Ephesians 2:1-3

How lost are the lost.

I know that most of the people at the football stadium are outside of Christ.

They are under judgment.

But it is water off a duck's back, really.

It doesn't strike me.

You read the Lord Jesus.

The Lord Jesus came to Jerusalem.

He saw the crowd.

And he's moved with compassion.

You read some of the figures in church history.

They see the crowds.

And they are moved with compassion.

I know people today that when they see crowds,

that is their immediate response.

They're moved with the plight of human beings.

But that's not me.

And so I learnt a long time ago

that I have to spend time meditating on the fate of the lost.

I have to understand the seriousness of their predicament.

God's diagnosis of life without Christ.

Of what I once was

and what they are.

And Ephesians 2 verses 1 to 3

Ephesians 2:1–3

is not really that easy to read, is it?

When you read it slowly.

But I want to say to you tonight

that as a church

we will never come up with the right solution

unless we get the right diagnosis.

And you were dead

in your trespasses and sins

in which you once walked

following the course of this world

following the prince of the power of the air

the spirit that is now at work

in the sons of disobedience

among whom we all once lived

in the passions of our flesh

carrying out the desires of the body and the mind

and were by nature children of wrath

like the rest of mankind.

If nothing else

the Bible will not pretend

about the nature of humanity

outside of Christ.

It's a very graphic description

of the state of the lost

is it not?

And so let's slowly walk through this

verse 1 tells us

that the lost are

verse 1

dead

in their transgressions

and sins.

I was blinded by the devil

born already ruined

stone cold dead

as I stepped out of the womb.

That's the first of three

Bob Dylan quotes tonight.

Not that I'm that much

of a Bob Dylan fan.

I was blinded by the devil

born already ruined

stone cold dead

as I stepped out of the womb.

This is a self-inflicted mortality

that's been brought about

by our rebellion

against the creator

dead in their transgressions

to transgress

is to cross a line

that you know is there.

So for the Jew

it would have been crossing

the law of the Lord.

For the non-Jew

it would have been violating

the law that was written

on their hearts.

Either way

they're all culpable.

Though we were alive

without Christ

even though

we laughed and cried

we fell in and out of love

we experienced anger

we experienced jealousy

we did a gracious thing

a kind thing here

a thoughtful thing there

the bottom line is

until we came to Christ

we were certified

can you see it?

Spiritually dead.

The logic of the Bible

is very blunt.

That the wages of sin

is death.

That is the pay packet

of the end of our life.

We were spiritually like

dead like Adam and Eve.

You know the moment

they rebelled against God

they died.

You might say physically

they didn't die

but they were like

a cut flower.

So you know when you

buy someone flowers

there is a glory

isn't there?

There's a glory

in those flowers

that is so beautiful

and yet those flowers

will soon crumble

and implode.

And spiritual death

leads to physical death

that culminates

in the second death.

And as you know

the one thing

that you cannot have

with a dead person

is a relationship.

The relationship

is over.

You have memories

you have precious memories

but no relationship.

And God is saying

that is what

every non-Christian

is to me

in that sense.

I keep them alive

but I have no fellowship

with them.

And that is why

funerals are so painful

aren't they?

I know of a man

who became a Christian

from an Orthodox Jewish family

when a student

it was very shameful

for his family.

His father got so upset

that he took out

a death notice

in the local paper

because as far

as he was concerned

his son was as good

as dead.

It's such a profound

diagnosis

dead in our transgressions.

It undercuts

doesn't it?

Any attempt

at thinking

human performance

will get you anywhere.

It explains

the need

why the lost

need to be born again

doesn't it?

It reminds you

that nothing less

than a total work

of God

in the life

of an unbeliever

is what is required.

It is not

as though

God takes

99 steps

and you take

one.

It is a work

of God

from beginning

to end.

Secondly

the lost

are described

as followers

of the ways

of this world

in which you

once walked

following the course

of the world

verse 2.

The problem

is not just

internally

it is externally.

It is the environment

of which we are a part.

It was Jesus

said

the world

does not

hate you

but it hates

me.

And so

being deemed

to be followers

of this world

you understand

that it is both

personal rebellion

and corporate.

