The human situation is way worse than we thought. But there’s hope in Jesus - if we’ll “glue” ourselves to Him.
Series: UNCERTAIN: Discovering Who We are Through Difficult Times,
Speaker: Pastor Jim Groves,
Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10, John 14:30-31, 1 John 5:19, John 3:36, Romans 1:18, Romans 5:9, Ephesians 5:6, Romans 5:8, 1 Corinthians 1:31, Ephesians 2:1-3, Matthew 28:18, Ephesians 2:4-10, Ephesians 6:12,
Video: https://www.facebook.com/avalonchurch/videos/379942916298382/,
Sermon page: https://www.avalonchurch.org/sermons/uncertain-glued-to-jesus-my-true-identity-part-11/,
Sermon Notes: 2020-06-07_uncertain-part-11_sermon-notes.pdf,
Discussion Questions: 2020-06-07_uncertain-part-11_discussion-questions.pdf,
Notes:
I’m Jim and I am honored to finish the Uncertain series. Debbie and I watch the Today show some mornings. First, they get you up-to-date with all the bad things happening in the world, then they share some “good news” to keep you above water.
This message with be a bit like the Today show
First, a very dark and ominous reality
Then the “morning boost,” some “good news”
Ephesians 2:1-3
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 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. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
Paul, writing to the Christian believers in Ephesus, holds nothing back – you were dead!
Not physically dead – soul separated from body
But spiritually dead – spirit dead due to separation from God
Dead people have no relation to God
Dead people have distorted relations with each other
Dead people are powerless to change
And what killed them – sin
The sin that permeated and controlled their lives when they:
Followed their sinful nature that leaves God out of the picture
And without God, desires are the lord in control
Romans 1 describes lust and desires out of control
Followed the ways of the world which are bodies of belief, cultures, patterns of influence (like advertising, media and social media), organizations, and world-wide systems
Which either leave God out of the picture or are openly hostile to him
Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18)
But another power is also at work
Followed the Ruler of the kingdom of the air – the heavenly places – the very real spiritual world
John 14:30-31 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this worldis coming.
1 John 5:19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
Satan and the demons are both at work in disobedient people and through a world order over which they have power and influence
And Paul says it’s not just the folks in Ephesus – it’s All of us – We all – also lived among them
Paul’s concern is not that Christians once lived among the disobedient, but that they also lived like them
All people are headed for an encounter with God’s wrath – God’s constant displeasure and reaction against sin
Both his present wrath (John 3:36; Romans 1:18)
And his future wrath (Romans 5:9; Ephesians 5:6)
Dead – Disobedient – Destined for Wrath
The picture the text paints is bleak.
Because of sins, humans are the living dead.
Okay, so here’s the problem. We don’t take this passage seriously.
For the most part, we do not believe the picture of ourselves is as bad as Paul says.
Are the lives we so carefully manage meaningless – a living death – without God in the picture?
At first glance Paul’s description of life without Christ appears too harsh.
Is everyone as degraded as he suggests?
Does not life also have joy and happiness in it?
Are there not many good, ethical people for whom this description does not fit?
Is everyone destined for God’s wrath?
Unfortunately, Paul’s estimate of humanity without God is NOT unduly harsh—we just tend to see it through a different lens.
Our lens is typically very microscopic on our 32828 zipcode experience, rather than the more full and complete view of Paul (or things occurring 10 miles away)
To grasp Paul’s perspective, we need only reflect on the evil in our own society,
our suicide rate, our divorce rate, human trafficking
escapism through alcohol, drugs and social media
the challenges all of us experience as we face disease and injustice
Well over one billion people live in dire poverty
War and terrorism afflict people all over the world.
But it’s not just “out there” or “those people.”
I have spent years working with couples who argue, demean and mistreat one another and literally fight each other.
And in the majority of cases each are adamant that they are “right” and are unwilling to try to understand the other one’s experience and feelings.
From the seeds of two people who oppress one another sprout entire world systems of injustice
Not just isolated, contemporary moments but decades, even centuries of oppression and violence – because prejudice, racism and marginalizing are ingrained in humanity
The word ALL: All black people – all cops – all LGBT – all Chinese over Covid19 – all Jews – and on and on
Sometime we are truly ignorant about such things; if so, God demands we get smart.
