know that from Job chapter 1 you can only go so far as what God allows him to cut to do. But he has his agenda. But but here's the thing whatever Satan is putting in place God still created and God is still the power.

In fact Hebrews 2 if you've got that 14 and 15.

Since the children have flesh and blood He too shared in their humanity so that by his death He might destroy him who holds the power of death That is the devil and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

What words of encouragement. Sick Christ by his obedience on the cross suffering the death shedding his blood rendered Satan.

Powerless.

There's nothing that he can do that can overcome all the fails. Job 42 to you got that.

Wow.

And that's one of those things you can just put on a card and have in the middle of a really really bad day. There's nothing that God plans. Nothing could be can be forwarded. Is that big and that good.

Give me all the verse. For again, please.

But God being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us.

You know, this is the unconditional love that love agape. That mercy aleo. These are so Immense and so huge that they and then they're lavished upon us. The truth of God's love means that I am loved. Unconditionally, I am loved even though I am unworthy.

That's exactly right and if you put that on top of verses 1 2 and 3 We're dead in trespasses and sins. We're slaves to sin. Doesn't say that there but we're slaves to sin. We're following after the prince of the power of the air.

We're doing everything that our flesh wants us to do. But God has a gap a love for us. And his mercy is totally. The quantities of his mercy cannot be measured.

Words that we would understand God has preferred. But God has performed spiritual CPR on us by conquering death through Jesus Christ. Oh my goodness.

Who was it last week? Somebody was talking about the paddles of life. No, who was it. Sitting back there last week talked about that was Bob Ball. Bob Ball. Yeah, so he was. He's an EMT and he's talking about 300 joules or whatever it was and.

And the individual is there at the heart's no beating and clear boom and the body jolts. But nobody has ever given the paddles of life after three days.

You know the answer to the question what can you do to incur Eternal life is we can't do anything. We have to realize that it's already been done for us. And we have to accept What God has done on our behalf.

Thank you, Jesus.

John I'm going to ask you to get Lamentations 3 it's on the list lamentations 3 22 and 23. And then Sandy I'm going to ask you to get Romans 9. We have to at least acknowledge Both sides of the coin on this but here's the thing God is merciful.

He is slow to anger abundant love and truth. That's in Psalm 86. That's our God, but God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us Lamentation do you have that yet John? Okay? I'll continue to talk.

First John 4 9 Puts this love into historical context because it says that God's love was manifested when he sent. I mean how much greater can that possibly be. There's there's one one little story that says Okay, I have an acquaintance his name was George and George is more or less an atheist not really Millington atheist, but he just doesn't get it and his son just happens to be Christian.

That's his name. And I said George here's the deal. Everybody in Mount Laurel is condemned to die. That's it. It's been it's been edicted. We're all guilty. We're all going to be condemned to die. But somebody comes up to you and says George if you let your son Christian take everybody's place.

The rest of the town will be spared and it breaks your heart, but you say okay Christian is put to death and then the guy comes he said really John. I kind of missed the boat. If only people had said they were sorry.

How foolish would that have been for George to let his son go to die? Well, that's what God did. Because there is no other way and he sent sent his son you got lamentations. Yes.

I.

Want you always when you wake up every morning and you're in the midst of the activity. Whatever it is that God's love his mercy never fails. First of all, it did not depend on who you are and how many Prayers you said how many times you gave to the mission field even how many times you went?

No, that's not it. It had it totally depends on his love. Sandy and I have an acquaintance who has Been we've known this individual for so for over 20 years and and by all external Evidences this person is a believer.

This person is active in church activities. This person has has done many many acts, but but the life. Excuse me, the life fruits not there. It's just not there. There seems to be. Is this heart right.

And that's when you go into Hebrews and you read these five woes. What are those foes talk about. I Forget what. It's the woes that if you do this, it is there may not be any other way for you to return.

Oh, it's not that you can't return. Is you were never there in the first place. God's love is so great that it gets us in the heart. It changes us and his mercies are there. Romans 9 14. You have that Sandy.

What shall we say then. Is there Unrighteousness with God. God forbid for he saved Moses. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion.

See this is God's sovereignty. And if you end up with a debate with somebody that it just why would he let this person go and that person not? Go, he's not a loving God. How can you how can you possibly?

Worship a God like that. He's my he's sovereign and he is righteous and he is just That he is going to have mercy. Who he's going to have mercy. Give me four and five again, please.

But God being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us. Even when we were dead in our trespasses made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved.

Here's here's the great transformation, this is this is the great transformation from death to life. Yes. Now where does the power source come. It comes from his love and from his mercy without the cleansing blood of Christ.

Without the grace of God that even opens up my heart to this message. But without the Holy Spirit that then lives within me I am nothing but hopelessly dead. If all of these are not present I am I am hopelessly dead.

But the amazing news is even when we were dead in our trespasses and sins, we are made alive together with Christ.

How can I get just touched on this amazing verse. Verse 7 where he says. So that in ages to come.

