WEBVTT 00:00:03.790 --> 00:00:04.892 Are you ready for the Word of God? 00:00:04.892 --> 00:00:07.668 Okay, let's turn to Ephesians, chapter 2. 00:00:07.668 --> 00:00:09.986 Ephesians, chapter 2. 00:00:09.986 --> 00:00:16.204 For the last couple of weeks, we've been asking the question in this sermon series Is he worthy? 00:00:16.204 --> 00:00:21.792 And the resounding answer is yes, he is worthy. 00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:30.632 But how many of you know there are still millions and millions of people billions probably who don't yet know that this is true. 00:00:30.632 --> 00:00:38.625 They don't yet know that Jesus is the only one who's worthy of honor and glory and power and praise. 00:00:38.625 --> 00:00:47.112 And so we, as the body of Christ, have this great privilege of carrying this message in jars of clay. 00:00:47.112 --> 00:00:52.412 We have the chance to share the light of Jesus with those around us who walk in darkness. 00:00:52.412 --> 00:01:05.075 And there are still others, and some of us in this room, even today, who need to be reminded of the extraordinary value of Jesus, because there are so many things vying for our attention. 00:01:05.075 --> 00:01:07.784 Derek was just mentioning it here a few minutes ago. 00:01:07.784 --> 00:01:08.385 How many of you know? 00:01:08.385 --> 00:01:24.313 Everything is screaming our name Pay attention to me and we have to learn and we have to allow the Holy Spirit to continue to focus us in on that which is most important, and that is the fact. 00:01:24.313 --> 00:01:28.584 Remember, christmas is actually the celebration of Jesus. 00:01:28.584 --> 00:01:34.093 We should be bringing gifts to him, if anything right. 00:01:34.093 --> 00:01:37.403 And again, I'm not trying to steal your joy of giving. 00:01:37.403 --> 00:01:44.501 In this season, I love so much seeing others blessed, especially this time of year. 00:01:45.263 --> 00:01:50.733 So we started this series a couple of weeks ago, talking about the fact that Jesus is eternally worthy. 00:01:50.733 --> 00:01:55.391 He is God and he has been God throughout all of time. 00:01:55.391 --> 00:02:04.466 He's eternally worthy and last week Scott did a great job of reminding us that all of humanity is made up of what Unworthy sinners. 00:02:04.466 --> 00:02:10.524 We are all sinners, we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 00:02:10.524 --> 00:02:23.530 And as bad as that news is, today I get to deliver to you the good news that Jesus came to save the unworthy, of which I am one. 00:02:23.530 --> 00:02:25.171 How about you? 00:02:26.873 --> 00:02:28.195 Let's look at Ephesians, chapter 2. 00:02:28.195 --> 00:02:30.483 I'm reading from the ESV, verses 1 through 10. 00:02:30.483 --> 00:03:16.230 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, 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, but God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. 00:03:16.230 --> 00:03:43.224 By grace, you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus, for by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. 00:03:43.224 --> 00:03:58.850 It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 00:04:00.212 --> 00:04:02.521 Let's pray together, father. 00:04:02.521 --> 00:04:05.189 We thank you for your matchless words. 00:04:05.189 --> 00:04:34.343 Thank you, jesus, that you are the word of God, and thank you, holy Spirit, that you inspired those of ancient time to record these words so that today, in 2024, almost 2025, we could speak them out and we could glean from them and understand them, because the Holy Spirit not only gave us the written word, but also speaks to us and enlightens us and opens our eyes to see the truth. 00:04:34.343 --> 00:04:42.124 And so, father, we pray for all of those who have not yet believed the truth found in these verses. 00:04:42.124 --> 00:04:55.146 We pray that today would be the day of salvation for each one and, lord, for the rest of us who need a healthy dose of reminder so that we can understand how great a price Jesus paid for us. 00:04:55.146 --> 00:05:09.548 Would you awaken our eyes again to this truth, and Lord, would you not leave us alone until we begin to share this same great message and truth with others In every way, in every day. 00:05:09.548 --> 00:05:13.389 In Jesus' name, we pray, amen. 00:05:16.841 --> 00:05:21.673 So if anybody could write these words with conviction, it was Paul the Apostle. 00:05:21.673 --> 00:05:25.370 How many of you know he didn't start out as Paul the Apostle. 00:05:25.370 --> 00:05:31.630 He started out as Saul, and Saul, in his early years, did everything according to the book. 00:05:31.630 --> 00:05:40.031 In other words, he went to the best schools, he learned languages, he was Jewish, but he also had Roman citizenship. 00:05:40.031 --> 00:05:48.028 He was raised up in a religious sect and in a religious school, and eventually he became an attorney. 00:05:48.028 --> 00:05:56.771 He became a religious lawyer, somebody who understood the scriptures and the Old Testament better than most anybody else that was living at that time. 00:05:56.771 --> 00:06:17.095 And yet Saul, having that level of understanding, did what he stood as people laid their garments at his feet and stones were picked up to crush the body of Stephen, the deacon turned evangelist from the book of Acts. 00:06:17.095 --> 00:06:22.305 Don't forget that in that moment we can't leave this alone. 