Sometimes we just don’t want it to be true, so to us it is not.
This text says we live in keeping with the world and its “ruler,” but we are deluded and deceived into believing that’s not true
We tell ourselves we are not susceptible to peer pressure, that we do what we want, without ever asking what or who determines our wants.
All of us are children of our time, and the truth is that our time is geared away from God and towards sin
 
And that incurs the wrath of God – which is another concept that some modern Christians view as archaic or inconsistent with a God of love.
However, a third century theologian wrote that “he who does not get angry does not care.”
If God can look at the sin and injustice in this world and not get angry, he is not much of a God!
The God of the Bible is not some unmovable, unfeeling force, but a God who cares.
The story of the Bible is the story of God himself taking action to keep his anger from destroying humanity.
After the fall -- in the wilderness, with the sacrificial system -- with the prophets -- in the Exile and Return -- and most of all on the cross, God was at work dealing with his own anger and showing mercy.
And just to clarify – Sometimes we have the impression that God is angry at humans but Jesus loves humans and gains God’s favor for us by dying on the cross.
But the cross does not gain back God’s favor.
Actually, God’s favor is the basis of Jesus’ death.
Romans 5:8 reminds us that God demonstrated his love in sending Christ, while we were still sinners.
Which brings us to the good news!
Ephesians 2:4-10
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 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.8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
“But God” – the picture was bleak, but God acted because of his love and mercy.
Mercy and love are revelations of God’s being, not a response to something that merits love in the individual.
God is not an onlooker in the salvation process or in an “angry huff” waiting to be appeased.
God is the primary actor, the one who by his love deals with his own wrath and shows mercy to his people.
And it is mercy in abundance.
We are alive
God raised us up with Christ -- God creates life in the midst of death – our spirits are resurrected from death
Seated with Christ
Believers now have life with Christ, and with that life come privilege, honor, security and
In the Heavenly realms
Not heaven but in the very real spiritual reality around us where God’s wisdom is made known to the powers (3:10) and the place of battle with evil forces (6:12)
In Christ Jesus
To Paul, Christ’s death and resurrection are not merely events that produced benefit for believers
They are events in which believers are included.
We either live in sin and under its influence or in Christ and under his influence.
And we are a present (in the real heavenly world) and eternal display of God’s grace.
Saved by grace
The tense of the word in the Greek points to a past event and its continuing results.
Salvation is viewed here are something that has occurred and is currently experienced by those who are in Christ
Grace means the completely undeserved, loving commitment of God to us.
For some reason we will never understand, but is rooted in his nature, God gives himself to us, attaches himself to us, and acts to rescue us.
The initiative always lies only and completely with him.
Faith
Describes the means by which salvation is appropriated.
Christians are saved by grace, not by their faith.
Faith is the only means by which grace is received.
Faith cannot be limited to mental assent or to believing certain ideas.
Faith is relational, describing the reliance on a reliable God.
Faith is a covenant word, expressing the commitment and trust that bind two parties together.
Paul’s frequent use of phrases such as “with Christ” and “in Christ” show his conviction that faith joins them to Jesus Christ so strongly that they are in him and that what is true of him is true of them.
Faith has an adhesive quality to it; it binds the believer to the one who is believed.
Salvation does not come from believing ideas or an emotional decision, but from being bound to Christ
This is not of yourselves
Here, “this” is neuter whereas “faith” is a feminine noun.
“This” most likely refers to the whole process of God’s saving people by grace.
Not by works – any human condition or accomplishment by which one thinks to gain status or privilege before God.
In reality, nothing we do grants standing with God.
Praise should only go to God. The only legitimate boasting is in what God has done (1 Cor 1:31)
We are God’s workmanship
We are the result of his activity. The New Testament assumes that God’s act in Christ is parallel to creation itself.
Who is “we”?
Be careful not to define that word just in terms of ourselves.
The purpose of God’s creative activity is not merely to have a work of art to hang near his throne.
Rather, this new creation is to be active and productive and like the Creator.
