Sharing The Good News

I haven't got a page number if you're using a red covered Bible, Ephesians chapter 2 and verses 1 to 10.

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

And that's on page 1174.

Ephesians 2 verses 1 to 10.

Ephesians 2:1–10

So I'm going to read and then pray and then ask Paul to come and speak.

Page 1174, Ephesians 2, 1 to 10.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

in 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.

All 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.

But because of his great love for us,

God, who is rich in mercy,

made us alive with Christ,

even when we were dead in transgressions.

It is by grace you have been saved.

And God raised us up with Christ

and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace

expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith,

and this not from yourselves.

It is the gift of God,

not by works,

so that no one can boast.

For we are God's workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Let's pray.

Our Father God,

we thank you for the grace

of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And we thank you for the grace that comes to us

through your word,

which helps us to understand

who Jesus is.

And we pray that your spirit,

your presence,

would be at work amongst us,

as we hear your word.

We pray that it would cause us

to love you more.

It would cause us to change the things in our lives

so that we are aligned to your ways and your will.

And we pray that it would motivate us

to live lives of worship,

serving you where we go.

We thank you for Paul.

We thank you for his ministry and work in Mayo.

We pray your blessing upon the churches there,

even today as they meet.

We pray that you would cause that good news

to take effect in people's lives

and to bring people to faith.

And we pray that now through him

you may encourage us.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Porch, thanks very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, thanks very much, Johnny,

and thanks very much for having us.

Listen, this morning what I want to do

is first of all start with a story

from the Old Testament.

Some of you will be very familiar with it

and you might even know where I'm going with it.

But the background of the story

is that the city of Samaria

was surrounded, besieged,

by the Syrians.

No one was in,

nobody went out.

And as a result,

there was eventually a severe famine

in that city.

So severe was the famine

that some people had even resorted

to cannibalism.

And two women actually contracted

that they would boil their children

and eat them.

That's how severe the famine had become.

In chapter 7 opens with Elisha,

the prophet,

saying that everything was going to

dramatically change the following day.

And that there would be

an abundant provision of food

and of drink

and, you know,

there would be freedom.

In other words,

that the Syrians would be gone.

Well, verse 4 introduces us

to the characters

that we're going to concentrate

our thinking on this morning.

Four leprous men

were sitting outside the city walls

as it were in a kind of a

no man's land.

And they were sitting against the wall

in the hope

that food would be thrown

over the wall to them.

But of course,

now because of the famine,

that hope was gone

and there was going to be no scraps

thrown across the wall

to them.

So they were in dire straits.

And then

a desperate logic

entered into their thinking.

If you like a logic of

desperation,

I'll just read for you

the end of verse 3

and then verse 4.

Why are we sitting here

until we die?

One of them said.

If we say that we will

enter the city,

the famine is in the city

and we shall die.

If we sit here,

we will die also.

Now therefore,

come,

let us surrender

to the army of the Syrians.

If they keep us alive,

we shall live.

If they kill us,

we shall only die.

So you can see the kind of

desperation.

I don't know whether you

know much about famine.

We all

here

probably have never really

experienced hunger

at that level.

Now these men were probably

at this stage

coming out in sores

other than the leprosy

that they were

suffering from.

Their mouths

would have been dry.

Their tongues

would have been swelling.

They would have been in a

pretty,

pretty bad state.

So they headed off

to the besiegers

camp.

The camp of the Syrians.

But they weren't prepared

for what they were going

to see.

And they were

absolutely astonished

with the surprise

that came their way.

See,

the Lord,

to fulfil

Elisha's prophecy,

the Lord had

caused the Syrians

to hear

the noise

of a great army.

And they kind of

supposed

that the

Israelites

had hired

the Hittites

and the Egyptians

to come against them

and release

the city.

So the Syrians

fled

even though

there was no actual

army there at all.

The Syrians

panicked

and they fled

and in such haste

did they run

from the place

that they left

behind everything.

Food,

drink,

gold,

silver,

all their military

equipment,

they left the lot

and ran.

These leprous,

four leprous men,

you can imagine

what it was like.

They walked into

the camp of the Syrians

and everything

that they ever

dreamed of

was just lying

there waiting

for them.

Food,

all they would

ever want,

clothing,

drink,

gold and silver,

so they had a party.

You can imagine

what it would have

been like.

It probably wasn't

very good for them

because it's not good

to tuck into a pint

of food after a long

hunger of that nature

but they tucked in

nonetheless

and then they took

some of the gold

and the silver

and they hid it

away for themselves.

But then a realization

dawned on them.

Listen to verse 9.

And then they said

one to another,

we're not doing

right here.

This day is a day

of good news

and we remain silent.

If we wait

till morning light

some punishment

will come upon us.

Now therefore come

let us go

and tell the king's

household.

