LENT
4
March
10-12, 2018
Pastor
Timothy J. Spaude
Text:
Ephesians 2:1-10
AMAZING GRACE!
1. The Reason
We’re Saved.
2. The Reason
We Serve.
Ephesians 2:1-10
(NIV 1984) “As for you, you
were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to
live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom
of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All
of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful
nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature
objects of wrath. 4But because of His great love for us, God, who is
rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in
transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised
us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ
Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages He might show the
incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ
Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and
this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9not by works, so
that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
So how many times do you think you
have sung or heard that hymn we just sang, Amazing Grace? A hundred, a
thousand? Depends on your age. It’s been around a long time. Its simplicity and
catchy or haunting in a good way tune is hard to forget. It’s difficult to
avoid an emotional reaction when your hear the bagpipes playing Amazing Grace
at the funeral of a police officer or fireman. Amazing Grace, a great hymn. My
question for you today is “Are you?” Amazed at God’s grace that is. In the
Bible we hear a common reaction to a great thing God has done, a miracle or a
teaching of Jesus as this, “And the people were amazed.” Are we? Are we amazed
at God’s grace? Today as we dig into a word of God that highlights God’s
Amazing Grace we do so with the prayer that the Holy Spirit would build up or
restore if necessary our appreciation for God’s Amazing Grace.
Amazing grace is first of all the
reason we are saved. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch
like me.” Do you consider yourself a
wretch? One online dictionary uses this definition: “a base, despicable, or
vile person.” Do you own that description? I’m reminded of one of the corporate
confessions of sins we used when I was younger. Some of you will recognize it. “O
almighty God, merciful Father, I, a poor miserable sinner confess all my sins
and iniquities with which I have ever offended Thee and justly deserve Thy
temporal and eternal punishment.” Do you consider yourself a poor miserable
sinner, a wretch that has offended God? Those are powerful words. And they
describe me to a T. You too.
God put it this way. “As for you, you were dead in your
transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you
followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the
spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us
also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature
and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature
objects of wrath.” God uses powerful
words here. Dead. Helpless. Unable to do anything for ourselves spiritually.
Dead in another way. Dead to God like when you say someone is dead to you. We’ve
offended him. By nature, objects of wrath. We’ve all seen the pictures of our
military with the laser sights on the target, the house, the tank, the truck
and then boom. God’s laser sight is on us, targeted for wrath, anger over sin.
And just in case we are smirking instead of squirming who would you say has a
greater degree of culpability, guilt? Someone who breaks a law they didn’t know
about, out of ignorance, or someone who breaks a law they know very well. Of all
the people on this planet most of us in this building know far better than most
what they ways of the world are and that Devil is behind it. We know that the
cravings or our sinful natures are wrong. And yet I’m guessing we would
consider a drug addicted prostitute who has never known Jesus Christ to be a
worse sinner than we are. Do you think she would be amazed to know that Jesus
wanted her in heaven so much He died for her?
And yet even though we have greater
guilt than a drug addicted prostitute who has never known Christ we are saved.
God says so! “But because of His great
love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ
even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 8For
it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God—9not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Did you hear that? It’s grace, all grace. Note the adjectives. Because of God’s
great love. Rich in mercy. That’s why. We were dead. Needed faith
is not our decision, not our work. It’s a gift from God, a grace. Something
given to someone who has not earned it and does not deserve it. That’s not how
we act. Think of what you would do with someone in your life who made promises
but broke them often, who repeatedly did the opposite of what was right even
though they expected others to do right, who hurt you, mistreated you, offended
you, daily? And instead of letting us remain objects of his wrath, pushing us
out of His life as we deserve, God saves us. That’s amazing. That’s how great
His Grace is.
Grace goes on. “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the
heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages
He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness
to us in Christ Jesus.” Did you hear what it moved God to do? He raised, (past
tense, done deal), us and seated us with Jesus to share in heavenly riches.
Picture it this way. At the heavenly banquet that has joy beyond all measure
there is a seat reserved with your name on it. Some day you will take your
place. What do you do now? Some of you may remember me talking about my farmer
friends, the Eberts, that I worked for growing up. Dairy farmers, hard daily
work. I remember times when they had to go to an event for their grown daughter
who lived in town. But first we have to do the chores. They understood that as
dairy farmers before the fun there was a responsibility and purpose.
That’s us too. No we are not dairy
farmers but before we get the glory and joy of a heaven we don’t deserve as
ones saved by grace we have responsibility and purpose. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good
works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” That little word “for”
connects what God is about to say to what he just said. Because grace is the
reason we are saved, it’s also the reason we serve. Have received the gift of
faith, having been made alive with Christ, until we take the place that Christ reserved
for us have responsibility and purpose. Grace is the gas in our tank. It’s the
reason we want to do what we are created to do, good works. We’ll get to them
in a minute but before we do savor the fact that you are God’s workmanship,
think handiwork or hand crafted. God in grace has made each one of us just like
he wants and knows is best. He has given to each one of us the right gifts and
abilities and circumstances for what He has planned for us.
What has he planned? Good works prepared
in advance. God knows, shapes and directs our lives. He does that daily for
each one of us. Good works are things God says are good. They are done out of
love for Him appreciation of grace. They serve God and help others. Don’t think
about big things like ending world hunger or establishing world peace. Think of
things Jesus pointed to as great. Giving a cup of cold water to a fellow
believer who was thirsty. Taking care of those who can’t care for themselves,
like babies or aged parents, like the widow’s mite. What will it be today,
tomorrow? A hug for mom when she’s said? Inviting a classmate to play at
recess? A kind word to a down co-worker? These and more each according to the
way God hand crafted you, all prepared in advance, just waiting for you. “Do or
do not, there is no try,” someone once said. Grace leads us to do.
God’s grace is amazing. It’s the reason
He saves us. Nothing we do helps or contributes. It’s the reason we serve, our
motivation. Grace is unearned. There are two things people tend to do with what
they have not earned. They will either consider them worthless or an
entitlement or they will cherish them as a precious gift. What’s your plan for
God’s amazing grace? Amen.
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