00:06:22.305 --> 00:06:28.689 Stephen is being tormented and tortured and pelted and all of a sudden heaven opens to him. 00:06:28.689 --> 00:06:29.822 And guess what? 00:06:29.822 --> 00:06:35.031 He sees Jesus standing at the right hand of the father. 00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:40.045 That's my boy. 00:06:40.045 --> 00:06:41.745 You got this. 00:06:50.660 --> 00:06:52.687 And yet Saul is standing there and it says that he was approving of all of it. 00:06:52.687 --> 00:07:05.730 And then, throughout the rest of the book of Acts, we see an unfolding of the terrorist that Saul would become, and he would show up in different villages, in different towns, sent with papers of authority to be delivered to the synagogues in the region. 00:07:05.730 --> 00:07:21.375 And if there was anybody that was a part of that synagogue or that the synagogue knew about, who had embraced this man named Jesus, he was legalized to arrest them, to torture them, to even kill them if necessary. 00:07:21.375 --> 00:07:23.403 This was Saul. 00:07:23.403 --> 00:07:27.913 Until one day he's riding on his horse on the way to Damascus. 00:07:27.913 --> 00:07:39.387 Heaven opens up and this bright, shining light shines upon him, blinds him, and a voice from heaven says Saul, saul, why are you persecuting me? 00:07:39.387 --> 00:07:43.355 How many of you know Jesus knows our name? 00:07:43.355 --> 00:07:45.302 How many of you know Jesus knows our name? 00:07:45.302 --> 00:07:50.307 And he knew Saul's name and he called him out on his road to Damascus. 00:07:50.307 --> 00:07:53.271 And again, why was Saul going to Damascus? 00:07:53.271 --> 00:07:56.516 In order to torture and torment and kill more Christians. 00:07:56.516 --> 00:08:06.677 And Jesus goes on and says why are you persecuting me? 00:08:06.677 --> 00:08:07.180 Who are you, lord? 00:08:07.180 --> 00:08:12.125 And all of a sudden, saul's knocked off of his high horse and he glimpsed into Damascus, blind. 00:08:12.146 --> 00:08:21.970 And God speaks to a man named Ananias, a believer who Saul was probably going to arrest or torment or maybe even kill if he had made it all the way to Damascus. 00:08:21.970 --> 00:08:27.466 And God says I want you to go and I want you to pray for him that he'll receive his sight. 00:08:27.466 --> 00:08:32.211 And Ananias, like a good follower of Jesus, said absolutely not. 00:08:32.211 --> 00:08:36.424 None of us would do that. 00:08:36.424 --> 00:08:38.640 But he did Not. 00:08:38.640 --> 00:08:41.570 That man, I know that man, I know of that man. 00:08:41.570 --> 00:08:46.471 And then the Holy Spirit said something really insightful. 00:08:46.471 --> 00:08:51.312 He said I'm going to let you tell him all the trouble that he's going to experience in his life and ministry. 00:08:51.312 --> 00:08:55.027 Ananias said sign me up, let's go. 00:08:55.027 --> 00:08:57.552 So, whatever it takes, right. 00:08:57.552 --> 00:09:10.508 So Ananias went, he laid his hands on him, saul was delivered from his physical blindness but, more importantly, his eyes were opened to the truth about Jesus Christ. 00:09:10.508 --> 00:09:18.715 And now a man so broken at one time is now expressing to us in really a run-on sentence. 00:09:18.715 --> 00:09:23.773 Do you realize that several times in the book of Ephesians, as Paul's writing, he can't help himself. 00:09:23.773 --> 00:09:52.307 He's not limited by structure, he's not limited by sentences, he's not limited by anything else other than just gushing out what he is expressing in such beautiful, demonstrative ways of explanation about how great the grace of God is in the person of Jesus Christ, and that's what we're experiencing here. 00:09:52.980 --> 00:10:11.528 This book, written to the Ephesians, to the church at Ephesus, was meant to be read by them and read to them, but it was also meant to be distributed amongst the churches, and it's really an interesting book is also meant to be distributed amongst the churches, and it's really an interesting book, because in the first three chapters of this book, paul and the Holy Spirit through Paul really doesn't ask them to do anything. 00:10:11.528 --> 00:10:21.309 He reminds them of how great a gift they've been given in the person of Jesus Christ. 00:10:21.309 --> 00:10:25.806 And then, later on, he talks about all the things that we need to do as Christians. 00:10:25.806 --> 00:10:48.302 But how many of you know, we can get that out of order, we can do that backwards and we can think about all the list of things that we need to accomplish and forget about the most fundamental part of all of this, and that is understanding fully and completely, more fully and completely every day, the greatness of our God and the greatness of his faithfulness toward us. 00:10:49.243 --> 00:10:51.047 So let's get into this passage. 00:10:51.047 --> 00:10:56.201 Good news isn't good news until you compare it to bad news. 00:10:56.201 --> 00:10:59.109 How do you know the difference between good news and bad news? 00:10:59.109 --> 00:11:00.480 You have to hear both, don't you? 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:05.649 How many of you have ever been to the doctor and they said I have some good news and some bad news. 00:11:05.649 --> 00:11:08.472 And they ask you which one do you want to hear first? 00:11:08.472 --> 00:11:09.554 What do you say? 00:11:09.554 --> 00:11:12.761 Mixed reviews. 