Ephesians 2:8-10

First, I want to offer a thank you, particularly to, well, especially to Pastor Greg, Pastor Nick, and Pastor Matt.

I say that not only because I want to say that, but also because I understand the privilege.

I understand the seriousness of the opportunity to stand before you.

I want to thank you and present what I believe the Lord put on my heart for this text for you.

And I really appreciate it.

I want to say thank you to those three, first of all.

Secondly, I want to also briefly tell you, say thank you to two people who are not here, but they're very much the reason why I'm here now.

Those are my parents, Dexter and Vena Park.

They've both gone on to be with the Lord, but they both had a passion for both the Lord and a passion for his word.

And he was also a bivocational pastor.

And through the, my friends used to call it 24-hour church.

They somehow were able to convey and pass this faith on to me.

So this is the reason why I'm here.

And part of the reason why I'm here, those two are part of the reason why I'm here.

Not only just because of my parents, but because of just their influence in the faith.

Let us pray.

Father in heaven, Lord, we thank you for your faithfulness.

We thank you for your grace, your power, your love.

Father, I pray that you would speak through me today, Lord.

Send your Holy Spirit to just illuminate your word, illuminate everything I have to say.

I pray, Lord God, now that the word of my mouth and the meditation of my heart will be acceptable in your sight.

O rock of my redeemer, in Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

So, are we cool?

We're good?

I'm not talking too loud.

Okay.

So today we're looking at Ephesians 2, verses 8-10.

Ephesians 2:8–10

And let me read.

For by grace you have been saved through faith.

And this is not your own doing.

It is a gift of God.

Not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

In verse 10 it says,

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,

which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

About a month ago, I had the opportunity to see,

more like experience the brilliance of Savion Glover.

For those of us who don't know who Savion Glover is,

Savion is considered to be, by most, as Willie Huff,

the artistic director of the Duke Ellington Jazz Series at Yale School of Music,

aptly declared, the world's greatest living tap dancer.

Mr. Glover, who is also a choreographer,

performed with his jazz quartet called The Others with a Z at the end

at Sprague Memorial Hall on Yale's campus.

Not only dancing as Huff declared that he would do,

as David of the Bible did with all his might,

but he also conducted his quartet as he was dancing.

And his performance literally turned Sprague Memorial Hall upside down

with emotion, applause, and sheer beauty.

One of the most compelling things about his performance

were the moments where Savion appeared to be squarely in another world.

He especially noticed this when he was just,

he just closed his eyes at times,

facing the audience and dancing effortlessly,

with a smile from ear to ear,

his whole being engaged and relaxed.

He seemed as if he was experiencing a moment of joy,

somehow transported by the experience he was creating for us

into a world where we were no longer present

or available to provide him the energy to perform

or the validation that he may have needed,

assuming he needed any validation from us at all.

And it was a moment that read to me as transcendent

or surpassing the ordinary.

And in this transcendent moment,

he seemed truly alive.

And I could not help but think about the combination

of something transcendent and alive

that was operating out of a gift given to Savion

that I and others were encountering that night

that was making me feel so blessed and inspired

like much of the audience was feeling, I'm sure.

Here in the second chapter of Ephesians,

it tells us that we've been made alive in Christ.

But before that, we were dead in our trespasses and sins,

which he writes in verse one.

And then in verse five, he writes again,

this again about being dead.

And then he writes that we were made alive together with Christ.

Then he writes that by grace you have been saved.

And then he says again here in verse eight.

And this is where we pick up.

By grace.

For by grace you have been saved.

There's three things in this passage of Ephesians 2,

eight through 10,

I want to look at briefly tonight.

First thing is,

I want to look at some elements of the character of God's grace.

Some elements of the character of God's grace.

The second thing I would like to look at is the undeserved gift that God's grace gives.

The undeserved gift that God's grace gives.

And finally,

I want to look at the responsibility of being God's masterpiece.

The responsibility of being God's masterpiece.

First,

let's look at some of the elements of the character of God's grace.

Grace is the unmerited favor of God.

We heard deacon Jonathan,

Elder Jonathan say that last week.

The unmerited favor of God.

It comes from the Greek word charis,

which means a generous gift or charitable act in the most technical sense.