It is collective

not just individual.

We do not

stand alone.

We are part

of something bigger.

We sided

with the enemy.

We do not

rebel alone.

John says

though the world

was made

through him

it did not

recognise him.

In fact

it kills him.

And then in verse 3

the lost are described

as those

who have

developed

a loyalty

to the evil one.

It is a strange

verse isn't it?

Verse 2

following the prince

of the power

of the air

the middle of the verse

following the prince

of the power

of the air

the spirit

that is now

at work

in the sons

of disobedience.

And so

this difficult

truth is that

the lost

are active

members

in the kingdom

of darkness

from which

they need

to be rescued

and moved

into the kingdom

of the sun.

And so

what is really

shocking about

this diagnosis

is that you

don't have to be

in the occult

to be in the occult.

You just be yourself.

And you are

part of the

kingdom of

darkness.

We are not

just lost.

We are not

even just

willfully lost.

Outside of

Christ

there is a

demonic

element

to humanity.

Bob Dylan

said you may

be ambassador

to England

or France.

You may like

to gamble.

You may like

to dance.

You may be

the heavyweight

champion of the

world.

You may be

a socialite

with a long

string of

pearls.

But you are

going to have

to serve

somebody.

Maybe the

devil or

maybe the

Lord.

But you are

going to have

to serve

somebody.

Bob Dylan

was right.

Jesus said

if you are

not for

me you are

against me.

Do you

know that

proverbial fence

that people

talk about

that some

people think

they are

sitting on.

I am

sitting on

the fence

as it

concerns

Jesus.

The devil

claims that

fence.

Do you

remember what

Jesus said

in Matthew

25 about

the great

judgment

depart from

me into

hell.

That place

prepared for

the devil

and his

angels.

that's the

first reason

why hell

was created

and anyone

who will

remain loyal

to the

devil in

opposition to

Jesus.

And you

notice here

the work of

the devil

the work of

the evil

one how it's

described with

respect to

the unbeliever

the person

who is lost

the spirit

who is now

at work

as to

the sons

of disobedience.

And so

there is a

sense isn't

there when

somebody becomes

a Christian

there is a

sense in

which every

conversion

is an

exorcism.

Do we

believe in

exorcisms in

this church?

We certainly

do.