00:11:14.065 --> 00:11:19.183 But in this passage, what Paul does is he gives the bad news first and then he gets into the good news. 00:11:19.183 --> 00:11:23.592 So let's look at the bad news First, number one, all of us. 00:11:23.592 --> 00:11:29.101 Look at the bad news First, number one. 00:11:29.101 --> 00:11:30.426 All of us, every one of us, were separated from God because of sin. 00:11:30.426 --> 00:11:33.173 I'm not going to dig into this too deeply because Scott again did such a great job. 00:11:33.173 --> 00:11:43.421 If you haven't seen that yet or heard that, go back to tccknockscom and watch that or listen to it, because it was really a powerful message, especially the progression of sin that he talked about. 00:11:43.421 --> 00:11:46.005 That was something really insightful for me. 00:11:47.168 --> 00:11:52.743 But Paul says here and you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked. 00:11:52.743 --> 00:11:55.988 We were born with a sinful nature. 00:11:55.988 --> 00:11:59.914 We were born opposing God. 00:11:59.914 --> 00:12:05.052 We were born not being able to make the decision to not do that. 00:12:05.052 --> 00:12:10.226 We were born dead to God, we weren't mostly dead. 00:12:10.226 --> 00:12:18.369 Miracle Max couldn't have done anything about it. 00:12:18.369 --> 00:12:20.388 We were not merely sick. 00:12:20.388 --> 00:12:25.028 We didn't need a doctor, we didn't need resuscitation. 00:12:25.028 --> 00:12:31.985 We didn't need a doctor, we didn't need resuscitation, we didn't need anything other than resurrection. 00:12:32.085 --> 00:12:50.533 All of us started our lives in this very condition, separated from God, with no hope, no answers, no way of improving upon ourselves, no way of changing the eternal position of our lives. 00:12:50.533 --> 00:12:55.000 We were born dead in our sins and trespasses. 00:12:55.000 --> 00:13:01.909 We were spiritually and morally separated from God and we had no hope of rescue. 00:13:01.909 --> 00:13:08.913 My friends, unless we understand that truth, we will minimize the good news. 00:13:08.913 --> 00:13:20.086 We have to start there and unfortunately, the American church, for the largest part, has divorced itself from this very concept. 00:13:20.086 --> 00:13:37.533 But I'm here to tell you that as long as these elders are a part of this church Trinity, community Church it will not be said of us, because the gospel is only the gospel if you understand, first of all, the condition that we find ourselves in without Jesus. 00:13:37.533 --> 00:13:49.655 Not only do we find ourselves born this way, but there there's an unholy Trinity that conspires to keep us in our lost condition. 00:13:50.140 --> 00:13:51.985 And we're going to look at each one of these just quickly. 00:13:51.985 --> 00:14:27.974 Paul goes on to say, 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, we all found ourselves in this condition and we were all manipulated and controlled by three different participants that had the same goal or the same desire, which was to cause us to continue to walk in disobedience toward God. 00:14:27.974 --> 00:14:29.081 And what are those three things? 00:14:29.081 --> 00:14:35.974 The devil, the world and our flesh, or our sinful nature. 00:14:35.974 --> 00:14:37.503 So let's quickly look at each one of these. 00:14:38.424 --> 00:14:42.984 Number one, satan, has the major influence in the lives of all believers. 00:14:42.984 --> 00:15:00.150 Satan does have influence in this earth, and he especially has influence over the lives of unbelievers, and he continuously is working to try to keep them under his control and under his power and under his authority. 00:15:00.150 --> 00:15:10.306 In addition to being born again with a sinful nature, those without Christ live in a manner that, born again with a sinful nature, those without Christ live in a manner that's consistent with Satan, the prince of the power of the air. 00:15:10.306 --> 00:15:15.489 You see, satan was disobedient to God, so he wants others to disobey him too. 00:15:15.489 --> 00:15:20.291 He wants us under the same punishment that he's under. 00:15:20.291 --> 00:15:24.606 He wants us separated from God, just like he separated him from God. 00:15:24.606 --> 00:15:38.730 You see, he can't get to God and so he attempts to get to God by trying to destroy his creation, by trying to manipulate and control human beings to keep them from knowing the truth about God. 00:15:38.730 --> 00:15:47.279 Anything that he can do to keep the world stirred up and considering something else except for Jesus Christ, he will do it. 00:15:49.364 --> 00:16:01.821 Amy and I were in a restaurant the other day and we had a nice meal together and the waitress our waitress was at the table next to us and she was saying she was getting ready to say Merry Christmas. 00:16:01.821 --> 00:16:05.991 And the people at the table next to us said I hate when people say Merry Christmas. 00:16:05.991 --> 00:16:14.293 And she said it's interesting how quickly we change when there's money involved. 00:16:14.293 --> 00:16:17.288 She said well, I prefer to say Happy Holidays. 00:16:17.288 --> 00:16:22.488 The waitress said that I was like well, she needs a tip. 00:16:22.488 --> 00:16:25.725 I understand, but how many of you know? 00:16:25.725 --> 00:16:26.227 Happy. 00:16:26.227 --> 00:16:32.346 And then Amy, I don't even know if she knew all of this was going on, but we're getting ready, we get up and we're walking out of the restaurant. 00:16:32.346 --> 00:16:34.808 She turns around and she goes Merry Christmas. 00:16:34.808 --> 00:16:38.163 And the lady. 00:16:38.163 --> 00:16:39.607 I can hear the waitress in the background. 00:16:39.607 --> 00:16:41.206 Happy Holidays. 00:16:45.861 --> 00:16:50.168 We can laugh about it, but it's sinister, it's really, it's wicked. 