Pastor Mike : THE FINAL COUNTDOWN : A Ministry of CHRIST-LIVES MINISTRIES

A look at Salvation as God meants it to be!

Ephesians 2:4-7

BUT GOD!

Ephesians 2:4-7

King James Version

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Intro: Ephesians 2:1-3 describes the deplorable condition of those who are unsaved. These verses remind us that the sinner “is dead in trespasses and sins”. Satan and the world system keep them in a constant state of deception. They are depraved in their appetites and their actions, and in that state, they have no appetite for the things of God. Their only goal is to satisfy their lusts and gratify their flesh. In that dead, deceived, and depraved condition, they are separated from God, and they are doomed to face God in judgment some day. The lost sinner is in a terrible situation today. My friend, if you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are in trouble! You need to be saved by His grace, and you need to be saved today!

Ephesians 2:1-3

I SEE DEAD PEOPLE

Part 2

Lets read from Gods Word!

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Ephesians 2:1-3 describes humanity's fallen state, emphasizing that people were once spiritually dead in their sins, following worldly ways and the devil, gratifying fleshly desires, and inherently deserving God's wrath, a condition shared by both Gentiles and Jews, highlighting a universal need for God's grace found in the verses that follow.

Ephesians 2:1-3

I SEE DEAD PEOPLE

The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American psychological thriller film[2] written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It stars Bruce Willis as a child psychologist whose patient (Haley Joel Osment) claims he can see and talk to the dead.

Released by Buena Vista Pictures through its Hollywood Pictures label on August 6, 1999, The Sixth Sense was well received by critics and was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay f

Intro: Some years ago a movie entitled “The Sixth Sense” was released. In that film, a little boy appears to be suffering from some sort of mental disorder. It turns out that his problems result from the fact that he sees ghosts. The problem with the ghosts this little boy sees is that the ghosts do not know they are ghosts. They do not know they are dead. Among the dead people the little boy encounters is a child psychologist who attempts to help the little boy with his problems. The psychologist also does not realize that he dead. The climactic moment of the film comes when the boy looks at the psychologist and says, “I see dead people!”

Movies and books that follow that theme are on the increase. There is a morbid fascination with death, dying, and the dead. This is especially true in the realm of zombie literature. Zombies are dead people who have somehow returned to life. These zombies have an insatiable desire for human flesh. There has been a dramatic increase in books and films related to ghosts and zombies. Our world is fascinated by the dead.

Ephesians 1:15-23

THAT YOU MIGHT KNOW

Ephesians 1:15-23

King James Version

15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Intro: Up to this point in the book of Ephesians, Paul has been praising the Lord. In one long sentence that begins in verse 3 and ends in verse 14, Paul ascends the heights of the glory and majesty of God. In this great song of praise, Paul describes in great detail the amazing riches we possess in Jesus. He also tells us all that God has done for us to bring us to Christ and to guarantee our eternal salvation.

Ephesians 1:11-14

GOD IS TO BE PRAISED

FOR HIS SHARING WORK

Intro: For several Sunday mornings we have been moving through Paul’s astounding song of praise to God. Let me take just a moment to recap the truths Paul has been sharing with us.

Ephesians 1:11-14

King James Version

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

In verses 3-6, Paul praises God for His sovereign work in our lives. He reminds us in verse 3 that God is good! God’s goodness translates into His blessings upon our lives. He demonstrates His blessings upon us by showering us with His blessings. Among those blessings is God’s work in salvation. He made us a part of His redemptive plan. This results in us being adopted into God’s family as sons and daughters; in having our lives changed by His power; and in our being accepted by God. That is a valid reason for praising the Lord.

In verses 7-10, Paul praises God for His saving work. He reminds us that God sent His Son the Lord Jesus Christ in to the world to redeem us from our sins. Through His precious blood we are redeemed by grace and forgiven of all our sins. God, in His great grace, opened our eyes to our lost condition; He made us aware of what Christ did for us when He died for us on the cross, and then He saved us by His amazing grace. To top it off, God did everything I just mentioned, and more, just because it brought Him pleasure. That is another valid reason for praising the Lord.

In the text before us today, Paul tells us that God Is To Be Praised For His Sharing Work.

Let's examine who we leave out of the Nativity Scene. It may surprise you!

We are still standing at the front door of the book of Ephesians. We have been listening as Paul magnifies the glory of God. Beginning in verse 3 all the way through verse 14, Paul is engaged in worship. He begins to praise God for everything He has done to save us and bless us in Jesus.

In this long anthem of praise that ascends the heights of God’s grace and glory, Paul praises all three members of the Trinity for Their part in salvation. In verses 3-6, Paul praise God the Father for His sovereign. In verses 7-10, he praises God the Son for His saving work. Then, in verses 11-14, Paul praises God the Spirit for His sharing work.

Thus far in our study of this chapter, we have listened as Paul tells us that God Is To Be Praised For His Sovereign Work. In these verses before us today, Paul tells us that God Is To Be Praised For His Saving Work

We have been in these four glorious verses for the past month or so. As we discovered when we began this study, Paul is praising the Lord in these verses. In fact his anthem of praise runs all the way through verse 14.

In these first four verses Paul praises God the Father for His sovereign work in salvation. Paul tells us in verse 3 that God Is To Be Praised For His Charity. God is so good to His people! Since He is a good God, He has good thoughts toward those He loves. His good thoughts toward the redeemed manifest themselves in good gifts to His people.

We are working our way through the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians. This precious book reveals to us the riches of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. This book speaks of the great spiritual wealth we possess in Him. In Ephesians, Paul tells us how spiritually wealthy we are in Jesus, Then he tells us how to spend our spiritual wealth for the glory of God.