I want to use

this story

this morning

as a kind of

a parable

to help us

as we unpack

Ephesians chapter 2

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

which Johnny read

for us earlier.

Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2:1–3

verses 1 to 3

says this,

you he made alive

while speaking

about us

this morning

who were dead

in trespasses

and sins

in which you

once walked

according to

the course

of this world

according to

the prince

of the power

of the air

the spirit

that now works

in the sons

of disobedience

among whom

you also

once conducted

ourselves

in the lusts

of our flesh

fulfilling the

desires of the

flesh and of the

mind

and were by

nature

children of wrath

just as the others.

these verses

describe our

state

yours and mine

before conversion

like the people

in the besieged

city

we were without

Christ

held

trapped

hopeless

in bondage

divide

of any

true

spirituality

for some

ways that

Paul describes

our condition

that is very

very graphic

he says we

were dead

in trespasses

and sins

as a result

of the fall

each one of us

were dead

spiritually

lost

and under

the dominion

of sin

sin was in

control

if you like

sin

took us

and controlled

us

the state

of alienation

and separation

was there

between us

and God

and we were

under

his just

and holy

wrath

listen to the way

Ephesians 2

and 12

puts it

it says at that

time you were

without Christ

being aliens

from the

commonwealth

of Israel

strangers

from the

covenant

of promise

having no

hope

and without

God in the

world

you see

God made

us

for the

purpose

of delighting

in his

glory

that's

where we

should have

been

we delight

in his

glory

when we

rejoice

in his

character

believing

his promises

or as the

Westminster

catechism

put it

what is

man's

purpose

what's

man's

chief

end

it's

to glorify

God

and to

enjoy him

forever

but man

and sin

is not

there

we're not

in that

place

where we

glorify

God

instead

we were

seeking

to replace

that joy

that can

only come

from knowing

God

to replace

that joy

by seeking

joy in

every other

conceivable

place

some

pursued

some of

us

pursued

outright

sin

others

searched

for

meaning

and

fulfillment

in

self

righteousness

so whatever

end of the

spectrum

we were on

whether you

were on that

pathway which

was just

you know

laced with

outright sin

or whether you

were on the

so called

clean side

of the road

where you

were involved

in self

righteousness

whichever way

we were going

we were away

from God

and we were

in darkness

and it was

actually

idolatry

and in this

foreign state

there were

three influences

three things

that were

if you like

playing on

our lives

three influences

that were at

work in our

lives bringing

us further

and further

into the

bondage of

sin

and Paul

tells us

that this

bondage is

made up of

three

hostile

forces

if you like

at work

in our

lives

the world

the devil

and the

flesh

in 1 John

he juggles

the order

and he puts

down the

world

the flesh

and the

devil

it's the

same thing

in its

effect

first of all

we have the

world system

he talks

he says

in which you

once walked

according to

the course

of this

world

world

to walk

there

is

the

world

world

and the

world

and the

world

the

world

the whole

thing

was being

dictated

to us

by the

world

system

we were

being

moulded

by what

the world

required

off of us

the course

of this

world

the

attitudes

and the

value

systems

of this

age

that were

opposed

to God

and his

kingdom

the various

world views

that work

against God

and his

rule

in our

hearts

these things

controlled us

these things

dominated our

lives

these things

dictated the

pace

so our

actions were

dictated by

this present

age

which is

characterised

by rejection

of God's

kingship

I was at a

family wedding

recently

trying to

understand

trying to

see whether

I could get

an opportunity

to talk to

some of my

brothers

I had

forgotten

something

when the

music came

on

you couldn't

hear yourself

thinking

never mind

trying to

have a

conversation

with somebody

and I just

sat there

thinking

this is what

the world

system is

like

everybody

is just

deafened

by the

sound

of the

world

system

and they

cannot

hear

another

voice

they

can't

hear

another

voice

that's

why

people

are

the way

they are

dominated

by what

the world

system

is pumping

at them

on a

constant

basis

then the

second

influence

that

Paul

outlines

here

is the

devil's

influence

the second

hostile

influence

that works

promoting

sin and

rebellion

in our

lives

he calls

it this

way

he says

the prince

of the

power of

the air

the spirit

who now

works in

the sons

of disobedience

now this

is not

talking about

demon

possession

because we

cannot blame

the devil

for our

sin

regretfully

we're all

too willing

participants

the devil

encourages and

promotes

but regretfully

he finds us

too receptive

the devil

loves sin

and rebellion

and he uses

all of his