Where the

spirit

the ruler

of the

spirit of

the age

who once

was in

me

who I

was part

of his

kingdom

I was a

willing servant

I was never

interested in

the horror

world

horror films

freak me

out

the satanic

Ouija boards

they scare

the living

day that's

on me

I did not

have a

conscious

worship

attitude to

Satan

but by being

against

Christ

I was

actually a

servant of

Satan

his spirit

was actually

operating within

me I didn't

know it

until that

time when

the spirit

of the

evil one

departs

from us

internally and

the spirit

of God

takes his

place

Jesus says

wonderfully

he who is

in you

if you are

in Christ

he who is

in you

is greater

than he who

is in the

world

and leads

us from

one glory

to another

it's very

depressing

and very

heavy

and I

wish I

could tell

you a

funny

story

at this

point

but I

don't

have a

funny

story

verse 3

we have the

world and the

devil and now

the third

part of the

unholy

trinity we

have the

flesh

we're told

that our

orientation was

completely

self

observed

self

indulgent

self

centred

verse 3

a man

whom we

all once

lived

in the

passions

of our

flesh

carrying out

the desires

of the

body

and the

mind

all of us

there's no

us and

them

tonight

it's just

us

we were in

the same boat

Jew and

Gentile

male and

female

black and

white

it's very

very inclusive

as far back

as Genesis

Genesis 6:5

chapter 6

verse 5

there is

this profound

assessment of

human nature

that every

inclination of

the heart of

man was

only evil

all of the

time

and God's

heart was

broken with

pain because

of our

treatment

complete

thorough

wholesale

rebellion

and it's a

profound

diagnosis

gratifying

the desires

of the

sinful

nature

indulging

in the

desires

of a

rebellion

heart

there are

times out

there in

the Christian

life when

the penny

drops

on this

by the

spirit of

God

the people

of God

get an

insight

into it

you see it

in Isaiah

do you

remember

he encounters

the revelation

of God

in the

temple

and the

angels are

saying to

one another

he is

holy

he is

holy

he is

holy

and his

response is

whoa

woe is

me

for I

am

ruined

literally

woe is

me

for I

am

lost

for I

am

a man

of

unclean

lips

and I

live

amongst

the

people

of

unclean

lips

and you

see it

in Peter

when he

encounters

the authority

of Jesus

go away

from me

for I

am a

sinful

man

and Jesus

says

everyone

who sins

is enslaved

to sin

and what

the world

calls

freedom

is

simply

God

handing

us

over

to our

self

centered

natures

and then

allowing

us to

reap what

we sow

and we

call it

freedom

the inherent

goodness

of humanity

is a

myth

the evidence

is all

around you

take a

look

what was

it that

persuaded you

that the

Bible is

the word

of God

what was

it that

persuaded you

that the

Bible is

the word

of God

it's a

lady I

know

for her

it was

Psalm 116

Psalms 116:11

verse 11

anyone know

what that

verse says

all men

are liars

that's what

she read

and she

said that

is what

convinced me

that the

word of

God is

true

you can

translate

that as

all human

beings

are liars

but it

was all

men are

liars

that convinced

her of the

truth of

the word

of God

she read

that and

she knew

that the

Bible was

telling the

truth

she felt

that the

Bible had

understood

the human

condition

for what

it is

despite all

the personal

development

classes that

you can go

to wanting

you to

believe in

yourself

in spite of

all the

homespun

wisdom from

your favourite

writer or

sitcom

in spite of

all those

psychological

tidbits you

can get from

Dr. Phil

or Dr.