00:16:50.168 --> 00:16:57.129 Satan hates God and so, in turn, he hates his children. 00:16:57.129 --> 00:17:00.927 He hates his creation. 00:17:00.927 --> 00:17:05.627 Remember, his MO is to steal, kill and destroy. 00:17:05.627 --> 00:17:09.663 2 Corinthians 4, verses 3 and 4, tell us more about this. 00:17:09.663 --> 00:17:16.124 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing In their case. 00:17:16.124 --> 00:17:27.044 The God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 00:17:31.848 --> 00:17:40.221 I had the, we had the grand girls over the other night and we were watching YouTube videos of frozen songs. 00:17:40.221 --> 00:17:45.592 Yes, this is my life now. 00:17:45.592 --> 00:17:56.653 But on one of them you know YouTube there's commercials that play, and one of the commercials was just really not appropriate, especially for two or three year old kid. 00:17:56.653 --> 00:18:02.671 So I covered both of their eyes right, and so they were like what are you doing, pops? 00:18:02.671 --> 00:18:04.895 I'm like you don't need to see this. 00:18:04.895 --> 00:18:29.855 Well, now one of them, which will remain nameless, but she does have red hair Anytime we're watching a video, she covers my eyes and says pops, don't look, don't look, can't see this All the while she's still watching, so I don't know if she quite got the lesson or not. 00:18:29.855 --> 00:18:46.042 The point being, on the other side of things, satan attempts to keep our eyes covered so that we won't see the answer, so that we won't see the hope that is found in Jesus. 00:18:46.042 --> 00:18:48.972 So Satan continues to work. 00:18:49.505 --> 00:18:53.977 Secondly, the world puts pressure on everyone to conform to Satan's agenda. 00:18:53.977 --> 00:19:10.978 Now, when I say the word world, I'm not talking about earth, not talking about the earth itself, but the philosophies, the values and the lifestyles that are promoted by the masses that are opposed to God and his ways. 00:19:10.978 --> 00:19:14.955 Have you experienced that over the last several years at all in our culture? 00:19:14.955 --> 00:19:33.329 And not only is it promoted, but now, if you don't agree, assent and even praise that which is considered by God to be vile and an abomination, then you are considered to be a hater and you're ostracized. 00:19:33.329 --> 00:19:44.458 And the culture continues to push for you to think their way and to live their way and to have values which agree with Satan, who now works in the sons of disobedience. 00:19:44.458 --> 00:19:51.093 So we have Satan and we have the world, and it's nice to be able to blame all of them. 00:19:51.093 --> 00:19:53.367 Isn't it Nice to be able to blame all of them, isn't it? 00:19:53.428 --> 00:20:13.857 But there's a third participant that not only attempts to keep us originally from Christ, but please understand that all three of these entities are continuously working to distract us from that which is most important, and we must submit ourselves to God and resist Amen. 00:20:16.166 --> 00:20:17.573 But the third thing is the flesh. 00:20:17.573 --> 00:20:22.415 The flesh wants to control us and make us disobey God. 00:20:22.415 --> 00:20:32.156 The sinful nature is that fallen nature that we were born with that wants to control the body and the mind and make us disobey God. 00:20:32.156 --> 00:20:42.152 It wants us to do whatever we want to do, as long as it's opposed to God and what he wants us to do. 00:20:42.152 --> 00:20:48.269 The flesh wants us to join the world's agenda, to live out the plans of Satan. 00:20:48.269 --> 00:20:53.095 The flesh wants to agree with the world and with Satan. 00:20:53.095 --> 00:21:02.416 So if Satan says to you, you're not a man, you're a woman, the world screams yeah, you're not a man, you're a woman. 00:21:02.416 --> 00:21:08.510 Sorry, that voice was weird. 00:21:08.510 --> 00:21:13.234 And your flesh says well, maybe you're not a man, maybe you're a woman. 00:21:13.234 --> 00:21:16.515 And your flesh says, well, maybe you're not a man, maybe you're a woman. 00:21:16.515 --> 00:21:21.664 The Satan cries out have as much sex as you want to have with whoever you want to have it. 00:21:22.226 --> 00:21:24.314 The world says oh yeah, let's have sex. 00:21:26.465 --> 00:21:33.290 And the flesh says yes, let's have sex Outside of marriage, obviously. 00:21:33.290 --> 00:21:39.136 And this goes on and on and on and on. 00:21:39.136 --> 00:21:50.295 Do you see how desperate of a situation we find ourselves in, how destitute we are, how despairing we are. 00:21:50.295 --> 00:22:02.233 The reality is this is the worst of all news Every sinner deserves the wrath of God. 00:22:02.233 --> 00:22:10.195 Every one of us deserve to be eternally separated from God. 00:22:10.195 --> 00:22:22.086 Every one of us deserve to be killed by God and to be sent to hell, it says. 00:22:22.086 --> 00:22:27.488 And we're, by nature, children of wrath, like the rest of mankind, children of wrath. 00:22:27.488 --> 00:22:42.140 The inevitable end of the sons of disobedience is for us to come under the condemnation of God's righteous anger, a justifiable, just judgment for having violated known boundaries of his will and his way of doing things. 00:22:42.140 --> 00:22:44.353 We all deserve this. 00:22:44.353 --> 00:23:01.134 How can we truly be thankful and grateful if we don't remember this, if we don't consider it, if we don't recognize it, if we don't tell other people about it? 00:23:01.134 --> 00:23:13.334 And I know that some people are saying it's not fair that God would send anybody to hell, it's not fair that God doesn't save everyone. 