Made Alive

There's a verse in the Bible I want to look at today. It is one of those verses that, if it were the only verse you ever heard, it would be enough to grasp the overall message of Jesus

Ephesians 2:8-10

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Pray

Story 1

Me and Rachel thinking of getting a 2nd dog

Rescue dog

Application 1

Saved from?

Are you saved? From what?

If you don’t have a sense of danger you don’t have an urgency for a saviour

If there's a fire you call the department

If there's an intruder you call the cops

But you have to recognize there's a problem in order to be rescued

Sin

Not what we do, but who we are

Sin has infected and affected everyone

I warn you because I love you

Some of you are physically alive, but spiritually dead

Maybe God has you here tonight, so this word will be the tool He uses to bring you from death to life

Boundaries/consequences - no trespassing sign

Transformation of nature not morality

Doing good deeds doesn't cut it

The power of God in us is better than the power of evil around us

Testimony of quitting smoking

Christians aren't perfect, but christians make progress

You’re being saved from the power of sin

In the past we’re being saved from the penalty of sin

In the present we’re saved from the power of sin

In the future we will be saved from the presence of sin

Wrath

But God is love?

God is just and Holy

Base our definition of love on God not God on our definition of Love

Not just sin now, but future sin

Romans 2

Cup of water into bowl

Crap milkshake

Saved by?

Grace/faith

grace - undeserved favor of God

Faith - assurance of things hoped for, conviction of things unseen

Hebrews 11:1

Works

false religion

Moralistic deism

Do this don’t do that

Story of me ditching all my cds

We end up leaving the church cause we work so hard to stay “pure” and then. Something bad happens to us

Our mindset is “i was good and this is how you repay me”

I did this, I did this, I did this and You owe me!

So often we get taught “here is how you put God in your debt”

We need to repent of our cold, pragmatic heart, that loves ministry, but can barely stand the King of kings

Good enough/everyone

Grade on a curve

Everyone who dies gets to go

Jesus only good person

Story 2

Pitcher of water

Supporting Scripture

James 2:17-20

17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

Application 2

Saved for

Eternal life

Eternal life starts the moment you find Jesus not just when you die

You don't have to wait until heaven to be with Jesus

Works

Not to be saved, because saved

Empowered by grace

The chair analogy

Wife

Do thing cause I love

Don't do things to earn love

Prepared beforehand

For God’s glory

Most of Jesus good works as carpenter not preacher

No such thing as sacred or secular

Not all good works are your good works

No jv or varsity in the kingdom

The lamp

Conclusions:

We are saved from God, by God, for God

Story of the prisoner and the judge who dies

Today, God looks at you and says, “I love you, I forgive you and I want my grace to change you.” Grace is “God being good to us even though we give Him every reason not to be.” Do you have the faith to believe this?

Questions:

Am I wanting to be saved?

Am I struggling to earn salvation?

Am I doing works empowered by grace?

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