whoever it

is

or Oprah

you know

always

always

always

assume

the inherent

goodness

of humanity

the answer

to your

problems is

you've got

to believe

in yourself

you've got

to be true

to yourself

trust me

people get

so upset

don't they

when we

don't trust

them

do I trust

you

of course

not

when we

don't trust

me

we're so

naive

aren't we

we know

don't we

what the

human condition

is like

John

Stoff

said if

you were

to look

into my

heart

you would

spit in

my face

and if

I were

to look

into your

heart

I'd be

tempted to

spit in

your face

and that's

with the

spirit of

God

isn't it

now we

need to

think about

this

really

hard

because

why do

we find

this

diagnosis

of the

human

condition

so

difficult

why are

you

thinking

this is

so

hard

tonight

and part

of the

reason is

there are

some

really

really

nice

non-Christians

out there

aren't they

in fact

they put

Christians

to the

chin

they put

me

to the

chin

and that

too is

part of

the evidence

you are

trying to

come to

terms

with

but you

don't

really

ever

see

the

darkness

of the

human

condition

the

darkness

of the

human

heart

until

it

encounters

the

personal

claims

of the

Lord

Jesus

so I

was

talking

with

someone

I

know

the

other

day

and his

father

was a

lovely

man

the

man

was not

a

Christian

the

father

his son

had become

a Christian

and the

father

was

dying

his son

was at

his

father's

bedside

and he

pleaded

with his

dad

to accept

Jesus

Christ

and the

father

who I

knew of

and was

a lovely

guy

said

you

offend

me

by asking

me to

accept

someone

I've

rejected

you

offend

me

I'm

telling you

this man

was a

great guy

loved in the

office

a charitable

man

but you

don't see the

darkness of the

human heart

until it

encounters the

claims of

Jesus

and then it

says I

want nothing

to do

with you

and so it's

not surprising

is it that the

result of this

in the last

part of verse

3 is

and we're by

nature children

of wrath

like the rest

of mankind

the one thing

that we deserve

the one thing

that we

naturally ought

to attract

from God

is condemnation

we sin

by choice

we sin

by nature

it's an

indication of

original sin

Lever said

that original sin

is the only

doctrine that

has been

empirically

proven

the evidence

is there

despite what

people want

to believe

we are by

nature

objects

of wrath

and when you

think of the

word wrath

I don't know

what you think

of

it makes me

think of a

heavy metal band

certain words

don't they have

certain images

wrath

but it's

not simply

an emotion

that kind of

springs out

it's not an

emotion that

springs out

from a

righteous God

we'll give God

enough time

and in the end

you'll get over it

it speaks of

God's righteous

his right and

holy response

from a just

God's response

to sin

and it is

experienced in

part now

Romans 1

tells us that

this world

is under

judgment

and we do

experience that

but it will

be experienced

fully on the

day of the

Lord

and that day

is called the

day of God's

wrath

the day of

vengeance

as we looked

at this one

and it is a

holy wrath

the opposite

to love

is not

anger

the opposite

to love

is indifference

and God

is anything

but indifferent

let me tell

you

but it's

what awaits

all those

who are lost

and outside

of Christ

Jesus said

it very

simply at

the end

of John

3

whoever

believes

on the

son

has life

whoever

rejects

the son

does not

have life

and the

wrath of

God

remains

upon

him

do you

see the

choice

it is

like the

blaze

and the

guillotine

ready to

drop

hence

the call

of the

gospel

is to

flee

from the

wrath

to come

and that

is the

status of

someone

who has

not

come to

Christ

of course

the blade

of the

guillotine

is removed

when you

come to

Christ

no condemnation

in Christ

Jesus

that's why

it's so

fantastic

to be a

Christian

tonight

that's why

you can

wake up

tomorrow

morning

knowing

that every

sin has

been dealt

with

but outside

of that

outside of

that you

don't want

to meet

with God

unforgiven

but if

Hebrews

says it

is a

dreadful

thing

it is a

fearful

thing to

fall into

the hands

of the

living

God

and our

God

is a

consuming

fire

it is

not the

Bible

it is

not Jesus

but it

was Mahatma

Gandhi

who said

Jesus

hates the

sin but

loves the

sinner

that was

Mahatma

Gandhi

said that

now there's

half truth

there

but whatever

distinction you

want to make

now between

the two

between sin

and the

sinner

it is a

meaningless

distinction

on the day

of the

Lord when

he comes

when both

sinner and

sin will

be dealt

with

you see how

heavy this

is tonight

we're not

making this

up

there are

graphic

images

in the

Bible

that are

written in

such a

way

as to

evoke

fear

the Bible

goes out

of its

way to

tell you

how serious

this is

let's go to

just a couple

of places

let's go to

Revelation

Revelation 6:15

chapter 6

verse 15

Revelation

Revelation 6:15

chapter 6

verse 15

it's on

page 1031

it's one of

the expressions

of final

judgment

Revelation

Revelation 6:15

chapter 6

verse 15

it says

on page

1031

then the

kings of

the earth

and the

great ones

and the

generals

and the

rich

and the

powerful

and ever

and the

slave and

free

hid

themselves

in the

caves

and among

the rocks

and the

mountains

calling to

the mountains

and rocks

fall on

us

and hide

us from

the face

of him

who is

seated on

the throne

and from

the wrath

of the

Lamb

the great

day of

their wrath

has come

and who

can stand

on that

day it

will be

better for

the enemies

of God

to have

a hundred

tons of

concrete