In verses six and seven,

we are told that God saves us so that he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace

and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

The word grace here is most likely speaking to a theological dimension of his meaning

that refers to God's free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Yet what is interesting is that when Ephesians declared that God saves us

so that he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

It's almost as if he,

if the,

this,

this kindness implicit within or part of this generous or charitable act,

charitable act of God,

within our author's mind is,

is not descriptive enough to express what God's grace is or has done for us.

So this grace of God seems to hold the distinction of being a generosity demonstrated by God in Christ

that is beyond kindness.

That should be expected,

you know,

in a generous or charitable act.

This kind of kindness should be expected.

It's almost as if the author was sitting there asking himself when writing this epistle,

you know,

how can I describe a type of generosity that is more than kind,

than,

than,

than kind,

uh,

the kind that you find in generosity itself?

Or how can I describe a generosity so kind that it's indescribable?

So God's grace is not only generous act.

It's not only a generous act.

But it is an indescribably kind,

indescribably kind,

stumbling over those words,

indescribably kind,

in this generosity.

So God's grace contains a generosity that is,

that is indescribably kind.

Next,

God's grace is full of wealth.

In verse seven,

we are told the riches of God's grace are immeasurable.

Now try not to think of money,

although God's shows favor in all areas of our lives,

including finances.

But think of the things money can't buy,

like favor,

healing,

restoration,

protection,

peace,

wisdom,

discernment,

power to overcome in trials,

divine directional guidance,

power to overcome sinful habits,

or just power to overcome ourselves,

power to overcome our past,

present,

and future,

a grace that is the same yesterday,

today,

and forever.

The immeasurable riches of God's grace.

So grace is rich.

A final thought on grace is,

not only is it a grace that is indescribably kind,

and rich,

but God's grace is also costly.

God's grace is also costly.

Meaning that it didn't come cheap.

In writing about grace,

German pastor and theologian,

Dietrich Bonhoeff,

a great book actually,

declared that true,

the book is called,

Cost of Discipleship,

declared that true grace,

which comes from God,

is costly.

He writes,

costly grace is a treasure,

is the treasure hidden in the field.

For the sake of it,

a man will gladly go and sell all that he has.

It is a pearl of great price to buy,

which the merchant will sell all his goods.

He goes on to say that it is costly,

because it costs a man his life.

And it is grace,

because it gives a man the only true life.

In other words,

it is in this true life,

where a man is made alive.

And this is accomplished,

as Ephesians points out,

verse eight,

through faith.

Before I talk about faith,

and just the undeserved gift of grace,

there's one more thing I want to say about grace,

and it's funny,

I didn't think about it this morning,

until I heard Pastor Nick preach,

and I ran into this quote,

and I said,

man,

I have to say this quote,

by the same lady he quoted this morning.

The grace of God is ultimately a mystery,

that we can never fully understand.

It's ultimately a mystery,

and the quote comes from author Anne Lamott.

She sums it up when she writes,

I do not understand the mystery of grace,

only that it meets us where we are,

but doesn't leave us where it found us.

So ultimately,

God's grace is beyond our comprehension,

but it does something to us.

And here I want to talk about one of those,

one of the things it does,

and here I want to talk about the undeserved gift

that God's grace gives.

The gift is salvation through Jesus Christ,

but it is accessed by or through faith.

The writer in the book of Hebrews,

in chapter 11 of verse one,

gives a definition of faith where he writes,

now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,

the conviction of things not seen.

Another translator puts it,

and I love this one,

it says,

now faith is confidence in what we hope for,

and assurance about what we do not see.

In verse two of the same chapter in Hebrews,

one translator writes,

for this kind of faith,

for this kind of faith,

the men of old gained divine approval.

Why was divine approval a combination given from God

to men and women of old,

as scripture points out?

It's simple.

Because they trusted what God said was true.

Because they trusted what God said was true.

In other words,

what God says here in Ephesians

about being saved by grace through faith

can be trusted.

And faith is important

because faith plays a big part,

not only in our conversion,

but also in living the Christian life

day by day by day.

Now we know this because scripture tells us

that the just shall live by faith

in Romans 1.17 and Galatians 3.11.

A prominent theologian,

when describing the character of faith,

wrote,

and I love this,

faith is a living and unshakable confidence.

A belief in the grace of God

so assured that a man would die

a thousand deaths for its sake.