00:23:13.334 --> 00:23:18.009 I think we're asking the wrong questions. 00:23:18.009 --> 00:23:23.213 If you're asking why doesn't God save everyone, you're asking the wrong question. 00:23:23.213 --> 00:23:26.769 The real question is why does God save anyone? 00:23:26.769 --> 00:23:32.075 None of us deserve it. 00:23:32.075 --> 00:23:40.487 I know again. 00:23:40.487 --> 00:23:42.071 The culture around us tells us that you are worthy. 00:23:42.071 --> 00:23:45.351 We are worthy, we deserve it. 00:23:47.567 --> 00:23:55.211 What I'm here to tell you, if we're to be true to scripture, we must understand, first of all, the fact that God saves anyone is the greatest miracle of all. 00:23:55.211 --> 00:24:09.218 So if I were to ask you what are the two most hope-filled words in all of Scripture, what would you say? 00:24:09.218 --> 00:24:13.750 Jesus saves, that's a good one. 00:24:13.750 --> 00:24:18.905 Yeah, it is finished. 00:24:18.905 --> 00:24:22.053 There's three. 00:24:22.053 --> 00:24:24.178 But that's this close. 00:24:24.178 --> 00:24:24.679 It's good enough. 00:24:24.679 --> 00:24:25.000 We'll give that. 00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:25.480 Yeah, somebody said it. 00:24:25.480 --> 00:24:27.345 But God, that's what I was looking for for today. 00:24:27.345 --> 00:24:46.241 Obviously, all of those apply, but right here, in the middle of Paul just unleashing out of his heart of concern and his love for Jesus and for lost people, he stops abruptly and he says but God. 00:24:46.241 --> 00:24:52.815 How many of you are thankful that there's a but God in the scripture? 00:24:52.815 --> 00:24:53.215 Come on. 00:24:53.215 --> 00:25:04.750 But God yes, I deserved hell and I deserved everything that God could have thrown at me throughout all of eternity. 00:25:04.750 --> 00:25:06.769 I deserved it, I earned it. 00:25:06.769 --> 00:25:30.178 But God Some of the most significant, eloquent and inspiring transitions in all of literature is found right here but God indicate that an indescribable change has taken place, something so abrupt, so amazing, so incomprehensible. 00:25:31.105 --> 00:25:42.078 It's a change from the doom and despair of the valley of death that we deserve to the unspeakable delights of the kingdom of the son of God and his love for us. 00:25:42.078 --> 00:25:46.571 This, my friends, is the good news. 00:25:46.571 --> 00:25:54.856 It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that even while we were yet sinners, christ died for us. 00:25:54.856 --> 00:25:59.574 You see, the author of hope is God himself. 00:25:59.574 --> 00:26:04.135 No one else could have done it and, trust me, no one else would have done it. 00:26:04.135 --> 00:26:18.950 God is the only one who could take a blackened heart, a heart that was completely controlled by sin and by Satan, and by this world and our flesh, and make it new again. 00:26:18.950 --> 00:26:22.055 But God. 00:26:23.636 --> 00:26:30.209 And here we're reminded of four activities that God performed on behalf of sinners to save us from the consequence of our sins. 00:26:30.209 --> 00:26:31.089 Let's look at these of our sins. 00:26:31.089 --> 00:26:31.529 Let's look at these. 00:26:31.529 --> 00:26:44.301 First of all, we know that we were unlovable, but God loved us, it says, but God being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us. 00:26:44.301 --> 00:26:59.515 God's love is so amazing because of the extreme unworthiness and unloveliness of the persons like us which he has loved. 00:26:59.515 --> 00:27:01.079 Don't forget we were dead in trespasses, we were dead in sin. 00:27:01.079 --> 00:27:05.291 We were enemies of God, we were destitute and degraded, but he loved us in spite of it all. 00:27:05.291 --> 00:27:07.758 Who does that? 00:27:07.758 --> 00:27:17.980 Who loves like our God loves. 00:27:17.980 --> 00:27:18.761 It's the most risky. 00:27:18.761 --> 00:27:22.701 It carries the greatest price. 00:27:22.701 --> 00:27:30.358 Who loves like our God loves no one. 00:27:30.358 --> 00:27:33.626 Let's say it together John 3.16. 00:27:33.626 --> 00:27:54.771 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life, for God so loved us. 00:27:54.791 --> 00:28:03.422 This is the Christmas season and as I was reading this and preparing for this week, I thought about Mary. 00:28:03.422 --> 00:28:19.638 Mary was just a regular girl going about her life, promised to be married to a guy named Joseph, and all of a sudden, one day, out of nowhere, an angel appears to her and talks about how she's highly favored of the Lord and mentions to her that God wants to send. 00:28:19.638 --> 00:28:22.734 This is after 400 years of complete darkness and silence. 00:28:22.734 --> 00:28:38.255 God has not spoken at all to his people for 400 years, and God speaks to this young woman from Nazareth and she asks simple questions like how is this going to be? 00:28:38.255 --> 00:28:44.576 And God answers her and the final response she gives is let it be done to me according to your will. 00:28:44.576 --> 00:28:46.750 I'm your servant. 00:28:46.750 --> 00:28:50.790 What a powerful thing. 00:28:52.528 --> 00:28:54.025 And we go on through the rest of the story. 00:28:54.025 --> 00:29:00.459 We know that God had to reel Joseph in, because Joseph wasn't convinced that this was a child from God, right? 00:29:00.459 --> 00:29:03.865 And yet God did that and brought them together. 00:29:03.865 --> 00:29:06.273 And then they traveled to Bethlehem. 