fall upon

them

than to

meet the

wrath

of the

Lamb

and the

piercing

judgment

it is

the stuff

of nightmares

to meet

God

unforgiving

is simply

a nightmare

and you

don't know

what terror

is until

you stand

before a

holy

God

and his

God

appointed

son

who is

judge

and you

discover

that there

is no

place to

run

Psalm 2

puts it

in this

way for

those who

will stand

against the

Messiah

so complete

is his

judgment

that he

will dash

them to

pieces

Philippians

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2

says

that the

name of

Jesus

every knee

will bow

in heaven

on the

earth

and under

the

earth

and every

tongue

confess

that Jesus

Christ

is Lord

to the

glory of

God

willingly

or unwillingly

from the

height of

heaven to

the pit

of hell

people will

be forced

to acknowledge

that Jesus

Christ is

Lord and

King to

the glory

of God

all rebellion

will be

suppressed

and ignored

let me quote

to you Bob

Dylan for the

last one

the iron hand

you know the

rebellious word

the iron hand

it ain't no

match for the

iron rod

the strongest

wall will

crumble and

fall to

a mighty

God

for all

those who

have eyes

and all

those who

have ears

it is only

he who

can reduce

me the

tears

of every

earthly

plan

that be

known to

man

he is

unconcerned

he's got

plans of

his own

to set up

his throne

when he

returns

and on that

day God's

enemies will

beg him to

kill them

and they will

not be able

to die

and you and

I love

people

who are

presently

heading for

the fist

of God's

judgment

to put it

another way

they will be

shut out

from the

presence of

the Lord

this is the

last judgment

passage

2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

come there

with me

if you will

2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

it's on

page

989

2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

page 989

and God

will punish

those who

punish his

people

2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

and the

second half

of verse 7

he speaks

to the Thessalonians

he says

verse 7

he will grant

relief to you

to those who

are afflicted

as well as

to us

when the

Lord Jesus

is revealed

from heaven

with his

mighty angels

in flaming

fire

inflicting

vengeance

on those

who do

not know

God

and on

those who

do not

obey

the

gospel

of

our

Lord

Jesus

they will

suffer

the

punishment

of

eternal

destruction

away from

the presence

of the

Lord

and from

the glory

of his

might

when he

comes on

that day

to be

glorified

in his

saints

and to

be

marveled

at

among

all

who

believed

because

our

testimony

to you

has

believed

on the

last day

it isn't

going to

be a

surprise

the future

is clear

and crystal

you don't

have to

wonder

what it

will be

like

I want

you to

realise

it is

an active

judgement

it is

the language

of exclusion

to not

be in the

presence

of God

of missing

out on

the glory

that is

to come

of being

told by

Jesus

depart

from me

for I

never

knew

you

of not

being able

to sit

at the

table

with Abraham

and Isaac

and Jacob

and Paul

Levy

it is so

happy

isn't it

there will

be a

cast of

millions

there

but you

won't

be there

and there will

be a

failure to

taste of

the new

creation

when there

will be

no more

crying

and no

more

grief

and no

more

pain

and to

miss out

on seeing

God

face to

face

to be

shut out

from the

presence

of the

Lord

to know

that there's

a party

going on

next door

but you

can never

get in

John Paul

Sartre

once said

hell is

other people

must be a

grief friend

to have

but hell

is no

people

and no

relationship

and no

God

for the

person who

is a

Christian

here tonight

this world

is as bad

as it'll ever

get

but for

the person

who is

not a

Christian

this world

is the

best

in

loving

it

John

Chapman

the Australian

Houndless

in his

brilliant book

A Fresh

Start

wrote this

he used

poetic

licenses

an account

of someone

who finds

themselves

in outer

darkness

that Jesus

spoke of

and it

goes like

this

he'd

never felt

such

aloneness

before

where is

my wife

he choked

only that

awful echo

not here

your wife

is not

here

he tried

to piece

it all

together

but the

darkness

was too

thick

once in a

while he

thought he

could see a

blurred figure

or hear an

anguished moan

he remembered

the pain

those last

moments of

terror

but it

was nothing

compared to

the feelings

that were

creeping into

his awareness

again he

cried

where is

my wife

your wife

is not

here

where are

my children

your children

are not

here

he started

a group

about in

the darkness

but all

was blindness

my god

he howled

again

let me feel

the presence

of one

single human

being

my god

oh he

hadn't

said those

words in

such a long

time

my god

and now

he felt

like the

small child

being threatened

by the deep

darkness

no candles

anywhere

no love

anywhere

where is

my wife

he screamed

your wife

is not

here

where are

my children

he pleaded

your children

are not

here

and then

the greatest

of all

fears

came upon

him

he was

terrified

to ask

but he

knew he

had to

his whole

body trembled

as he

pursed his

lips

and he

wailed

into the

nebulous

night

where

oh where

is

god

and as

the deepest

of deep

darkness

creeped in

on his

soul

for all

eternity

he

heard

that

hideous

echo

whispering

the horrifying

of all

judgments

now listen

to this

the reason

why jesus

cried

my god

my god

why have

you forsaken

me

is so that

you would not

have to hear

those words

god is

not here

he was

forsaken

so that

tonight

you do

not need

to fear

being

forsaken

now i