This kind of confidence in God's grace,

and I would add God's character,

this sort of knowledge of it

makes us joyful,

high-spirited,

and eager in our relations with God

and with all mankind.

So faith is a big deal.

Who you and I put our faith in

is an even bigger deal.

It's such a big deal

that if you and I put our faith

in the right place,

meaning the God of the Bible,

the keeper of our souls,

through our relationship with his son,

Jesus Christ,

then divine approval is attached to it.

Then divine approval

is attached to it.

Now the author tells us

in the second half of verse 8

through verse 9,

it's interesting,

he says,

not of your own doing,

seems to break it up,

not of your own doing,

it is a gift of God,

not the result of works,

so that no one may boast.

Now I don't know about you,

but I found myself wondering

why our author felt the need

to write this,

but he wrote,

not of your own doing,

it is a gift of God,

not the result of works,

so that no one may boast.

If we take a look at Ephesus

in antiquity,

or in biblical times,

the social context was interesting,

you know,

in a very unique way,

distinct way.

You know,

it was an honor-shame culture,

where honor and shame

were values

that shaped everyday life.

Honor,

the primary measure

of social status,

was based upon

ascribed honor

and acquired honor.

Inherited or ascribed honor

was social standing

due to being part

of a social unit,

principally a family.

For instance,

for those born to rulers,

those born to rulers

were held in high esteem

due to the family honor.

Now,

acquired honor

was gained

through meritorious deeds

or public performance.

The public forum

provided something

called challenges

for gaining

or losing honor.

A challenge,

depending on

where you ended up,

might show

the superiority

of one person

or group

over another.

Shame,

on the other hand,

was not simply

the opposite of honor.

Both positive

and negative shame

did exist.

Shame could be handled

positively

by knowing

how to keep matters

out of public awareness.

For example,

a woman

could bear shame

well by

remaining covered

in public

and avoiding

male-dominated arenas.

I told y'all

that was antiquity,

right?

So,

or shame

could also be

designated honor,

designated dishonor,

dishonor,

or loss of honor.

So,

most moral appeals

were made

to honor

or disgrace.

And because

of this reality,

members of the lower class

often knew

that the only way

they could get ahead

was through patronage,

which was typically

a mutual relationship

between those

of unequal status

and which both benefited.

So,

the giving and receiving

of favors,

not one's

industriousness

or hard work,

was a pathway

in most cases

to social elevation.

In other words,

you had to have

the hookup.

So,

this was the social

context

which existed

in Ephesus

and biblical times.

Therefore,

our author is putting it

in a context

to an audience

of individuals

who can understand

the relevance

and or consequence

of being hooked up

or not hooked up

in a society.

Work or work

in their relationships

or their status

or their savvy

to get something

they wanted

or something

that is being offered

or something

that's available

that's good.

But he's telling them

that you can't

utilize the culture's

customs

to get this gift

of salvation.

The gift does not have

and will never have

anything to do

with your hustle,

your good people-ness,

your connections

or your social status

or non-status.

There's no network

you and I can work.

There's no palm

that you or I

can grease,

literally or figuratively.

You do not have

to be down

with so-and-so.

If you have

the hookup,

wonderful.

If you don't,

that's wonderful too.

Everyone has to walk

through the same door

to acquire it

and that door

is Jesus Christ.

Now once we walk

through that door,

scripture tells us

in Ephesians

that we are made alive

although we were

once dead.

But it doesn't stop there.

It gets better.

It gets better.

The responsibility

of being

God's masterpiece.

Next,

according to the book

of Ephesians,

we now become

God's workmanship

in Christ Jesus.

One translator writes

that we are

God's masterpiece

or work of art

because we have been

created in Christ Jesus

something only God

can do.

Now what could this mean?

God's masterpiece.

Not only does it

mean something

but it carries with it

a responsibility.

Now if we think

about a masterpiece

or a work of art,

first thing that comes

to mind for most

is something visual.

Something to be viewed,

to be appreciated

with our sense of sight.

But we also know

that art or masterpieces

can come in many forms.

It could be musical

or poetic,

packaged in your favorite

song or poem

and therefore heard

to be appreciated

as opposed to being seen.

It could have an aroma

like your favorite dish.

