The Church Member's Background

I want to share with you this morning about the church member or member of God's family in relation to their past. And so, as we come to that passes this morning, let me see why I'm not getting this. There we go. This is for me to see not for you to see. I kind of have to have something up here to look at it as well. For some reason or other the church member or the member of God's family. Remember that we have already said that, I want to refresh your memory. This is not speaking of the member of Grace Church of Lockeford. It's speaking of that person who is accepted the Lord Jesus Christ in the Savior and therefore, as a member of the body of Christ the church. Now, it's important understand that there is a background that Ephesians starts with with regard to the back. Of the church member Thomas read Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 1 through 14. Larry has graciously consented because of my vision to read those passes. That we have many of those patches we have in the notes until he's going to try man from time to time when I get to the end of the sentence that I'm saying, he'll pick up on it and he has the verses and hopefully we'll be able to figure out what signals I give and so on, but it's important to know that the picture of Salvation prior to becoming a member of God's family is one who is dead in sin, that's how the scripture describes it dead in sin and born to know that we are all as those who are dead in sin before we receive the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior influenced by saying later, Read verse 20. F agency at 42 and Lady. Among them, we to all formerly lived in the loss of our flesh, indulging, the desires of the Flesh, and of the mind, and we're by Nature children of Wrath. Even as the rest, it's important to understand that Satan has been given by God the authority as Prince of the power of the air. That's what he's called, Prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit. As this verse says that now works in the children of Disobedience, May puzzle, you sometimes why God allows certain things to happen. Why their school shootings? Why there is Major shootings in certain large cities of our country, why people are killed. It's because of the fact that first of all, God knows those that are his and those that are going to be his second. He has allowed Satan to influence those who are not and therefore, the lives are taken because of their wickedness and evil. They are influenced by Satan. Unfortunately, we live in a time when that's increasing and it's important understand that politically we cannot reform this country God is the only one that can reform it, and he is actually according to scripture, allowing it to get worse and worse, and there is coming his judgment against, those are believed not. So it's important to understand that people are influenced by Satan. We are dead ends in an influence by say it's also a downer stand, that we are Sinner by Nature. Larry already read verse 3, but it's important to understand that we are a sinner by Nature. I want underscore that I mention this fact that we are not only a sinner by nature, but a sinner by conduct but it's important to understand that we're not a sinner because we see him. We sin because we are a sinner. Remember you do what you do? Because you are, what you are. Did you hear that? You might want to write that down at the back of your Bible on a Flyleaf or something. Just as a reminder for what you need to know that is that we do what we do, because we are what we are, we are by Nature a sinner. It's important to understand that in this in the prospect of what we are and how we live in relation to that. It's important also to understand that we are influenced from day-to-day embark on Duck, which is naturally that have sinned. Now, most of you here at one time or other have been parents and I want to ask you a question. How about your children about your grandchildren about any, you may have in your family but I would like a show of hands for all those who ever had to teach their kid to lie.

It's funny thing about it. That child came by it naturally. Because he has a sin nature.

If he came by it, naturally because he's your child. Sin is passed on from one to the other because that's what God determined was best in order to bring him glory at so that he can redeem mankind. We are Sinners by Nature. It's important to understand that. Satan is the key influence with regard to that sin. And we fall that because of the lust of the flesh, the last of the eyes and the pride of life, those are three areas that we are tempted in and Satan knows that, and he keeps that Temptation out there all the time in order to cause us to send. I know it's her unregenerate before they have accepted the Lord, Jesus Christ as Savior, come by it, naturally. even though your child may have been saved, And you caught him in a lie. It's because of his old major that. He still has one day. When we get to be with the Lord, he will take that old nature awake. But we still struggle with that. I've told you already, I believe, my mom used to have a flannel graph series for young children where she had a wrestling Arena picture and there were two people in the wrestling Arena. Ipsy. Which is the symbol of the old nature and Newman, the symbol of the new nature. and, When Newman was on top, the Lord was being glorified, but when Ipsy began there in, when the wrestling match, the old nature came to the fore and things were done which were not honoring, then glorifying to God. That's what we struggle with everyday. That's what Paul said. Enrollment remember the good that I would I don't do but what I hate that I do that's true of all of us. We struggle with that. The only solution is to yield to the Holy Spirit. Not only are we dead in sin but the scripture says we are without hope without hope. We're in the wrong family. Larry read, verse 3, maybe you can read that again. Len weed, verse 11, Larry

Ephesians 23.

among them, we to all formerly lived in the loss of our flesh, indulging, the desires of the Flesh, and of the mind, we were by Nature children of Wrath, even as the rest

