Sermon Notes: "Context of the Cross" Ephesians 2:1-5

The Context of the Cross | Ephesians 2:1-5

I. Introduction a. Need a proper context for Easter next week

1. Not church attendance or the Easter bunny
2. Exegesis of the passage: Let the text speak for itself

II. Context of Ephesians

1. Paul writes to the metropolitan, socially & ethnically diverse, church congregation in the major city of Ephesus.
2. Paul writes with the angst of a pastor and with a message primarily for those who would call themselves “Christian”.
3. Keep in mind:
   i. The main idea of the passage
   ii. How many times he addresses the Christian

III. “AND YOU”

1. Those who would call themselves “Christians”
2. Talking to the church AND to them as individuals. Not some random person, but you personally

IV. “WERE DEAD”

1. Passive tense meaning literally “morally and spiritually deficient”
2. Completely unable to do anything about it.
   i. Not paralyzed but no life whatsoever
   ii. Helpless
3. Spiritually hopeless and continues to fall without any hope of getting better.

V. “IN THE TRESPASSES AND SINS”

1. “Trespasses” – violations of divine commands
   i. Exodus 20 (Deut. 5)
2. “Sins” – offenses against God in thought, word, or deed
3. Problems: i. We really don’t believe that we’re sinners – we believe that “sin” is something that is similar to murder or rape or smoking or cursing ii. We marginalize sin – “Well everyone does it…so it’s alright” iii. If we are sinners, we can always find someone worse off than we are… “we’re not that bad” iv. We don’t understand what this passage means
4. Romans 1:
   i. Worship other things other than God (idolatry)
   1. Worship ourselves 2. Worship money 3. Worship comfort 4. Worship our children
   ii. Believe that we’re smarter than God
   1. Pride 2. We ignore the commands of the bible “Oh it’s only for the scholars… I’m just a member” 3. We don’t trust God to govern our lives
   iii. We cease to acknowledge God and we take his things and make them our own.
   1. Guilty of neglecting God’s rich and perfect plan for your life over and over again.
5. Crushing reality:
   i. You and I know the weight of “trying” to be better people.
   ii. How many times have you tried to get out of a sin or even find meaning in life and just find yourself falling back into the same junk over and over again?
   iii. YOUR WERE DEAD IN YOUR TRESPASSES AND SINS

VI. “IN WHICH YOU ONCE LIVED 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”

1. Don’t forget that he’s addressing Christians
2. You followed the ways of the world
3. You followed the “prince of the power of the air” – Satan…
   i. Who is still at work right now

VII. “AMONG WHOM WE ALL ONCE LIVED IN THE PASSION OF OUR FLESH, CARRYING OUT THE DESIRES OF THE BODY AND THE MIND”

1. 2x Paul reminds the church that it is not “us” verses “them”.
2. A real believer never forgets this fact
3. A real believer remembers where they came from. It is an oxymoron to see proud church people. It makes no sense for church people to judge anyone who comes
   i. through this door or
   ii. those they meet in the grocery store or
   iii. those they see on TV
4. “look at those sinners” – “they should be more like me”

VIII. “AND WERE BY NATURE”

1. Greek word for “birth”
2. We don’t choose to be sinful we are born into sin
3. Ex. Children – nobody needs to learn how to sin d. It is our nature to always choose sinfulness over righteousness
   i. What is the first thing you do when you slam your hand?
   ii. Is it hard for you to love those who treat your wrongly?
   iii. What do you do in the middle of suffering? iv. It’s our nature to be selfish, prideful, judgmental, etc. And if you had any victory over it it’s not because “you did it”, but because of God’s grace through his Son.