persuasive powers

which are

considerable

to encourage

to encourage

and to

arouse

sin

in our

lives

the third

hostile

force is

regretfully

within us

it says

among whom

also we

all conducted

ourselves

in the

lusts of

our flesh

fulfilling

the desires

of the flesh

and of the

mind

he says

we all

conducted

ourselves

and Paul

is including

himself here

and all the

Christians to

whom he is

writing

you see

human

sinfulness

is

universal

it's not

the things

sorry

it's one of

the things

that we

share

in common

all have

sinned

and for

and short

the

universality

of sin

is one of

the proofs

of the

doctrine

of the

fall

you see

nobody

ever had

to take

you and

bring you

to a

seminar

to teach

you how

to tell

a lie

that's right

none of

your children

were ever

taken

and taught

how to

be nasty

regretfully

it comes

naturally

the evil

will influence

us of the

world and

of the

devil and

regretfully

they find

a welcome

in our

hearts

when the

world and

the devil

comes knocking

they find

already a

mat at

our doorway

saying

welcome

the world

and the

devil broadcasts

and we

regretfully

receive the

signals

too readily

we are

by nature

fallen

self-centered

rebels

or as

Paul puts

it by

nature

children

of wrath

Paul in

Galatians 5

lists the

activities of

our sinful

nature

our

inclinations

that are

extensive

and they're

wide ranging

cover every

conceivable

sin that you

could think

of

they're far

more deeper

than just

sex and

murder and

drunkenness

they go

down into

the depths

of our

being

let's just

listen to

the list

for a

moment

he says

the works

of the

flesh are

evident

which are

these

adultery

fornication

uncleanness

lewdness

idolatry

sorcery

yeah we'd

say that

that's sin

but then he

goes on and

he talks about

hatred and

contentions and

jealousies and

outbursts of

wrath and

selfish ambition

dissensions and

heresies

envy

and then he

goes on

murder and

drunkenness and

revelry and

the like of

which I tell

you before and

I tell you

often in past

times that

those who

practice such

things shall

not inherit the

kingdom of

God

we're sinners

in thought

in word

and in deed

we sin by

omission and

commission

what that means

is we do

things we

ought not to

do

and there's

things that we

ought to do

that we don't

do

and all of

this

made us

children of

wrath

just as the

others

we were under

the just

and holy

righteous wrath

of almighty

God

now the wrath

of God is

not some

out of

control

outburst

where God

just loses

the rag

now that's

not what the

Bible is

talking about

here

it's talking

about his

settled

determined

opposition

against sin

and rebellion

in fact the

psalmist says

that he's angry

with the wicked

every day

again Paul

includes himself

in this category

before conversion

he was heading

for judgment

day with no

hope

of escaping

God's just

and holy

penalty against

his sin

eternal

conscious

punishment

in hell

now thankfully

our passage

doesn't end

there

thankfully

see it

goes on to

talk about

the position

that we've

come into

because of

grace

because of

mercy

because of

God's

goodness

verse 5

starts out

it says

but God

but God

God intervened

he stepped

in

he

as it were

interfered with

the flow

and he

changed

things

but God

who is

rich in

mercy

because of

his great

love

with which

he loved

us

even when

we were

dead

in

trespasses

and sins

made us

alive

together

with

Christ

by grace

you have

been

saved

what Paul

is doing

here

is

he's

setting

up

an

awesome

contrast

he's

contrasting

two

things

the

contrast

if you

like

of

all

contrasts

the

blackness

and the

darkness

of our

previous

position

contrasted

against

this

spectacularly

glorious

wonderful

position

that God

has brought

us into

if you

ever went

into a

jewelers

just to

buy

diamonds

not maybe

the ring

but just

the diamonds

and the

jeweler wanted

to show

them to

you at

their best

he'd lay

them out

on a

black

cloth

so that

you'd see

them in

all of

their glory

and that's

what Paul

is doing

here

he's

taking the

black

cloth

of our

previous

position

and he's

putting on

that cloth

the glory

some of

the gems

some of

the wonders

of what

God

has done

for us

in Christ

we were

lost and

undone

and without

hope

but God

God took

the initiative

he stepped

in where

he didn't

have to

there was

no need

either in

God himself

or

there was

nothing in

us that

would cause

him to do

it

but solely

and only

because of

his awesome

love

and his

mercy

that he

stepped in

and he

rescued us

he could

rightly

and justly

have left

us to the

consequences

of our

sin

but his

spectacular

compassion

his love

that is

beyond

compare

moved him

to reach

down

and meet

our need

God

so loved

the world

that he

gave

let's

consider

some of

the jewels

spread out

on that

black cloth

some of

the jewels

of this

great salvation

first of all

of course

it's the

forgiveness

of sin

but God

who is rich