00:29:06.273 --> 00:29:07.410 There's no room in the inn. 00:29:07.410 --> 00:29:15.898 Mary has this baby, her firstborn, and wraps him in swaddling clothes and lies and lays him in a manger. 00:29:15.898 --> 00:29:18.113 And then, all of a sudden, the angels. 00:29:18.113 --> 00:29:20.962 It's like they can't be contained in heaven anymore. 00:29:20.962 --> 00:29:31.832 They bust onto the scene and shepherds who are out in the field watching their flock at night begin to hear what glory to god, the highest, and on earth peace. 00:29:31.832 --> 00:29:38.181 Good to men, for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ, the Lord. 00:29:38.181 --> 00:29:44.813 And they make their way, stumbling over each other I'm sure to try to get to Bethlehem as soon as they can. 00:29:44.813 --> 00:29:51.311 And they get there, and they get to the place where Jesus is Probably cooing, wouldn't you think? 00:29:51.311 --> 00:29:55.170 And what do they do? 00:29:55.170 --> 00:30:05.616 They realize he's worthy and they bow on their faces before him in honor and praise. 00:30:05.616 --> 00:30:09.109 All of these things. 00:30:09.171 --> 00:30:20.159 It says that Mary pondered in her heart and eight days later, as her and Joseph bring the child Jesus into the temple to be dedicated, consecrated, as it was the tradition. 00:30:20.159 --> 00:30:23.906 They bring him in. 00:30:23.906 --> 00:30:26.256 And Simeon and Anna, who've been waiting for a long time for this very moment. 00:30:26.256 --> 00:30:29.492 Simeon is beaming. 00:30:29.492 --> 00:30:35.714 Here he is, this is the one God told me I wasn't going to die before he came. 00:30:35.714 --> 00:30:37.269 And here he is, right in front of me. 00:30:37.269 --> 00:30:40.794 I'm holding him, I'm holding the Savior in my arms. 00:30:40.794 --> 00:30:44.733 I wouldn't be great if it just ended with that good news. 00:30:44.733 --> 00:30:55.971 But then he looks at Mary and he says Mary, this child had not come to bring peace, he came to bring division. 00:30:55.971 --> 00:31:00.752 In some ways, there's going to be brothers and sisters who are going to agree and disagree on this. 00:31:00.752 --> 00:31:05.953 There's going to be some who are going to choose to worship him and count him as worthy and others who will not. 00:31:05.953 --> 00:31:22.314 And even you're going to be pierced, mary, in your very soul, understanding that there would be a day when Jesus, her son, would be crucified and would die. 00:31:24.685 --> 00:31:27.734 And you see Mary continuing through Jesus' life. 00:31:27.734 --> 00:31:31.111 12 years old, we have lost the son of God. 00:31:31.111 --> 00:31:34.594 That had to be a moment, imagine. 00:31:34.594 --> 00:31:50.232 And then Jesus reminds them I must be about my father's business, don't forget, I'm yours, but you've borrowed me Because I'm here to do the will of my father in heaven and on throughout. 00:31:50.232 --> 00:32:02.317 And we see Jesus after he's baptized and the first miracle that he performs is because his mama begs him to turn the water into wine or just to somehow make some more wine. 00:32:02.317 --> 00:32:14.930 And so Jesus hesitates and then his Father in heaven, I think, probably said to him go ahead, listen to your mama, you can do it. 00:32:14.930 --> 00:32:20.173 Not that, not like you can do it, like you see what I'm saying. 00:32:20.173 --> 00:32:21.134 You understand what I'm saying. 00:32:21.134 --> 00:32:25.578 He had the, he had the ability to do it and he did this. 00:32:25.578 --> 00:32:29.422 And think of all of the miracles and all of the things that happened. 00:32:29.422 --> 00:32:48.238 And then think about the cross, mary staring up at her son, having watched his hands be stretched out and nailed to a tree, the tree that he created with his words. 00:32:48.238 --> 00:33:16.605 He lifted up to the heavens and she's just there beneath him, talk about being pierced and after he breathes his last breath, by the way, along the way, john, take care of my mom, please, please, please. 00:33:16.605 --> 00:33:28.835 They take Jesus' body down and Mary and the other Mary wrap his body, the same hands that wrapped him in swaddling clothes and now wrapping him in burial cloths. 00:33:28.835 --> 00:33:34.605 Can you, any of you who are moms in this room, can you understand? 00:33:34.605 --> 00:33:38.647 Can you relate to what that must have been like, my goodness? 00:33:38.647 --> 00:33:45.320 Now, many of you know he didn't stay there. 00:33:45.320 --> 00:33:48.776 He didn't stay there. 00:33:48.776 --> 00:33:52.957 He rose from the dead. 00:33:55.611 --> 00:34:10.237 I don't want to get too far the rest of the story but as you think about Christmas this year, I hope that you try to think outside of the lines and the lenses, the Hallmark Christmases Not that there's anything wrong with that. 00:34:10.237 --> 00:34:16.818 I'm just saying let's think about the actual people and what they must have been going through. 00:34:16.818 --> 00:34:18.275 Let's consider it. 00:34:18.275 --> 00:34:32.661 You see, we, like Mary, were dead in our sins and trespasses, but God gave us life with Christ. 00:34:32.661 --> 00:34:38.755 Even when we were dead in our trespasses, he made us alive. 00:34:38.755 --> 00:34:43.039 Together with Christ, by grace, you have been saved and raised us up. 00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:48.371 With him, he accomplished the spiritual resurrection by the power of the spirit. 00:34:48.371 --> 00:34:51.659 We have been made alive unto God. 00:34:51.659 --> 00:34:59.213 If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you have the story that once I was dead, but now I live. 00:34:59.213 --> 00:35:02.858 Once I was blind, but now I see. 00:35:02.858 --> 00:35:08.764 That's your story, that's my story, that's redemption's story. 