Now, where's 11? You have it there for

Remember that formerly you the Gentiles In the Flesh who are called uncircumcision by the so-called circumcision which is performed in the flesh by human hands. Remember that? You were at that time separate from Christ excluded from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of Promise having no hope and without God in the world without hope. No hope. Up until the death of the Lord, Jesus Christ. The only way to come to God, was through the nation Israel, you had to become what we call today. A proselyte you had to accept the Jewish faith and accept God, through faith and coming that way. But the majority of Gentiles were not Jews. Obviously, they were in the wrong family and that's where we are before. We accept the Lord, Jesus Christ as Savior, we are not in God's family. And therefore, we are in the wrong family, we're still under the influence as we saw in the last boy of Satan and the scripture says we are without hope without hope it's important to know that we are without hope because we're in the wrong family, we are helpless to change because of birth we're helpless to change because of birth worst 9. Larry if a vision chapter 2 Not as a result of works, that no one should boast. Okay, it's important to know. And this will be repeated over and over again in the New Testament that it's not as a result of works that there were in the right family. It's not as a result of deserving. It it's a result of what we've done or who we are. In other words, God's grace and that word has been mentioned time and time, again is mentioned again in verse 8-9, for by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, the gift of God, what do you do with a gift earning know you accept it. That's what a gift is. It's given without condition because of the person's love and affection for you. That's what God's gift is. God loves The Sinner and he gives eternal life, not because we deserve it. But because of the sacrifice, The he has given of his son and we accept that through faith. We are excluded by genetics. A verse one mentions that we've already read it for you at the quick and who were dead in trespasses and sins when in park time pass, you walked according to the course of this world, according to Prince of the power of the air, the spirit now work at in the children of disobedience. He has made us alive. By the fact that he's given us new life. Remember he talked and Nicodemus about that, they could be missed came and started to as it was appropriate. Perhaps he came and started the complement. The Lord, the Lord said interrupted him and said, except a man be born again. He cannot see the kingdom of God. That's the new creation, that's what God does, he makes us over and gives us new life. That's what's important about being a church member. It doesn't matter what local church. You remember, all of it matters, whether or not you're a member of God's family, we are without hope. Until we come to join that family and that comes by it as a result of God's grace. That's the third point. We are the object of Grace. Because of God's love. First of all. Verse for Larry if he's in Chapter 2 in Mercy because of his great love with which he loved us. That, but God being rich in Mercy. Now I've told you before, but I'm going to take tell you again and maybe you want to write it down in the in the fly, leave your Bible as well. Mercy is not getting what we deserve.

Not getting what we deserve. We all deserve because of our relationship outside, the family. And because of our relationship there were without God and without hope and dead in sins, we deserve punishment, Eternal punishment in hell to Christ. And then it says, by grace, are you saved by grace? Are you saved? The difference between mercy and Grace, is the grace gives us something we don't deserve. Mercy delivers us from what we deserve. Grace gives us something we don't deserve. That's heaven heaven. Has been given to us where we deem because of God's love for us and given Heaven. It's important to understand that because of the fact that it comes through faith, By Grace you are saved through faith. What is faith? Faith is believing. It's just as simple as that. You exercise, Faith everyday. I told you this before, but when you go out of here, the first River, you cross the first covered across, whatever the case may be. Whatever you, wherever you drive, you exercise faith. I have never ever seen one of you out. With a tape measure measure, 3/4 of the bridge to see what are strong enough for you to drive across, you assume that the engineers of the State of California, knew what they were doing that once in a while we hear of a bridge failing but God never fails. God has finished the work, God's love provides us salvation by grace through faith. All we have to do is believe that God is able That's what he calls upon us to do calls upon us to believe that he's sufficient. It's important to understand that is always the way to Salvation. Some people think because I mentioned in on Wednesday night, that things have changed that used to be that you got favor with God by keeping the law. Romans Chapter 4, verses 2 and 3 points out. The fact that by the keeping of the law. Shall no flesh be justified in his sight. No fresh. Did you see that? Nobody can keep the law in spite of the fact that Israel said, all of the Lord has promised, we will do they were wrong. They couldn't keep the law. And God says, we can't be saved by trying to keep the law because the harder you try the worse you get. And if all else fails, Like the Pharisees they were consumed with pride because they build a hedge around the law. They done things like keeping the Passover, the day before and the day so that they would know exactly what the phase of the moon was and if they missed it by they they would still have it. No that doesn't work because they get to consume with pride that's as soon as well. So it's important to understand that God loved us and provided his son for it and we accept that gift by faith, not through the law by the blood of the Lord, Jesus Christ, Hebrews chapter 10, verse 11 and 12 Larry. Can you read that for us? I'm sorry, I maybe should have had the the patient's first, first Ephesians 2:8 ever bring of the body of Jesus Christ, once, for all, and every priest, and Steely ministering. And offering Time After Time, the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins,

and that second words, go to the words after that goes on to say, but this man having offered one sacrifice for sin forever, sat down, You know, that's a great picture. There is no bench. In the Tabernacle, there was no place for the priest to rest. Why? Because they were continually offering sacrifices during their whole day. That's what they did. But the picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, is there, when he offered one sacrifice for sin, he sat down. He sat down. It was finished. That's the words of the high priests use when he went in The Mercy Seat to offer sacrifice once a year, it is finished. That's the one more appropriate that the Lord use on the cross. He remember, just before he gave up the spirit, he says it is finished. Honeywood, then go to heaven and s*** down. All work was done. That's what's glorious about our faith, in the Lord, Jesus Christ, there's not more to do, it's all done. And that's why God it's we've seen already can speak of you as being justified already glorified already, the work is done, the battle is over, and that's what men by the words of a new covenant. That's why we call it the New Testament. It's a New Covenant. It's a new agreement that God has made. Not the old agreement of keeping the law and still not being able to make it. We now have a new covenant whereby, God gives us eternal life is not great, aren't we privileged to have a God that loves us and takes care of us and provides us with the freedom? Of knowing him and having his grace. Grace. And it's so important to understand that in spite of what is given to our country. And we observe that this morning we observe it on Independence, Day. Liberty is ultimately given by God, I didn't spiritual Liberty, not physical Liberty, it's that which God gives us in our hearts provides for us by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So it's important to know that. Now we're going to come to the communion table in a few minutes and I want to close this message in prayer and ask God to continue to bless us during the time of communion. Let's pray. Father, we pray that you will be with us. Now, as we come to your table, that you will bless and sustainus in the moments ahead and help us to look at our own hearts and be made right with you. In order that we may honor and glorify you in our lives, throughout the days ahead, until our Lord comes in his name, we pray, amen.