We're going to talk about that because there is there's a big message in that verse so hold on to that thought. First Peter 1 18 and 19 and says that I'm not redeemed by perishable things but by the blood of Christ.

I'm not redeemed by going to church and performing actions and rituals. I'm not performed by being better than my neighbor. Not saved by works.

Yes.

I'm sorry. You don't have the second page. I do. Then I will be very clear the verses that I want. Hebrews 10 if we could get Hebrews 10, please. Frank if you can get Hebrews 10 verses 19 to 22 ready, I'd appreciate that.

We are redeemed by the blood of Christ. See. I'm hopelessly dead yet because of Christ. As many as received him to them became the right to become children of God. That's that's life. That's that's life.

That is blessed by God. That is life that experiences. Experiences who God is. And for 2nd Corinthians 5 17 puts it this way. I'm a new creation. The oldest passed away. Now the reality of it all is we have to be honest is that it was God's choice To allow us to stay in this world.

And we'll get into that into the next paragraph but as His children we are given this gift that allows us to continually Be in his presence. First John calls it the light. Okay, here's the light. Light of the world that's like as we walk in his light.

The things that are displeasing to God are shown so that we can do what? Confess. We can be restored into fellowship by the way. That passage in first John talks about walking in the light and that we would have fellowship.

One with another. The context of that passage is not having fellowship one with another. The context of that passage is having fellowship.

One.

That's really fellowship. Is that is it? That's what that's what we get. Do you have Hebrews 10? 19 through 22 If you place that reality on top of the bad news of Ephesians 2 1 2 and 3 Where all is dead and all is bleak and there is no hope and you add it into that that I'm cleansed by the blood.

And then I can actually draw near. Now I I have this imagination that has Satan who has what a third of the angelic being believed him and And rejected God and were cast down To earth and they're busy.

They're busy. They know me. They know you they don't know all things. But they they'll try and try and try till they find something that works and they will remember that and they'll use that to continually Use that and so he uses that against me and a couple of nights ago Satan one of his little buddies got a hold of me really good and.

I.

Responded very inappropriately with anger against this beautiful woman over here. And I believe I firmly believe that at that moment of that time Satan who hears all this information. Now, I'm putting a whole lot of stuff in between the lines, right?

He's got a great channel of communication and this one guy gets up say this is that I got one for you. John did and there's Satan standing in front of the throne of God and saying John is not worthy. God, what are you bothering with him for?

Do you know what he just did how he just treated his wife? Hello. But there's Jesus. There's Jesus. I know. And I died for that sin, too. I got that one.

You know, it's amazing that devil comes and accuses you. I mean he tempts you. Fail and then he accuses you. Yeah.

That's absolutely right.

Our.

Reality is that we are cleansed. His mercy is so great that even though we were dead we are now alive. And here's the next good part. Give me verse six.

And.

Raised us up with him and.

Seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ. Jesus. See. I think that there is a future reality that we have. Okay? Okay, we are adopted. We are children of God, but I got news for you. We are still living here on the earth.

Okay.

My citizenship is in heaven. I have a future hope but I really think I'm sealed By the Holy Spirit. Sealed forever. His child. And so I I take I take future hope in the fact that I'm being raised up seated with him in the heavenly places.

But I don't have to wait for that blessing. I'm his child now. I'm his child now. I was dead. I was a slave to sin. But God oh they fails and his love and his mercy and I am raised up. I embrace it. My my whole being is raised up into pure fellowship with God that one with another.

I can be very jealous of Adam and Eve who got to walk in the cool of the day with God in the garden until they fell. But I have no reason to be jealous. Because I've been raised up in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

I have had this Odae Theos experience where what I was in those first three verses is completely replaced. Though I was dead I made alive in Christ and I'm raised up in heavenly places in Christ through Jesus.

Jesus prayed to his father in his priestly prayer in John 17. Don't take them out of the world. But keep them. Keep them in the world I have. I have this God who is always there that even though I might be tempted in every which way I have a way of escape that I Can escape it through?

Him I always have.

Raised up and seated with us with him. The tense of raised and seated Indicates that these are immediate and direct results of salvation. Not only is the believers dead to sin and alive to righteousness through Christ's resurrection But he also uses Lord's Exaltation and shares in his preeminent glory.

Absolutely. This is who we are today. I have no reason to be jealous of Adam and Eve. Because the only reason I don't get to walk with Christ today is because I choose to walk in darkness. Which I don't have to.

But we all do but I don't have to. Always got him Rick. I'm gonna ask if you would get Galatians 320. Or is that 220? I think it's 220. I think it's Galatians 222. 220. Yeah, and Jack I want to get Philippians 320.

Pretty sure that is three. Yeah Galatians 220. Yes.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. Life, I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the Son of God.

Love me and gave himself for me. Oh my goodness. Oh, did they. Oh, hey man. Oh, did they use that moment of salvation changes? Changes everything and I don't have to live alone anymore. I got God. And he's making it right and you have 320.

I want you to also have this hope within you that there is a coming Reality that far exceeds anything that we can possibly experience here. Matthew 5 8 says for the blessing of the pure in heart for they will see God.