00:35:08.824 --> 00:35:13.376 Jesus didn't just do this in order for there to be a great story in a book. 00:35:13.376 --> 00:35:18.753 He did it because of the impact of it, what it would mean throughout all eternity. 00:35:18.753 --> 00:35:24.324 He did it out of God's great love for his creation. 00:35:24.324 --> 00:35:35.041 Great love for his creation, he spoke the word to the dry bones, just like Ezekiel, and life came back into those who were scattered and dead. 00:35:35.041 --> 00:35:47.581 The same God that breathed life into Adam's nostrils and breathed life into Jesus's dead body breathes life into our spirits to make us alive. 00:35:47.581 --> 00:35:52.713 Unto God, we have been raised to life with Jesus. 00:35:52.713 --> 00:35:59.684 In the middle of this thought, paul can't help himself. 00:35:59.963 --> 00:36:03.594 He starts doing hallelujah, by grace you have been saved. 00:36:03.594 --> 00:36:05.317 He can't help himself. 00:36:05.317 --> 00:36:09.302 When's the last time that you got excited? 00:36:09.382 --> 00:36:10.023 about this. 00:36:15.940 --> 00:36:17.170 And if not, why not what? 00:36:19.721 --> 00:36:20.242 is our problem? 00:36:20.242 --> 00:36:25.467 Do we really believe it? 00:36:25.467 --> 00:36:37.978 Do we really understand it? 00:36:37.978 --> 00:36:38.862 Do we really understand it? 00:36:38.862 --> 00:36:40.590 Mercy and grace both have to be applied, but they're different. 00:36:40.590 --> 00:36:44.833 Mercy means that we do not get the punishment we deserve. 00:36:44.833 --> 00:36:46.317 Are you thankful for mercy this morning? 00:36:46.317 --> 00:36:56.280 Because it was my sin and my shame and my guilt that should have nailed me to the cross, and yet Jesus did it in my place. 00:36:56.280 --> 00:37:01.820 But grace also means, in addition to mercy. 00:37:01.820 --> 00:37:05.902 Grace means we do get the salvation we do not deserve. 00:37:05.902 --> 00:37:10.076 Not only did mercy come running, but grace came running as well. 00:37:11.300 --> 00:37:18.478 Mercy to cover something over and grace to give us something that we didn't deserve Cannot earn this. 00:37:18.478 --> 00:37:21.063 This is a gift from God. 00:37:21.063 --> 00:37:34.173 We were enemies of Christ, but God seated us with Christ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places. 00:37:34.173 --> 00:37:51.021 In Christ Jesus, god made us one with him, with Jesus, we have been united with Jesus in the same way that in Genesis 2, the scripture says about marriage that a man and a wife will be one. 00:37:51.021 --> 00:37:54.219 We have been made one with Christ. 00:37:54.219 --> 00:37:58.518 When he died, we died. 00:37:58.518 --> 00:38:01.438 When he was buried, we were buried. 00:38:01.438 --> 00:38:04.460 When he was raised, we were raised. 00:38:04.460 --> 00:38:06.876 When he was seated in heavenly places. 00:38:06.876 --> 00:38:09.141 We were seated in heavenly places. 00:38:10.050 --> 00:38:11.556 Do we understand this truth? 00:38:11.556 --> 00:38:12.679 This is the gospel. 00:38:12.679 --> 00:38:20.255 So many times we focus on the negative aspects of the gospel and what they approach, and we need to do that. 00:38:20.255 --> 00:38:23.760 But let's not forget we've been given something great. 00:38:23.760 --> 00:38:29.463 The grace of God is amazing, unbelievable. 00:38:29.463 --> 00:38:34.559 You see, he didn't raise us from the dead just to leave us in the graveyard. 00:38:34.559 --> 00:38:40.280 He didn't raise us from the dead and then leave us tied up, like Lazarus. 00:38:40.280 --> 00:38:43.278 What did he say to those that were around Lazarus? 00:38:43.789 --> 00:38:46.438 Untie him, loose him and let him go. 00:38:46.438 --> 00:38:48.056 He's free now. 00:38:49.971 --> 00:39:14.637 Truly, the son has set him free, and my friends and even if you're not my friend yet, I hope you become my friend I want you to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this Jesus that we're talking about paid this price so that you and I could walk in newness of life, so that we can walk out of the graveyard, walk out of our grave clothes and be one with him. 00:39:16.851 --> 00:39:18.538 This is how God sees us. 00:39:22.510 --> 00:39:29.463 How much we whine to God about the condition of our lives, not realizing that he's screaming back at us. 00:39:29.463 --> 00:39:30.835 Who are you? 00:39:33.112 --> 00:39:35.079 You're not Saul anymore, you're Paul. 00:39:35.079 --> 00:39:38.994 You're not Tyler anymore, you're Trevor. 00:39:38.994 --> 00:39:39.597 I don't know. 00:39:39.597 --> 00:39:44.860 You're not a sinner anymore, you're a saint. 00:39:44.860 --> 00:39:48.038 You've been made one with Christ. 00:39:51.231 --> 00:39:51.936 I am out of time. 00:39:51.936 --> 00:39:56.476 I'm moving quickly. 00:39:56.476 --> 00:39:57.137 We're almost done. 00:39:57.137 --> 00:40:08.920 If we were to really grasp this reality by faith, the whole character of our lives would change. 00:40:08.920 --> 00:40:17.000 We would no longer be earthbound, considering only what affects us here in this life. 00:40:17.000 --> 00:40:27.478 We would be considering what is coming, what is to come and the present reality that we live in positionally because of the price that Jesus paid. 00:40:30.789 --> 00:40:38.536 Colossians 3 says if, then, you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 00:40:38.536 --> 00:40:46.681 Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 00:40:46.681 --> 00:40:52.943 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 00:40:52.943 --> 00:40:57.456 Strengthen each other, encourage each other with these words. 