When the early Christians tried to describe Jesus and his work, they did not merely describe him as an individual to whom certain things happened.
They saw him as the beginning of a new order, as a new Adam heading up a new race.
Consequently, they no longer saw themselves merely as individuals, but as individuals taken up in and involved with Jesus.
“Black Lives Matter” is a familiar phrase/ But let me share a different phrase based on this passage: “Dead People Matter”
How do we know? Because God showed unmeasurable grace and mercy to people dead in their sins
While dead people were will sinning, Jesus died for us
At the judgment seat of Christ all colors of the humanity will gather
But there will be only two groups of people – alive or dead
For those who are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, there are “good works” to be done
Of first importance is sharing the message of life with the dead
If the dead cannot hear us because of the noise of injustice and the cry for justice, we need do something to first quiet the noise
And, God forbid, if we are the source of the noise, we need to repent
This is the real war going on – and it is not black and white
It is right and wrong, justice and injustice, love and hate
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (Eph 6:12)
One more thing and then I am done
Faith – lost in translation
We – especially we who lead – need to be clear about what faith means in this passage (and the rest of the New Testament) and faith in the modern world
Paul’s understanding of “faith” includes attachment, union, and solidarity with Christ
To much of the modern church “faith” means assent, decision, or the teachings one affirms and embraces.
Paul thought “faith” is life-changing and productive of good deeds
For much of the church, change is desirable with faith, but not necessary, and “not by works” means one does not have to do anything.
A decision, the right prayer prayed, is enough to go to heaven.
How did faith in Jesus get perverted into simply thinking about Jesus? How did all the focus get placed on getting into heaven?
How can anyone read the New Testament and conclude we do not have to do anything?
Faith joins us to Christ and affects the whole reality of our lives.
[the Glue illustration]
This passage contrasts two ways of living, the former life in sins and the present life in Christ.
By implication the text asks, “Where will you live?”
Paul tells what life in the world is really like and this is what life with God is really like.
The focus is identity. Who are we and who is God?
From knowing who we are, we know how to live.
If one lives in sin, one’s identity is determined by sin, the old world order, and the “ruler of the kingdom of the air.”
Such a person is controlled by sinful desires and reasonings and, consequently, lives under the wrath of God.
And it is bigger than the individual and the choices one makes. There is a world order and a power of evil.
How did the United States become so distorted with racism?
Why does materialism have such a deep grip on modern society?
How do cravings become needs?
How does sexual practice become idolatrous?
The good is distorted by a world system that leaves God out of the picture, which is what sin always does.
Sin is personal, individual, and corporate (Nehemiah)
The problem for Christians is that two overlapping realms or ages exist.
Though a new age exists in Christ, the old age is still with us and at work.
Which realm will define us?
Paul attempts to describe what was formerly true, but for many Christians that is still their reality. A break with the past has not really occurred.
Christians need to be much more aware that the old order still wants to define who we are.
Our true identity is not determined by personal characteristics, experiences, and abilities, even though those items are important.
It is determined by life in and with Jesus Christ.
To be in and with Christ means that ours is not longer an individual identity.
We are in solidarity with Christ.
Life is relational, and our primary relation is with Jesus.
Our true identity – Glued to Jesus
 
Here are my challenges to us today:
Let’s look for the opportunities God is already orchestrating to share life with a dead person
Let’s ask the Lord to clearly reveal to us if we are in any way contributing to making sure a dead person stays dead
If you are dead and want to learn more about being made alive, text “life” to 407-559-8210
We are simply not going to agree with everyone; in fact, I am pretty confident that some listening today don’t agree with everything I’ve said this morning. But let me invite you to join me in a five-day devotional on You Version:
“How to Love People You Disagree With”
(please note, it did not say “people who are wrong”)
Joe Chau – Friday – Walk of Mourning – 3,000 heartbroken and repenting over the mistreatment of black people in our nation
Mike Smith
“I pray that in these scary times our Jesus-filled officers will rise up! I have family, friends and a loved one in law enforcement and others that are serving to protect our country. Praying for their spouse and families. These are scary times for them, too! Jesus weed out every evil spirit, expose it! That your light and love may shine!! You always win, Lord!”

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