in mercy

because of

his great

love

with which

he has

loved us

even when

we were

dead in

sin

met us

alive

together

in Christ

by grace

you have

been saved

this is the

most awesome

blessing of

all

every other

blessing that

comes our

way is

it's wonderful

but it's

very much

secondary to

this greatest

blessing of

all

to know

your sin

forgiven

the word

forgiven there

means sin

is taken

out of the

way

the psalmist

puts it

this way

he says

your sin

has been

removed

as far as

the east

is from

the west

out

sin is

taken out

of the

equation

of our

relationship

with God

it's no

longer in

the equation

if you like

our sin

is removed

price paid

in full

the Lord

Jesus Christ

became the

propitiation

for our

sin

in other

words

he bore

on his

own body

the wrath

of God

against all

of our

sin

he absorbed

all the

penalty

for your

sin

and for

mine

he absorbed

that penalty

into himself

during those

six hours

on the

cross

paid in

full

he cried

out

and because

of all

that

when we

do sin

we have

an advocate

with the

father

somebody

that

represents

us

someone

that stands

in our

place

and pleads

our case

for us

he is

our

representative

because of

his

propitiation

on our

behalf

then the

second

jewel

that I

want to

just

look at

this

morning

is

sin's

dominion

is

broken

so we

talk about

the penalty

of sin

now we

talk about

the power

of sin

and he

says here

even when

we were

dead

in

trespasses

he made

us alive

met us

alive

together

with

Christ

by grace

you have

been

saved

see

Jesus

describes

sin as

slavery

he that

sins

says Jesus

is a

slave of

sin

now because

we have

been made

alive

together

with Christ

because

we are

united

with

Christ

because

we have

been

born

from

above

we

no longer

need

to

serve

sin

we can

walk

with

God

not

wonderful

we can

walk

with

God

listen

how

Paul

puts

it

in

Romans

8

and

verse

2

for

the

law

of

the

spirit

of

life

in

Christ

Jesus

has

set

us

free

from

the

law

of

sin

and

death

we

can

actually

look

our

favourite

sin

in

the

face

and

tell

it

to

go

away

no

not

happy

anymore

I'm

going

to

walk

with

God

not

perfectly

at

all

times

the

battle

is

very

real

but

nonetheless

the

Christian

can

and

does

make

progress

by

grace

we

advance

step

by

step

nearer

to

God's

ultimate

goal

for

our

lives

which

of

course

is

Christ

likeness

that

we

would

be

like

Jesus

God's

ultimate

goal

listen

to how

Paul

put it

in

Romans

6

and

verse

14

he

says

for

sin

shall

not

have

dominion

over

you

for

you

are

not

under

the

law

but

under

grace

listen

to how

Ezekiel

put it

in

Ezekiel

36

and

verse

27

I

will

put

my

spirit

within

you

and

cause

you

to

walk

in

my

statutes

and

do

my

judgments

then

the

third

jewel

on that

black

cloth

that I

want to

look at

this

morning

there

are

many

many

others

that we

could

look at

but

just

to

think

about

this

one

for

a

moment

the

alienation

that

barrier

between

us

and

God

completely

removed

he says

it says

here

he raised

us up

together

and he

made us

sit

together

in the

heavenly

places

in

Christ

Jesus

you see

so utterly

remarkable

is this

awesome

salvation

that we

have come

into

is that

we're

already

seated

with

Christ

in

heavenly

places

there's

a hymn

we sing

sometimes

back in

Westport

it

captures

it

just

lovely

it

says

so

near

so

very

near

to

God

I

cannot

nearer

be

for

in

the

person

of

his

son

I

am

as

near

as

he

the

hymn

writer

is

capturing

the

truth

that

is

it's

there

in

Ephesians

1

and

verse

6

and

it

talks

about

us

being

accepted

in

the

beloved

it's

a

technical

term

and

what

it

means

is

you

remember

when

Jesus

was

being

baptized

and he

came up

out of

the

water

and the

voice

from

heaven

said

this

is

my

beloved

son

in

whom

I

am

well

pleased

it's

speaking

of

God

the

father's

love

for

God

the

son

this

is

my

beloved

son

and

then

Paul

borrows

that

phrase

and he

says

of us

us

Christians

it

that

you

have

been

accepted

in

the

beloved

into

that

same

fellowship

that

the

father

has

with

the

son

and

John

in

17

and

verse

23

puts

it

this

way

he

says

that

we

are

loved

with

the

very

same

love

that

God

loves

his

own

son

it's

phenomenal

isn't

it

that

God

the

father

has

set

his

love

so

much

upon

you

that

it's

equal

to

the

love

that

he

has

for

think

about

it

he

gave

his

very

own

son

so

that

you

could

be

sitting

where

you

are

this

morning

and

man

it's

absolutely

phenomenal

so

we

have

this

alienation

that

was

there

completely

removed

listen

to

Ephesians

2

and

verse

18

for

through

him

we

both

have

access

by

one

spirit

to

the

father

listen

to

Ephesians

3

and

verse

12

in

whom

we

have

boldness

and

access

with

confidence

through

faith

in

him

so

I

can

come

to

God

I

can

walk