00:40:57.456 --> 00:41:18.440 You see, we were kept by Satan and sin, but now God is the one who's keeping us, and how many of you know he's able to keep those who he has called and who he has chosen and who have dedicated their lives to him, so that, in the coming ages, he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 00:41:18.440 --> 00:41:24.237 God's purpose in our redemption is not simply to rescue us from hell, as important as that is. 00:41:24.237 --> 00:41:34.242 His ultimate purpose in our salvation is that, in the ages to come, we are examples of his great love and mercy and grace. 00:41:34.242 --> 00:41:41.822 He is glorified by the work that he has done in adopting us into his family. 00:41:44.351 --> 00:41:47.362 But how many of you know, the issue is that we're living in the in-between. 00:41:47.362 --> 00:41:57.478 Even though these things are true, even though these things are more real than what we're experiencing here in this life, we don't feel them the same way. 00:41:57.478 --> 00:41:59.422 We don't experience them the same way. 00:41:59.422 --> 00:42:19.072 That's why we have to preach the gospel to ourselves so much, because we're surrounded by all of these voices and all of these feelings and this decaying body and all of these realities that we're facing that try to stamp out the joy of our salvation. 00:42:19.072 --> 00:42:37.507 My friends, in a little while, jesus will triumphantly return, and this time he's not going to be a baby. 00:42:37.507 --> 00:42:47.661 This time he's going to come back as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and those who are called by his name will rise to meet him in the air, and we will be with the Lord forever. 00:42:47.661 --> 00:42:52.195 Can we not hold on? 00:42:58.751 --> 00:43:08.139 Finally, we must respond to God's grace in order to be saved, for by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. 00:43:08.139 --> 00:43:17.170 It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 00:43:17.170 --> 00:43:20.740 Up to this point in time, we've talked mostly about Satan's work and about God's work, but Paul doesn't stop there. 00:43:20.740 --> 00:43:27.280 He doesn't leave us without a reminder that there is a choice that needs to be made by humanity. 00:43:27.280 --> 00:43:32.362 There is a response that's required to the goodness of God, to the grace of God. 00:43:32.362 --> 00:43:39.398 There must be something that we must do Not in order to earn our salvation. 00:43:39.398 --> 00:43:43.833 Salvation has already been earned, the price has already been paid. 00:43:43.833 --> 00:43:54.181 But to be a partaker of that, we must repent of our sins and put our faith in Jesus Christ. 00:43:54.181 --> 00:43:58.976 Have you done that? 00:43:58.976 --> 00:44:03.637 Have you acknowledged your need? 00:44:03.637 --> 00:44:08.458 If you have not, today is your day. 00:44:08.458 --> 00:44:12.619 Today is the day of salvation. 00:44:12.619 --> 00:44:16.860 Choose you this day who you will serve. 00:44:24.050 --> 00:44:30.896 Father, I pray in Jesus' name, that you would give people who are listening to this message I don't care what space of time. 00:44:30.896 --> 00:45:14.277 They're in a hotel room or in their car, wherever they are, lord, I pray that you would encounter them right now by your spirit, that you would draw them to yourself and that they would put their hope and faith and trust in a God who loves them, died for them and who was raised again to give them newness of life and finally, actually finally those who are truly saved will live to glorify God through love and obedience. 00:45:14.277 --> 00:45:17.275 What about us that are saved? 00:45:17.275 --> 00:45:18.480 What is the responsibility? 00:45:18.480 --> 00:45:19.755 How should we respond? 00:45:19.755 --> 00:45:29.719 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 00:45:33.411 --> 00:45:35.338 Have you experienced the grace of God in your life? 00:45:35.338 --> 00:45:38.036 Are you walking in the light? 00:45:38.036 --> 00:45:39.594 Are you walking in the truth? 00:45:39.594 --> 00:45:41.300 Are you born again? 00:45:41.300 --> 00:45:48.778 How many of you know you have a lot more to celebrate this Christmas than a gift that's going to perish. 00:45:48.778 --> 00:45:54.862 You have been given the greatest gift of all. 00:45:54.862 --> 00:45:59.762 What do you give to the God of the universe? 00:45:59.762 --> 00:46:04.722 Can I wrap something up? 00:46:04.722 --> 00:46:06.114 Where would you mail it? 00:46:06.114 --> 00:46:08.483 How do you mail it? 00:46:08.483 --> 00:46:11.311 How do you get it to him? 00:46:11.311 --> 00:46:16.295 You give it to him Wrapped up in glory and honor. 00:46:16.295 --> 00:46:31.547 Power, praise, love, gratitude, obedience, evangelism, giving stewardship, loving each other, community. 00:46:33.989 --> 00:46:36.492 So many ways. 00:46:39.277 --> 00:46:41.699 We don't do these things in order to be saved. 00:46:41.699 --> 00:46:46.465 We do these things because we are saved. 00:46:46.465 --> 00:46:54.949 Just stand to your feet, please. 00:46:54.949 --> 00:47:00.639 Thank you, lord. 00:47:00.639 --> 00:47:15.018 I don't know how each of you are feeling in this moment, but my hope is that you don't leave today and just say well, it was a nice service, great worship, great songs, and Tyler got kind of animated. 00:47:15.018 --> 00:47:23.340