IX. “CHILDREN OF WRATH, LIKE THE REST OF MANKIND”

1. God responds by giving you want you want (Romans 1)
2. God responds by storing up wrath for your constantly belittling his name and glory.
   i. Punishes according the severity of the offense
3. 3x Paul reminds the church
4. “But what about my good deeds” – Isa. 64:6 “all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags”
5. “Isn’t God loving? Why can’t he just forgive us?”
   i. The love of God is paired with the justice of God.
   ii. For him just to “forgive you” would be for God to endorse the belittling of His name.
   iii. There must be justice paid…and we do not have the ability to pay (we’re dead in sin remember?)

X. “BUT GOD” a. Notice that you have nothing to do with this passage

XI. “BEING RICH IN MERCY”

1. Does not run out

XII. “BECAUSE OF THE GREAT LOVE WITH WHICH HE LOVED US”

1. His love is not predicated on us…nothing that we do. We can’t earn his love.
2. “But he doesn’t know what I’ve done!!!”

XIII. “EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN OUR TRESPASSES, MADE US ALIVE TOGETHER WITH CHRIST – BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED”

1. In the middle of your sin b. GOSPEL
   i. Passion
   ii. Context of absorbing wrath

XIV. Conclusion

1. Christian:
   i. This is our foundation
   ii. This is why we celebrate and worship – not because of our greatness, but because of His.
   iii. CBC members – this is the main point of church. You forget this and church becomes another event during the week.
   1. Don’t you ever think this is “us” verse “them”
   2. Don’t you ever think that being a Christian is about being “morally good people”
   3. So love people and serve people because of the love that you have been shown while you were sinners
2. Visitors & those who have yet to receive this free gift:
   i. This passage is “present tense” for you 1. “you are dead” 2. “you are following” 3. And you are still under wrath
   ii. Where is your hope? Where will your salvation come from?
3. We must understand the context of the cross.

"Open Your Bibles"

Open Your Bibles: In the fall semester of my first year at Seminary I was able to take New Testament I by Dr. John Taylor. It was probably one of the bigger classes with about 50 something students but still I didn’t know anyone. I sat in the back with the rest of the “younger guys” in the classroom. There were probably 5 girls there I think and the rest were a mix of guys. Some of them were in suits, some looked like my dad, and others seemed as though they were straight out of college. I remember one day in class the guy behind me wore sandals and would always prop his feet on the back of my chair legs and it was game over for me (but that’s another story). Anyways, so this one day Dr. Taylor…actually I think this was the first day of class…he tells us to all stand up. I had no clue what he was doing…I seriously thought we were going to pledge allegiance to the flag or something. But he goes, “Alright, grab your bibles” and out of nowhere he starts reading. The thing is that he never told us where he was so I’m looking around going “uhh…what’s going on?” He pauses and says, “Alright, when you know where I’m reading from go ahead and read along and then you can sit down…but until then, stay standing”. Mad chaos breaks out in the room…you see dudes just start sweating and flipping like all over the place. I felt bad for the people who didn’t bring their bibles. I pick up words like “Jesus” and “grace” and go “Alright, well at least it’s New Testament”. Couple minutes later the first guy sits down. Panic. It’s that feeling when you’re taking a test and the first guy gets up and turns in your paper and all of the sudden it’s like a competition. Few minutes pass and several other sits down. I catch more words like “slave” and “sin” and by the grace of God I flip to where he was at after a few more minutes. After 10 minutes Dr. Taylor stops and looks up and there’s like 1/3 of the class still searching their bibles for this passage. He had gone through like 4-5 chapters by this time and I won’t forget what he said. “This is your Bible. You should know this like it’s the only thing there is. You’re going to be pastors and teachers and you should be ashamed of yourselves.” I remember from that day on I made it a commitment to really know my stuff. I mean, we’re told to read our bibles and whatever but to really know it is something totally different. And there’s something I’ve realized throughout the years…those men and women who really have an impact on culture and transform this world for Christ…they really really really know their stuff. And they don’t just know their scripture but they want to know it. Does that make sense? Like it’s not a chore for them…they actually incorporate it in their every day conversations and lives. It’s the whole “I have stored up your word in my heart…teach me your statues…in the way of your testimonies I delight”