If you're me,

for me,

you know,

if you're from Jamaica,

if there's Jamaicans in here,

that dish would be

stew peas,

the pork version,

not the vegan version,

whatever that is,

cooked by a master chef

and the master chef

in my case

would be one of my aunties.

And that can ultimately

not only be smelled

but tasted.

A masterpiece can be touched

like a scarf

someone knitted

just for you

or a beautiful

handmade Persian rug

under your feet.

but I submit to you

that the best art

moves beyond impacting

the individual peculiarities

of the five senses

and becomes something

that is fully experienced

and done so in a way

that everything around it

or that comes in contact

with it

can become blessed by it,

encouraged by it,

strengthened by it,

and ultimately

transformed by it.

So as God's masterpiece

or as God's workmanship

made the image of God

and transformed

by the gospel

of Jesus Christ,

we have a job to do.

We have a responsibility.

In fact,

this is possibly the reason

why those in Christ

are called

God's masterpiece

because God wanted

to do something

with us

being his people

that would extend

beyond our own benefit

or that of our own

immediate community

or of people

who look like us

or act like us

or who may see life

in the same way

as we see it.

In other words,

as God's masterpiece,

we now

are put in a position

to bring a

transcendent experience

to earth

through the power

of God's Holy Spirit

that dwells in us

because of our commitment

to the risen Lord.

Well, how do we do that?

As my pastor in L.A.

would say,

you know,

you ask good questions

on a Sunday night,

725 on a Sunday night.

Well, Ephesians

provides us a clue

by telling us

in verse 10

that we are created

in Christ

for something

called good works.

And these are

good works

that God created

beforehand

specifically for us

so that we should

walk in them

or that they should

be our way of life.

These good works

that Ephesians

refers to

are a necessary

component

of our walk

with the Lord.

Why?

Scholar Richard F.

Lovelace writes

in reference

to Jonathan Edwards'

conclusions

on the nature

of good works

and why

they're necessary

to bring about

full-fledged renewal

in the world

points out

that good works

had to involve

a balance

between personal

concern for the

individual

and social concern.

It went beyond

that proliferation

of religiosity

in the form of

meetings,

prayers,

singing,

and religious talk

to emphasizing

works of love

and mercy

which will bring

the God of love

down from heaven

to earth

to set up

his tabernacle

with men on earth

and dwell with them.

So God has

designed us

as masterpieces

to be experienced

especially as we

move out

from the familiar

much like great art

when put on display

so that people

will get to know God

so that people

will get to know

God.

We are those

works of art

that are created

to

now I'm quoting

Pastor Matt

on this one

display God's

nature,

character,

and work

in the earth

or in short

God's glory.

And even more

than Savion Glover's

performance that night

our lives

will then become

something more

transcendent

emanating

and shining bright

the beauty

of the Lord.

I want to add

that the nature

of good works

means that

it can be

almost anything

because it will

be different

for each individual

in this room.

So I can't tell you

what God has designed

for you to do

but scripture

gives us a clue

concerning how

we can examine

what we are doing

as we pursue

what God has designed

for you and I

to do

and in doing so

pursue God's

will and way

in the process.

Here's a clue.

2 Corinthians 5

17-20

we read

therefore if anyone

is in Christ

he's a new creature

the old

has passed away

behold

the new has come

all this is from God

who through Christ

reconciled us

to himself

and gave us

the ministry

of reconciliation

underline

ministry of reconciliation

verse 19

that is

Christ in God

was reconciling

the world to himself

not counting

the trespasses

against them

and entrusting to us

here's the other part

the message

of reconciliation

therefore we are

ambassadors for Christ

God making his appeal

through us

we implore you

on behalf of Christ

be reconciled

to God

so we have been

reconciled to God

in Christ

and we have been

given both

a ministry

and a message

of reconciliation

to help others

to be reconciled

to God

to reconcile

means to

cause people

or groups

to become friendly

again

after an argument

or disagreement

or misunderstanding

those of us

who know Christ

through his death

and resurrection

we now have

peace with God

theologian James

the oldest Roberts

writes

the reconciliation

of man to man

through the reconciliation

of man to God

releases the healing

power of the cross

of Christ

into this

anxious

broken

and bitter world

only redeemed

men

can serve

as agents

of reconciliation

so these good works

that God designed

might well be attached

to this ministry

and message

of reconciliation

and it's interesting

that we

we hear the terms

ministry

and message

because the scripture

does not say

that this

ministry and message

is only for pastors

or extroverts

or div school students

or popular people

in church

no

it's for all of us

because if you're

an introvert

God knows that already

or if you are not

the best communicator

God knows that too

but he also knows

that everyone

everybody can do

something

because God

designed us

to do

whatever that

something is

specific to how

he created

and wired us

and there are no

exceptions

therefore

it is something

that you and I

must seek

after from God

and if there's

any prayer

that you and I

can trust

the Lord

will answer

is a prayer

that asks God

to point us

towards what

he has designed

for us

it is in God's

will that

we know

and do

these good works

and it is in

his will

that we know

and we do

these good works

that he's designed

for us

in Christ

and we can trust

that praying

with God's will

in mind

is a great way

to pray

because he will

respond to our

desire for his

will

and his way

in our lives

in Christ

we are God's

masterpiece

we are God's

work of art

and again

because we've

been made alive

in Christ

if you know

Jesus Christ

in this specific

reality

we can then

manifest God's

beauty

in closing

Dr. Tim Keller

in his book

The Reason

for God

points out

that the existence

of God

can be seen

or proven

within what he

calls the clue

of beauty

the clue

of beauty

that is often

associated with

great art

he writes

that such clues

give a sense

that life is

not a tale

told by an idiot

full of sound

and fury

signifying nothing

great art

fills you with

hope

and gives you

the strength

to carry on

though you

cannot define

what it is

that moves you

but as God's

workmanship

created for good

works

we know

what not only

moves us

but also

what is capable

of moving others

and transforming

their lives

the lives

of their

communities

and the world

just like we've

been

and are continuing

to be transformed

in the image

of Christ

by the power

of the Holy Spirit

by the way

let me take

some pressure

off all of us

we also know

that because

of God's grace

we are allowed

to be a masterpiece

and a works

in progress

at the same time

because we've

been made alive

in Christ

who's merciful

towards us

scripture tells us

in Micah 7

18 to 20

that he delights

to show mercy

I love how the message

says it

it's his favorite part

he's a God

of steadfast love

and compassion

and we

as his workmanship

are an everlasting

work

made alive

in Christ

whose scripture

declares

is Christ

in you

the hope

of glory

in closing

closing

given the times

we're in politically

given the fact

that Tuesday

is fast approaching

I want to

encourage everyone

as

a few of the

pastors have already

done

I want to

encourage everyone

here by declaring

that this hope

we have

in Christ

is unchanging

it will remain

the same

no matter what

happens

or does not

happen on Tuesday

heaven

will not be

shocked

by the outcome

of Tuesday's

election

the God

whom we belong

to

and whom we serve

will not be

wringing his hands

about it

but one thing

is for certain

leaders may

leaders may

change

governments may

change

turmoil will

come and go

but the kingdom

of God

of whom we

are citizens

of whom we

are citizens

remains rock

solid

and consistent

and it is

as the book

of Hebrews

declares

it is an

unshakable

kingdom

so let us

keep our focus

here

and then set

our face

like Flint

to the good

works he has

designed for us

to do

God bless you

let us pray

I just want to

say thank you

thank you that

you

you're mindful

of us

like

the psalmist

says

what is

no

what is man

that you're so

mindful of us

that you care

for us

you care for us

so much

Lord God

that you sent

your son

to die

and be

resurrected

so we can

have life

true life

be made alive

in him

Lord

Father we also

thank you in advance

Lord God

for what you have

for us to do

I pray Lord God

that myself

included

that we would

be able to

Lord move in the

direction Lord God

you designed for

our lives

Lord God

with dead set

determination

and with

complete trust

in who you are

and what you say

knowing Lord God

that the plans you

have for us are

good plans

plans not to

harm us but to

give us a hope

and a future

help us Lord God

to complete

the job

assignment you've

had for us

to do Lord God

in that

those good works

you've designed

for us Lord God

in Christ

so when it's all

said and done

Lord God

you'll be able to

say just well done

thou good and

faithful servant

we thank you Lord

we give you the

honor and glory

and praise Lord God

for who you are

and what you've done

we thank you and ask

this in Jesus name

Amen

Amen